부산대학교 도서관

This paper explores the diverse ways in which the state and the kings used posthumous titles (諡號) to commemorate their loyal subjects in the late Joseon Dynasty. The ceremonies for announcing a posthumous title (宣諡) and receiving the posthumous title (延諡), the last two steps of the conferral of a posthumous title (贈諡), were originally performed consecutively while conferring the king’s decree regarding the title and tended to be considered ceremonial and luxurious events. In the early Joseon Dynasty, however, only a simple ceremony was conducted in the form of conferring a posthumous title (賜諡禮), as a posthumous title was conferred during the funeral service immediately after the death of a loyal minister. By the 17th century, there was an increase in cases where a posthumous title was determined after a three-year funeral, the ceremony of receiving a posthumous title (延諡禮) transitioned from being a mournful ritual (凶禮) to a celebratory one (吉禮). Initially conducted for royalty and relatives on the mother’s side, the ceremony of receiving a posthumous title gradually expanded to include ministers and loyal subjects. After the reign of King Sukjong, the decision and conferral of a posthumous title were increasingly separated in time, as it was often granted to figures from earlier eras who had long since died. In this process, the announcement of a posthumous title and rituals conducted by the state with rites and offerings (致祭) were utilized to grant a posthumous title to figures whose descendants could not be found due to the collapse of their families or whose descendants were unable to receive the king’s decree regarding the title even if they had descendants. The state’s leading role in the conferral of posthumous titles aimed to emphasize dedication and loyalty to the subjects and people.