이순신가(家)의 아산정착과 무반(武班) 가문화 과정

Yi Sun-sin's Settlement in Asan and the Process of a military Familyization

이순신은 전대미문의 대전란인 임진왜란기에 나라를 구해낸 한국 역사상 최고의 전쟁 영웅이다. 아산(牙山)은 그런 역사 인물을 배출한 고장이지만 이순신 일가가 아산으로 낙향한 이유나 정착과정에 대한 이해는 대단히 부족하다. 본고에서는 이순신 가문의 아산정착의 계기가 된 모친 초계변씨가와 덕수이씨가가 누대에 걸친 세교가 있었음과 그 구체적 내력을 먼저 정리하였다. 양 가문은 모친 대(代)에 와서 혼인한 결과가 아니고 세종대부터 오랜 세교(世交)가 있었고 누대에 걸쳐 중첩된 혼인 관계가 다양하게 이루어져 왔다. 이순신 일가가 아산으로 이주한 계기는 이순신의 외고조인 변자호(卞自浩) 대에 초계변씨 가문이 먼저 아산에 정착했기 때문이다. 변자호도 처가인 전주이씨 이수인의 사위가 됨에 따라 처가 재산을 상속하며 백암리에 자리 잡았던 것이다. 한편 아산에서 이순신은 무인(武人)이 되기 위해 치열하게 수련하였고 무과에 급제한 후 입신과 사환과정, 임진왜란이 발발하자 보여준 탁월한 전쟁 수행능력 등은 덕수이씨 가문의 후예들에게 깊은 영향을 주었다. 여수의 피난지에서 이순신의 자질(子姪)들도 전장(戰場)의 한가운데에서 많은 경험을 쌓았다. 이순신을 수행(隨行)하고 종군하는 과정에서 얻은 전쟁에 대해 다양한 체험은 향후 이들의 삶의 방향을 선택하는데 있어 큰 영향을 끼쳤다. 여러 아들과 조카들이 무과에 급제하고 이순신과 같은 무인의 길을 선택한 것이다. 이러한 현상은 덕수이씨가 (家)가 조선 후기 최고의 무반 벌열 가문으로 성장하는 계기가 되었다.

Yi Sun-sin is the greatest war hero in Korean history who saved his country from the Great War of Imjin War. Asan is the hometown that produced such historical figures, and his patriotism, rescue spirit, outstanding command and serious attitude in the war are at the center of Asan's cultural identity today. However, there are still many unresolved issues in clarifying the regional relationship between Yi Sun-sin and Asan to live up to its status. This study summarized the process of Yi Sun-sin's migration and settlement in Asan, focusing on the relationship with his mother's family, Chogye Byeon. The two families were not the result of marriage in their mother's generation, but had a long interaction since the King Sejong era, and overlapping marriage relationships have been made throughout the generations. Yi Sun-sin is the greatest war hero in Korean history, having saved the country during the Imjin War, a major national crisis. Asan, the hometown of this historical figure, has embraced his patriotism, dedication to national defense, exceptional military leadership, and earnest approach to life as central elements of its cultural identity. However, despite his prominence, there remain many unresolved issues in fully understanding the regional connection between Yi Sun-sin and Asan. This study aims to examine the process of Yi Sun-sin’s family's migration and settlement in Asan, focusing on their relationship with the Chogye Byeon clan, his maternal family. The two families were not connected solely through marriage in Yi Sun-sin’s mother’s generation; rather, they had maintained a long-standing friendship since the reign of King Sejong, with multiple marriages occurring between the families over several generations. The reason Yi Sun-sin's family moved to Asan was that his maternal great-grandfather, Byeon Ja-ho, of the Chogye Byeon clan, had first settled in Asan. Meanwhile, in Asan, Yi Sun-sin’s intense training to become a military officer, his successful passing of the military examination, and his remarkable leadership during the Imjin War had a profound influence on the descendants of the Deoksu Yi clan. Even in the refuge of Yeosu, Yi Sun-sin’s nephews gained significant battlefield experience in the midst of the war. Their diverse experiences accompanying and serving under Yi Sun-sin during the war greatly influenced the direction of their lives. Many of his sons and nephews passed the military examination and chose the path of a military officer, following in Yi Sun-sin’s footsteps. This phenomenon contributed to the Deoksu Yi clan’s emergence as the most prominent military aristocratic family in the late Joseon period.