This study analyzed the process of establishing Wonmyo(the Royal’s private Ancestral Shrine) system and examined the characteristic of it, especially related to Munsojeon. Wonmyo was built to respect the late Kings as if they were alive. In the earl...
This study analyzed the process of establishing Wonmyo(the Royal’s private Ancestral Shrine) system and examined the characteristic of it, especially related to Munsojeon. Wonmyo was built to respect the late Kings as if they were alive. In the early Choson dynasty, Wonmyo was built separate one king from another. While the only one Munsojeon was established instead of plural Wonmyo during the reign of King Sejong, because it had trouble to build Wonmyo continuous. Spirit tablet were enshrined instead of portrait in Munsojeon, and Confician ceremony was done deviating from the Buddhist. Spirit tablets of Taejo and four generation ancestor of present king were enshrined in Munsojeon, and King Sejong strictly restricted the number of spirit tablets as 5.
The system of Munsojeon was changed during the reign of King Seongjong. He became a king after death of his uncle Yejong. He bestowed the titled of King on his real father in the 7th year, and then Spirit tablet of his father was enshrined in Chongmyo(the Royal Ancestral Shrine). But Spirit tablet of his real father was enshrined in Yeoneunjeon, a kind of Wonmyo instead of Munsojeon, for he called Yejong his father. This is deviate from principle restricting direct 4 generations due to enshrining his uncle, not his father.
Myongjong was younger brother of Injong, so he intended to enshrine his elder brother in Yeoneunjeon not in Munsojeon. But Sarim(Neo-Confucian literati) insisted Injong be enshrined in Munsojeon because Myongjong had to regard Injong as his father. They acclaimed it was defined not blood lineage but kingship lineage. At last Injong was enshrined in Yeoneunjeon due to powerful insistence of the King’s mother. This debate was continued during the reign of King Seonjo. At that time Sarim gained in power, they claimed kingship lineage was more important than blood lineage on the enshrinement. So Injong and Myongjong were enshrined in Munsojeon. As a result, Munsojeon system changed to enshrine spirit tablet from blood lineage to kingship lineage. But basically Sarim denied the system of Munsojeon, because of duplicity of Jongmyo and Munsojeon and too many sacrificial rites. So After Munsojeon was burned away during Imjinwaeran(Japanese Invasion of Korea in 1392), it was not rebuilt forever.