첨성대 축조연대의 추정 (Determining the Year of CheomSeongDae’s Construction)

서지정보

· 발행기관 : 한국학중앙연구원 한국학중앙연구원
· 수록지 정보 : 한국학 / 43권 / 1호 / 217 ~ 263페이지
· 저자명 : 장활식

초록

첨성대에 대해 『삼국유사』(1284±)는 선덕여왕대(632‒647)의 “축첨성대(築瞻星臺)”라고 했고, 『세종실록』지리지(1432)는 선덕여왕 2년(633)의 “소축(所築)”이라 했고, 『삼국사절요』(1476)는 선덕여왕 몰년(647)의 “작첨성대(作瞻星臺)”라고 했다. 후대 문헌들은 이들 중에서 하나를 충실히 따르거나, 기록들을 조합하거나, 간혹 다른 연대를 제시하기도 했다.
『삼국유사』에서 첨성대는 선덕여왕 5년(636) 이전에 착공되었고, 선덕여왕의 죽음보다 앞서 완공되었다고 추정되었다. 『세종실록』(1454)지리지(1432)의 선덕여왕 2년(633)은 첨성대 완공연대가 아니라 착공연대로 판단되었다. 『삼국사절요』의 “작첨성대”는 첨성대의 착공이나 완공을 말하는 것이 아니라 첨성대에서의 작단법 실행을 은휘한다고 해석되었다. 첨성대는 선덕여왕 2년(633)에 착공되어, 3년(634)경을 전후로 완성된 듯하며, 선덕여왕 몰년(647)에 첨성대에서 『관정경』에 의거한 작단법이 실행되었을 듯하다.
『삼국유사』, 『세종실록』지리지, 『삼국사절요』의 첨성대연대는 상충하지 않으며, 서로 다른 기준으로 연대를 달리 기록했던 것이었을 가능성이 높다. 첨성대는 선덕여왕 영혼의 도리천상생을 기원한 밀교의 총탑이었는데, 죽음 이후에 건립되는 일반적인 묘탑과는 달리 선덕여왕대의 초반에 이미 완성되었던 것으로 판단되었다.

영어초록

CheomSeongDae(瞻星臺) is generally believed to have been a celestial observatory(天文觀測臺). However, recent research indicates that it had been a stupa(廟塔) for Queen SeonDeok(善德女王) of Silla, who reigned from 632 to 647. This paper examines some of the early records on CheomSeongDae to determine its year of construction (築造年代).
The late 13th‒century text Memorabilia of the Three Kingdoms(『三國遺事』) states that CheomSeongDae was constructed during the reign of Queen SeonDeok(善德女王代). Hidden inside the text, however, is the implication that CheomSeongDae was related to the Queen’s wish to be reborn in Trāyastrimśa(忉利天), a Buddhist heaven(天國) located on top of Mountain Sumeru(須彌山). Interestingly, the location of the Queen’s tomb and CheomSeongDae are perfectly aligned with the direction of sunrise on winter solstice(冬至日出線). This arrangement seems to have been based on an esoteric sutra(密敎經典) called Sutra of Consecration(『灌頂經』), which states that a holy ruler(聖王) may be buried in a tomb surrounded by a thick forest and commemorated by a stupa built at a busy street(塔塚葬).
According to the “Treatise on Geography,” an early 15th‒century text in the Chronicles of King Sejong(『世宗實錄』地理志), CheomSeongDae was built in 633, the second year of Queen SeonDeok’s reign. The present study finds this statement fairly reliable, as it appears to have been made between 1427 and 1430 by a local officer stationed in Gyeongju(慶州), the capital of the Silla Dynasty, based on old records existing at the local government office at that time. This means that the Queen’s stupa would have been built during the earlier years of her reign, not after her death.
A late 15th‒century history book, the Complete Brief of Three Kingdoms’ History(『三國史節要』), inserted the statement “Silla practiced CheomseongDae(新羅作瞻星臺)” just before the record of Queen SeokDeok’s death in January 647. This does not necessarily mean that CheomSeongDae was built in the year of Queen’s death; instead, it likely refers to the performance of a series of esoteric rituals at CheomSeongDae after the Queen’s death, thus confirming that the structure was a stupa wishing for the rebirth of Queen SeonDeok in Trāyastrimśa.
Later records combined and consequently distorted preceeding records. In addition, many speculative statements were added to the records of the 18th and 19th centuries: for example, the Expanded Reference Compilation of Documents(『增補文獻備考』), an encyclopedia for culture and institutions published in 1908, defines CheomSeongDae as a celestial observatory and states that it was built in the year of Queen SeonDeok’s death. Such distorted statements have led many modern researchers to incorrectly infer the nature of CheomSeongDae. This paper recommends potential researchers of CheomSeongDae to carefully examine earlier records and not rely only on records dating from more recent centuries.

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