earticle

영어

This study set out to investigate Joseon scholars' perceptions of Mt. Jiri and Cheonwang peak based on their travel journals of the mountain. Of 74 travel journals left by scholars that traveled to Mt. Jiri before 1910, 52 containing the names of Mt. Jiri, Mt. Duryu, and Mt. Bangjang were examined in the study. Of them, 73% used the name Mt. Duryu, which indicates that Joseon scholars had the greatest preference for Mt. Duryu of the three. It is a reflection of their idea of the country that spread down from Mt. Baekdu. In Joseon, scholars had the following ideas of the status of Mt. Jiri: 1) a guardian mountain that stands wide and big between Yeongnam and Honam; 2) a security guard in the southern regions; 3) a royal ancestor of the South at the southern tip of the nation; 4) a mountain on an east∼west axis with Mt. Kunlun of China; and 5) one of the eight celebrated mountains in the world. With wide variance among individual scholars, most of them shared 1) and 2) to think of the status of the mountain. Joseon scholars had three ideas of Mt. Jiri's symbolism: first, they compared the mountain to a king or sage; secondly, they saw the mountain as the domain of Taoist hermits; and finally, they regarded the mountain as the haven of hermits with the highest academic virtue. Those who dreamed of the peaceful reign of the Yaoshun era valued the first symbolism; those who tried to preserve morality at the time of collapsed morality did the third symbolism; and those who visited Mt. Jiri to mitigate disunion in reality or clear their heads did the second symbolism. They had two perceptions of the name of Cheonwang Peak; first, they regarded it as the highest peak below Mt. Baekdu; and secondly, they thought of it as a peak governed by the king of the heaven. As for the Holy Mother of Cheonwang Peak, they regarded her as 1) Queen Wuisuk, the mother of Goryeo Taejo, 2) the guardian spirit of Mt. Jiri, and 3) the king of the heaven. As for the Ilwoldae of the peak, they regarded it as 2) a place where one could set a sunrise and sunset and 2) the highest point of the peak. Before the 17th century, the scholars took such pride in Mt. Jiri, saying that the celebrated mountain of the world was equal to Mt. Kunlun of China and better than Mt. Tai, Mt. Chong, and Mt. Hua that were the five scared mountains of China. Entering the 18th century, however, their pride plummeted hard, and they regarded the three of the eight celebrated mountains of the world after the five scared mountains of China as the three gods mountains. Those changed perceptions were apparently different from the perception of Kim Jong∼ jik, who said that Mt. Jiri was better than 태산 in the 15th century.