혼례 ‘奠雁禮(전안례)’考

Jeon-Anrye[奠雁] Ritual, the Symbol of Korean Marriage Ritual Ceremony

The Jeonan-ryae/奠雁禮 ritual was a ritual informing the heaven, a Cheon-jae/天祭 ritual meant for Gods in heaven. In the ritual a tribute, in the form of a wild goose, was offered by the married couple as a gesture of swearing to heaven of their embarking upon matrimony. In the Korean tradition of matrimony, prior to the Dae-ryae/奠雁 ritual, the Jeonan-ryae was arranged for the married couple, to pay a wooden form of matrimonial wild goose item. This kind of offering was facilitated for the poor people, who wished to uphold the Confucian ceremonial traditions, yet could not afford it in any other forms. Originally, the figure used in this kind of ceremonies was the pheasant, but later it was replaced by the wild goose, and in matrimonial ceremonies they were realized as wooden items featuring the figure of a wild goose[木雁]. According to the age-old traditions(古禮), the House of the groom sent a living duck to the House of the bride. But as time passed and the society changed, remained only the wooden wild goose figure as an item offered to heaven according to Korean folklore customs, to symbolize the married couple’s oath in matrimony. Yet today, the matrimonial wild goose figures are not appreciated as ceremonial tributary items, and instead are being promoted by the Customs department in museums as the remains which would let us know and appreciate the spirits of our ancestors. Recently, the matrimonial ceremonials also became part of the socialized home rituals, and replaced some of the religions’ original functions. And people today do not bother to go through the Jeonan-ryae rituals. Instead they only go through the customary Ham(case containing matrimonial tributaty items)-selling practices.