Ancestral ritual food of Korean jongka: Historical changes of the table setting

Abstract

Background: In the agrarian society of historical Korea, jesa (祭祀, traditional rite from ancestors), rituals practiced for praying to the gods for a rich harvest, was one of the most important rites. Since its founding, Chosun adopted Korean Confucianism and Neo-Confucianism as its governing principles, and karye (家禮, family rites of Zhu Xi), the customary formalities of the family, was perceived as an obligatory guideline to practice with the Confucian rites. This study aims to examine periodic changes in how the ritual table was set up in Korea's traditional head families, or jongka (宗家, the traditional Korean family), from the Chosun Dynasty (1392–1910) to the present time. Methods: We compared the varieties of food and their positioning in a diagram illustrating the placement of ritual food or jinseoldo (diagram illustrating the placement of ritual foods for ancestral rites), from karye, and three guides about family rites published during the Chosun era. We also analyzed the food arrangement style for ancestral rites from the ritual standards of the Japanese colonial era and the Simplified Family Ritual Standards issued by the Korean government. In addition, we visited eight head families to observe the varieties and positioning of fruits on the ritual table. Results: During the Japanese rule (1910–1945), the Japanese Government General of Korea declared the ritual standards for the purpose of simplifying the ritual practices of Chosun, but with an ulterior motive to disintegrate Korea's traditional rites and put the nation under its control. After independence from Japanese rule, the Korean government insisted on a new set of family ritual standards. However, the standards imposed from the outside rarely affected the rites practiced by families. Conclusion: The examination of historical records revealed that kakarye (家家禮, different rituals by each family) was being practiced among families, which causes only formalities to remain and sincerity to disappear. This is unfortunate as sincerity matters more than formalities. (The “Supplementary File” provides further explanations of each term mentioned in this article.) Keywords: Ancestral rites, Ancestral ritual food, Historical changes, Jongka, Table setting