한국사찰의 산신각(山神閣)과 산신의례(山神儀禮) = Building Structures and Faith of Mountain spirits in Buddhist Temples of Korea

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

The objective of this study is to analyze the history of building structures for mountain spirits in Buddhist temples in Korea and to investigate the characteristics of the related religious rituals. Along with the acceptance of Buddhism in the Three Kingdom Period of Korea, the mountain spirits, although served before the introduction of Buddhism, have become more importance as the protectors of the temples. The mountain spirits were absorbed in Buddhism without big frictions. The background of this smooth acceptance is the belief on the territorial spirits that makes the temples the places for mystical beings and the faith on the Buddhist spirits that protect the land. The author claims that the construction of building structures for permanent enshrining of mountain spirits has started in latter part of Chosun Dynasty. There are no documents that record the existence such building structures in Silla, Koryo, and early Chosun Dynasty. The evidences of the constructions of buildings for mountain spirits in latter Chosun Dynasty are present in many historical documents. Also the rituals for the mountain spirits are assumed to be settled in the latter period of Chosun Dynasty. In the latter chosun Dynasty period, the Buddhism rituals began to possess the characteristics of the folklores and the art performances. As the Buddhist temples became closely related to the general public, it accepted many religious structures of the folklore in order to meet the their religious desires. Accordingly, the mountain spirits, the main gods served in the ancestral rites of villages, have been accepted in Buddhist temples and the building structures for them have been constructed in all temples. In the structure of religious believes, mountain spirits in Buddhism belong to the middle level or the second level in the three-level structure. The upper level for the Buddha is in the top of the structure and the middle level for holy spirits is the core of the Buddhist religious rituals. When the mountain spirits were considered to have only the role of protecting the temples, prior to the early period of Chosun Dynasty, there was only the calling ceremony for them in the Buddhist rituals. In latter period of Chosun Dynasty, additional ceremonies for presenting offerings and praying have been included. Mountain spirits have significant functions even in modern era. In addition to their function of protecting the temples, they are the gods for the peaceful ascetic lives and also the subjects for praying for the offspring and wealth for the believers.