17세기 영남 선비가 추구한 규범적 여성상 - 『선비증정부인장씨행실기先妣贈貞夫人張氏行實記』를 중심으로 (Image of the Normative Women Pursued by Yongnam Sunbi’s during 17th century)

서지정보

· 발행기관 : 한국국학진흥원
· 수록지 정보 : 국학연구 / 55호 / 197 ~ 232페이지
· 저자명 : 김미영

초록

이글에서다룬선비증정부인장씨행실기先妣贈貞夫⼈張⽒⾏實記는안동장씨 장계향(1598~1680)의 행록⾏錄으로, 그녀의 셋째 아들 갈암 이현일(1627~ 1704)이어머니의사후10여년이지난1692년에작성했다. 당시이현일은 후손들이삶의나침반으로삼을수있도록기록으로남긴다고했는데, 이를 위해어머니의삶에서사표師表가될만한행적을선별했을것이다. 이런전제 아래선비증정부인장씨행실기를중심으로, 과연이현일은어머니의어떤 삶을긍정적으로평가하고있는지를살펴본결과, 다음의다섯가지로정리되었다.
첫째, 이현일은 행장의 첫머리에서 어머니친정가문의 위상을 강조하고 있는데, 17세기말은가문의식이강화된시기로조상의위업을통해위상을 높이려는풍조가강했다. 또이때의‘가문’은부계를비롯해모계까지확장되는것이일반적이었다. 이에이현일역시어머니의가문인‘안동장씨’의인지도를 설명하면서 혈통적 정통성을 부각시켰을 것이다.
둘째, 어머니의유교적소양에대해지면을할애하고있는점이주목된다.
이현일에따르면장계향은10살무렵부터소학 등을학습했고, 당대명필가 정윤목이어머니의적벽부초서에대해칭찬을아끼지않았고, 또 10여편의 자작시를남겼다는사실을소개하고있다. 이처럼이현일은남성들의전유물이었던유학적지식과예술적소양을부각시킴으로써, 어머니의삶을남성들과 대등한 역량을 갖춘 것으로 평가하고 있다.
셋째, 이현일은어머니의‘애민정신’도긍정적으로기술하고있다. 실제로 장계향은하인들이병들면간호해주고기댈곳없는어린아이나노인들에게 식량을보내주는등보살핌을베풀었다. 또영해인량리시댁에서영양두들마을로분가하고나서주변에도토리나무를심어정묘호란때도토리죽을쑤어 굶주린사람들에게제공했다. 이러한장계향의베품의삶에는유교의‘인仁’에 바탕한측은지심이자리한다고할수있는데, 이에이현일은어머니의애민적 삶을 긍정적으로 평가했던 것으로 보인다.
넷째, 이현일은어머니의효행도비중있게다루고있다. 장계향은출가전 친정에 살 때 병석에 누워계신 친정어머니를 밤낮으로 간호하고, 혼인 후 친정어머니가돌아가시자친정으로가서아버지를모시면서재혼을주선하고, 아버지가타계하자새어머니와어린동생들을데리고와서보살폈다. 효제충신은유교윤리에서중시하는실천덕목으로, 이현일역시어머니의효행적 삶을 유교윤리에 부합한다고 간주해 높이 평가했을 것이다.
다섯째, 이현일은어머니가성인聖⼈을지향하는삶을살았다는점도긍정적으로평가했다. 장계향은일상의실천행위로써성인에도달할수있다고했는데, 그래서아들과손자들에게성인을추구하는삶을살도록권유했고아랫사람들에게도선행을실천하도록했다. 이처럼이현일은유교의궁극적지향점인‘성인’을추구했던어머니의삶이존경스러웠을것이고, 이를후대에알려야겠다는 생각에서 행장에 포함시켰을 것이다.
이처럼이현일은어머니를능동적이고주체적인여성으로형상화하면서도, 시부모를정성으로섬기고남편을공경하고전처소생의1남1녀와본인이 낳은6남2녀등모두7남3녀의자녀를훌륭하게키우고집안살림을지혜롭게꾸려나가는, 그야말로유교적규범에바탕한전통적부덕婦德을충실히 이행했다는사실도강조하고있다. 이는자칫이율배반적인것으로비칠수도 있으나, 그밑바탕에유교윤리가자리하고있다는점에서는크게다르지않다. 즉이현일은어머니의삶을‘능동적-수동적’, ‘주체적-종속적’이라는대립구도가아니라유교윤리의범주에해당하는지벗어나는지를기준으로어머니의 삶을 되돌아보면서 행장을 써 내려갔다고 생각된다.

영어초록

<Seonbi jeung jeongBuin Jang-ssiHaengsilgi> examined in this paper is a biographical record of Jang Gye-hyang (1598-1680) from the Andong Jang family clan that was written by her third son, Galam Yi Hyeon-il (1627-1704) in 1692, about ten years after her death. Given that Yi explained he decided to leave behind the record to serve as a compass with which his descendants could navigate life, he most likely would have selected the aspects of his mother’s life that could serve as a “compass” for future generations. Against this backdrop, I examined the aspects of his mother’s life viewed positively by Yi that were evident in <Seonbi jeung jeongBuin Jang-ssiHaengsilgi> and found that they could be grouped into five categories.
First, Yi emphasized the “pedigree” of his mother’s family in the document. In the 17th century, there was a particular importance placed on family history, with a strong tendency to bolster the prestige status of one’s family by bringing to light the achievements of one’s ancestors. It was common for the “family” to include not only the paternal side but also the maternal side. It is probably for this reason that Yi highlighted the fact that his mother was from the renowned Andong Jang family clan.
Second, Yi dedicated a significant part of the record to his mother’s studies and practice of Confucianism. He emphasized the fact that his mother had studied Lesser Learning and other books of Confucianism from the age of 10, that Jeong Yun-mok, famous for his penmanship, had praised her cursive script in the transcription of Ode to the Red Cliff, and that she had written 10 poems. As such, by underscoring her scholarly knowledge and artistic talent, which were reserved for men back then, Yi noted that his mother was comparable to her male counterparts in terms of competence.
Third, Yi described his mother’s “compassionate spirit” in a positive light. She nursed her servants when they fell ill and sent food to children and the elderly who had nowhere else to turn. She also planted acorn trees around Dudeul Village in Yeongyang and made acorn porridge for the hungry during Jeongmyohoran, or the Chinese invasion of Korea in 1627. It can be said that Jang Gye-hyang’s life of giving was characterized by compassion that was rooted in benevolence, one of the principles of Confucianism, and it appears that Yi thought highly of his mother’s compassion toward others.
Fourth, Yi also wrote about his mother’s filial piety. Before her marriage, Jang nursed her sickly mother, and when her mother died after she got married, Jang went to her parents’ home to care for her father and personally arranged his remarriage. When her father passed away, she invited her stepmother and younger siblings to live with her so that she could take care of them. Since filial piety is a virtue valued in Confucianism, Yi likely appreciated his mother’s acts of filial piety.
Fifth, Yi believed that his mother lived a life that was oriented toward sainthood. According to Jang Gye-hyang, sainthood can be attained through daily practice, so she encouraged her sons and grandsons to aspire to sainthood, and she urged her subordinates to practice good deeds. As such, Yi must have admired his mother’s pursuit of sainthood, the ultimate goal of those practicing Confucianism, and included it in her biographical record to pass it on to future generations.
While Yi portrayed his mother as an active and independent woman, he also described her as someone who had the “virtues of a woman” by noting how she had served her parents-in-law with sincerity, honored her husband, raised her stepson and stepdaughter and her own seven sons and three daughters properly, and ran the household wisely. While this may be seen as contradictory, they are not so different in terms of the underlying principles of Confucianism. In other words, Yi probably wrote about his mother’s life based on whether it fell within or outside the Confucian principles, instead of focusing on whether she was active or passive or independent or dependent.

참고자료

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