This study reviewed the lives of maids of honor, the members of the court who assisted the royal family during Korea’s feudal monarchy, through the definitive Joseon Dynasty court literatures Gyechukilgi, Inhyeonwanghujeon, and Hanjungnok. Maids of honor originate from Tianguan Zhouzai (Celestial Ministry with the Prime Minister) chapter of China’s Zhouli (Rites of the Zhou). And because Korea was a dynasty, it is believed that maids of honor were part of the court since founding of the state, despite the lack of concrete records supporting the assumption. However, a mural painting from a tomb that dates back to the Goguryeo era does confirm the presence of maids of honor during its time. Details of the maid of honor hierarchy have been discovered through Samguksagi Japji’s Shila volume and records from Goryeo’s age of Hyeongjong, but it was officially organized during Joseon Dynasty’s age of Taejong. The official title of maids of honor was the royal court lady, which means someone who assists the royal family. Maids of honor had to spend their entire lives within the enclosed walls of the royal palace, and this explains why they are also called Gungin, Naein, or Nain. In addition, maids of honor included apprentice maids without an official rank and waiting women to the court ladies whose job it was to handle odd jobs. Responsibilities of the maids of honor were divided into jimil, docheong, and cheoso. Aside from these responsibilities of the systemized maid of honor hierarchy, specific tasks were assigned to servants of the royal nurse and maids of honor and servants assigned to assist the management of the palace and the royal family and their chambers outside the royal palace. Having been chosen out of a group of servants that were officially part of the king’s assets or a group of servants assigned to the government, maids of honor were people of a humble status. However, when a maid of honor became an official court lady after fifteen years of servitude at the royal palace, she was assigned with a level 9 official rank and received the corresponding wage. Then, after ten or twenty more years, she became a level 5 sangung, managing many servants under her and enjoying a specialist position that worked in shifts. As such, maids of honor silently continued on the tradition as masters of their various fields and played a leading role in the cultural epitome that is the royal court culture.

<국문요약>
Ⅰ. 머리말
Ⅱ. 조선조 궁중문학의 백미
  1. <계축일기>
  2. <인현왕후전>
  3. <한중록>
Ⅲ. 궁녀의 기원과 제도
  1. 조선조 궁녀제도
Ⅳ. 문학에 투영된 궁녀
  1. 소속과 임무
  2. 직위 및 신분별 명칭
  3. 궁녀의 등급
  4. 궁녀의 하녀들
  5. 그 밖의 궁녀
  6. 옷차림과 머리 모양
  7. 근무 및 여가 생활
  8. 보수
  9. 궁녀의 만년(晩年)
Ⅳ. 맺음말
참고문헌

• 정은임(강남대학교 인문학부) | Eun-im Chung