Draft Ancestral Rituals of the Royal Shrine: Jongmyo Jerye

Title	Royal Ancestral Rites and Ritual Music at Jongmyo Shrine
Author	허정범

1차 원고

The Jongmyo Ceremonies are memorial rituals held in the Jongmyo Shrine where it is believed the spirits of the past kings of the Joseon Dynasty reside. The Shrine was initially built in 1396 by King Taejo to house the remains of four of his ancestors.

The central building, called Jeongjeon, is 101 meters long and features twenty red pillars. Its nineteen chambers contain the remains of nineteen kings and thirty queens.

Jeongjeon is the resting place of Taejo (who established the Joseon Dynasty) and other kings who have made particularly memorable contributions to the nation. When a king passed, his remains would be kept at Jeongjeon for five generations, after which those remains of kings with exceptional legacies would continue to be worshipped there or be otherwise transferred to Yeongnyeonjeon.

Yeongnyeonjeon houses the remains of sixteen kings and seventeen queens.

The current Jeongjeon and Yeongnyeonjeon were expanded in 1836. The Gonshindang annex next to Jeongjeon keeps the remains of eighty-three Joseon Dynasty officials.

The Jongmyo Ceremonies include regular rituals as well as those for special occasions such as for calamities or auspicious events. There were only incense offerings during the Japanese occupation, and the country was is such turmoil after liberation that not even incense was lit at the Jongmyo Shrine for a time. But from 1969, the Jeonju House of Yi began to hold ceremonies again under the auspices of Daejongyakwon, and from 1975 onwards, the main ceremony has been held every first Sunday of May with full rites observed.

The Jongmyo Ceremonial Festivities (Jongmyo Jaeryeak) involve music and dance that praise the ancestors and invoke well-being in the royal household. The Festivities were formalized during the reign of King Seijong, fourth king of the Joseon Dynasty, and modified during the time of King Sejo.

The Festivities were designated a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage in 2001 as an example of a “Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity.”

감수본

The Jongmyo Ceremonies are memorial rituals held in the Jongmyo Royal Ancestral Shrine where it is believed the spirits of the past kings of the Joseon Dynasty reside. The Shrine complex was initially built in 1396 by Founding King Taejo Yi Seong-gye to house the spirit tablets of four of his ancestors.

The central building, called Jeongjeon, is 101 meters long and features twenty red pillars. Its nineteen chambers contain the spirit tablets of nineteen kings and thirty queens. Jeongjeon is the resting place of Taejo (who established the Joseon Dynasty) and other kings who have made particularly memorable contributions to the nation. When a king passed, his spirit tablet would be kept at the Jeongjeon for five generations, after which those tablets of kings with exceptional legacies would continue to be venerated there or be otherwise transferred to the Yeongnyeonjeon, built west of the Jeong-jeon.

Yeongnyeonjeon houses the spirit tablets of sixteen kings and seventeen queens. The current Jeong-jeon and Yeongnyeonjeon were expanded in 1836. The Gonshindang annex next to Jeongjeon keeps the tablets of eighty-three high-ranking and meritorious Joseon Dynasty officials.

The Jongmyo Ceremonies include regular rituals as well as those for special occasions such as petitioning the royal ancestors for better fortunes after calamities or auspicious events. There were only incense offerings during the Japanese occupation, and the country was in such turmoil after liberation that not even incense was lit at the Jongmyo Shrine for a time. But from 1969, the Jeonju House of Yi began to hold ceremonies again under the auspices of its Daejongyak-won clan-organization, and from 1975 onwards, the main ceremony has been held on the every first Sunday of every May with full rites observed.

The Jongmyo Shrine’s Royal Ancestral Ritual Music, called Jongmyo Jaeryeak, involves music and dance that praise the ancestors and invoke well-being in the royal household. The rites were formalized during the reign of King Sejong, fourth king of the Joseon Dynasty, and modified during the time of seventh King Sejo in late 15th Century.

The shrine complex was listed as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site in 1995, and its rites and the music were designated one of the Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity by the UNESCO in 2001.