Abstract

This thesis aims to understand the characteristics of basic material as a research process for establishing the database of extraordinary astronomical phenomena and natural disasters in traditional society of Korea and China. The state had to predict and interpret the occurrence of eclipse and movement of stars. As the important environmental factor of agriculture-based society, understanding the causes for and coping with many natural disasters including flood or drought were the major tasks of the king and Royal Court. For this reason, the dynasties of Korea and China left the extraordinary astronomical phenomena and natural disasters as important records. The historical description of East Asia reflects the relation between understanding of natural environment and political philosophy of East Asia, which is significant as it is completely different from the current perception of natural disasters and natural science. However, it is difficult to fully understand the records as natural disasters and extraordinary phenomena. For this reason, there should be a process of analyzing and understanding the characteristics of basic materials. The Books of the Five Elements classified and organized the records of many natural disasters including weather phenomena. This thesis verified that the records of Books of the Five Elements, Bongi, and Sega were scattered without according with each other, and even a complex weather phenomenon that occurred on the same day was separately contained according to the five elements, so it was hard to find the connectivity. Also, in case of a disaster with the same content recorded in the same item, its meaning should be understood by examining the context depending on its characteristic like if it is a disaster or the resolution of a disaster. In case when it is not one-time phenomenon such as drought, rain, and thunder & lightning, the degree of natural disasters should be understood by considering the duration and period of occurrence. Such historical records in the Books of the Five Elements could describe more various images of history if they are complemented by other materials. Especially, 『Goryeosa Jeolyo』 is a chronological book of history that shows the consecutive disaster situation, which complements the segmentation of the Books of the Five Elements. Also, in the aspect of recording the natural disasters according to the standard of signs and punishment of heaven, it clearly shows the compilers’ view of natural disasters on the basis of sensation between heaven and man, which can present various implications. And 『Songhoeyojipgo』 more concretely records the process of coping with disasters compared to Bongi or Book of the Five Elements of 『Song-sa』, so it could be used as the material showing the concrete coping process and perception besides complementing the records.

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