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The Establishment and Operation of Yebu in Silla
Journal of Humanities
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Silla had established official posts and offices in earnest since the reign of King Beopheung. Of them, Yebu (禮部) was established in the 8th year of King Jinpyeong (586) and was in charge of sacrificial rites and rituals. In the case of national ancestral rites of Silla, or the ancestral rituals of Sijomyo (始祖廟, Shrine of the Dynasty’s Founder), the king’s sister was in charge four times a year. The records of A.D. 525 and A.D. 539 of Cheonjeon-ri Gakseok of Ulju(蔚州川前里刻石), which is supposed to have been erected during the reign of King Beopheung, show that the figures who accompanied the honored parade of the royal family were in charge of preparing and performing ancestral rites. In particular, the records of A.D. 539, which include the honored parade of the Great Queen, the queen of King Galmun, and the prince, shows the figure “Yesin (禮臣)” who managed the duty specifically. Duties in charge of ye (禮) such as “Yesin” led to the establishment of the Yebu during the reign of King Jinpyeong. Yebu organized Daedoseo (大道署), Eumseongseo (音聲署), Gukhak (國學), Jeonsaseo (典祀署) and Sabeomseo (司範署) as its affiliated offices under its umbrella in turn. In terms of organization process, the duty of Yebu was developed in three directions; Sacrificial rites (Jeonsaseo, Eumseongseo), transferred from existing beliefs to national beliefs; Buddhism (Daedoseo), officially recognized since the reign of King Beopheung; rituals(Sabeomseo, Gukhak, Eumseongseo) based on the Confucian rites. There were five affiliated offices in Yebu, but not all had the same rank. Daedoseo, Eumseongseo, Gukhak were high-ranking offices with the highest post as Gyeong (卿), while Jeonsaseo and Sabeomseo were low-ranking offices with the highest posts as Gam (監) and Daesa (大舍) respectively. The difference in rank reveals the most essential duties of Yebu. In other words, it reflects the fact that Jeonsaseo and Sabeomseo which were low-ranking offices, were more dependent on Yebu than high-ranking offices. It is presumed that the core duty of Yebu was performing both sacrificial rituals as national rites and Confucian rites.
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