The sacrificial rite has its origin in the old China´s primitive folkways faith based upon animism (B.C. 25c). From the animistic faith, Confucianism made its appearance in B.C. 551. Inevitably, the procedure of Confucian sacrificial rite was developed on the basis of the preceding primitive faith. In Korean culture, the god of Chinese Confucianism introduced to Korea in A.D. 108 was mixed properly with that of Buddhism imported in A.D. 372.
Traditionally, Korean primitive religion (from B.C. 10c to B.C. 2c) was the sacrificial rite practiced by ´shaman.´ The ´shaman´ who was able to utilize ecstasy for the good of community was gods itself, and naturally the main form of the sacrificial rite was an exorcism with a sacrificial offering (food). After Korean primitive religion had been grafted to Buddhism and Confucianism, the character of Korean culture had to become compound.
The most essential conception in sacrificial rite is a discrimination of a ghost, one is the evil spirit and the other is the good spirit. According to this conception, the good spirit is a spirit which ascended to heaven, in contrast, the evil spirit is a one which did not ascend to heaven and dispersed into this world. The sacrificial rite is a method to help the evil spirit ascend to heaven or to prevent harms from it. The mode of sacrificial rite especially the dead ancestor worship was transmitted from generation to generation as a purpose of the wealth and honors of descendants. Descendants believed that the evil spirit would not harm them only after receiving sufficient food and the right sacrifice. As a result, the sacrificial rite food was the sign of filial piety and a compensation for the evil spirit.
How did the Korean religious culture which was consisted of three different religions-Shamanism, Buddhism, Confucianism-be combined and transformed? The author focused the mixture and transformation of the procedure of sacrificial rite and the arrangement of sacrificial food in each religion. In this thesis, the author studied first, the conception in sacrificial rite, second, the items of sacrificial rite food according to each period. In consequence of the research, each religion had lost its uniqueness and became mixed to each other and settle down in Korean culture.
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