祭需에 관한 문헌고찰

A Study on Foods for the Ancestral Rites

Originally, ancestral rites is a ceremony to pay filial piety to ancestors continuously even though they died, and this is a startingpoint based on the thought of paying respect to ancestors and 'root consciousness' which Korean people have. In the earliest days, Korean people worshipped nature and the sacrificial rituals were performed mainly for the fods of the skies and the earth. After the end-Koryeo Era introduced [Juja-Garye]ancestrial rites of forefather in home generalized. By the way, the foods for ancestrial rites on the original literature centering the [Sa-Rye-Pyon-Ram]are as follows: raw meat(saeng: 牲), rice and broth(ban, gaeng: 飯羹), fruits(果), slice meats(po: 脯), salted dry fish(jaban(佐飯), rice punch(sikhye: 食醯), soup(tang: 湯), fish and meat, roasts beef (jeok: 炙), roast vegetable(sookchae: 熟菜), rice cake(pyon: 餠), noodles(麵), soy(醬), Kimchi(沈菜), drink(酒), green tea(cha: 茶) etc. Today, ancestral rites, basically with this conception, has a function to bind the family and relatives as one. But as double income family are increasing, most housewives have heavy burden mentally and financially to prepare the food for the ancestral. The foods for ancestral rites can be said a way to express the internal true heart, and a basic medium to practice the filial piety. Many documents let us know that a few days before the ancestral rites, we should prepare the food for it with careful and pious attitude. And, they stress that our sincere attitude in preparing food is important rather than its quantity. In this industrial society, we have lots of difficulty preparing and observing the same service as it in the traditional socity. But I think that housewives can be freed from the burden they have to some degree when they realize what the true meaning of ancestral rites is and that the food for it plays a role an external expression.