고려시대 나례의 특징과 의미

Abstract

Na’rye was a dynastic ritual performed as a role play by people with masks, on the very last day of a year. The ritual was intended to repel mean spirits, and also to wish a happy and healthy new year. The ritual was originally from China, and after it was introduced to the Korean peninsula Koryo practiced it regularly. Examined in this article is its procedure as well as its meaning, based on Chinese and Koryo records as well as ritualistic theories.BR There were three stages in the Na’rye ritual of Koryo: first the stage of preparation, when performers were selected and details of the service were prepared, then the stage of repelling evil spirits, and finally the stage of holding a service for Tae’eum, the Great Yin. Na’rye was performed by the King, other personnel(Jinja, Jibsaja, etc.), and the Naja performers. The ritual was held in the Dae’gwan-jeon Hall, the Euibong-mun Gate(of the palace), and the Imperial “Hwangseong” Fortress, at dawn of the first day of the year.BR The Koryo Na’rye’s observed protocols that were essentially the same with the Dang one, which had usually been deemed the grandest. When the ritual was held, the Koryo King would invite the performers inside and allowed the ‘commencement of the ritual, turning his own working space into a ritualistic one. Also, in Koryo Na’rye a white rooster was sacrificed for the Tae’eum ritual in order to repel evil energy, resolve past conflicts and invite a fresh new year. Later the white rooster was replaced by a clay cow, which again changed to liquor and fruits, reflecting changes in the Na’rye’s meaning, from a cleansing ritual (purifying the palace and the Hwangseong capital) to a Confucian ritual hoping for a good harvest.BR Na’rye was ultimately a political ritual, considering there were certain paradoxical elements as well as peculiar temporal and visual features within it. It was a ritual held essentially to reinforce the Kings’ authorities, by preventing political conflicts in advance through a staged act of repelling evil spirits. And changes in the sacrificial objects also signified it was not merely a simple exorcising ritual.