新羅 四海 祭場은 東海 阿等邊의 경우 현재 포항시 영일읍에 소재했던 魚龍臺 로, 南海 兄邊은 부산시 남구 용당동 일대로, 西海 未陵邊은 군산시 경암동 북쪽 해변으로, 北海 非禮山은 지금의 삼척시 葛夜山 지역으로 추정된다. 이들 제장의 성립시기는 동해는 신라가 영일지역을 확보한 사로국 초기에, 남해는 5세기 중반 이후, 서해는 죽막동 제사유적과의 연관성을 고려하여 7세기 이전으로, 북해 비례산은 6세기 중반 신라가 동해안로를 따라 함경도 방면으로 진출하던 시기로 여겨진다. 북해 제장이 다른 4해와 달리 산에 마련된 것은 悉直州를 포함한 강원도 일대 동해안과 그 주변 해상력 확보과정에서 전통적 산악숭배, 그리고 고구려의 침입대비 및 우산국 정벌 등을 고려한 결과였다. 삼국통일 후 북방으로의 영역 확대에 불구하고 북해는 실직에 소재하였다. 실직의 지역토착 해양세력을 국가사전편제를 통해 흡수하려는 목적에서 과거 신라 해상력의 상징이었던 실직에 계속 유지할 필요성이 있었기 때문이다. 북해를 포함한 4해의 제사 형식은 대체로 중국의 예제를 참고하였을 것이지만, 신라의 전통적인 산천숭배 관념에 따라 제례의 순서와 내용도 포함된 것으로 이해 된다. 그 제일은 신라의 독자적 산천숭배 전통에 따라 결정되었을 가능성이 높지만 왕도에서 행하는 경우 당의 그것과 마찬가지로 1년에 한차례씩 5郊에서 迎氣日에 행했을 가능성도 있다. 4해의 신격은 각 방면의 해신으로 神像을 조성하여 제사 때 모셨다. 4해에 대한 봉작은 성덕왕 34년(735) 시기까지는 행해지지 않은 것으로 보았다. 4해 제사의 절차는 ..三國遺事.. 水路夫人조와 高麗 李齊賢의 시를 통해 재구성할 수 있다. 구체적 단계는 첫째 제장을 물로 정화하기, 둘째 신이성을 부여한 ‘杖’을 두드리며 용을 불러내기, 셋째 높은 바위에 핀 꽃을 꺾어 술잔과 함께 봉헌하기, 넷째 기우와 풍년 기원 등의 순서로 추정된다. 이러한 절차는 북해 제장에 적용되었다가 점차 다른 4해의 제장에도 확대되었을 것으로 여겨진다.

The detailed steps are presumed to be as follows: 1) purify the ritual site with water; 2) summon the dragon by knocking the cane to which divine characteristic has been accorded; 3) pick a flower from a lofty rock and offer it with a glass of alcohol; and 4) wish for rain and good harvest. Such procedures were applied to the ritual sites of North Sea and expanded to other areas of the four seas as well. The places of ancestral rites in the four seas of Silla are presumed to be Eochondae that used to be located in Yeongil-eup of today s Pohang-si for Donghae (East Sea) Okdeung Byeon, Yondang-dong area of Namgu in Busan for Namhae (Southern Sea), northern seashore of Gyeongam-dong in Gunsan for Seohae Mireungbyeon (Western Sea), and Galyasan (Mountain Galya) area of today s Samcheok-si for Bukhae Biryesan (North Sea). The period during which these sites of ancestral rites were established are estimated to be in the beginning of Saroguk when Silla secured the area of Yeongil for the site in the East Sea, after the mid-5th century for the Southern Sea, before the 7th century for the Western Sea considering the relation to the ritual remains of Jukmakdong, the mid-6th century when Silla advanced toward Hamgyeongdo following the eastern sea route for Bukhae Biryesan (Northern Sea). Different from other seas, the site of ancestral rites in the Northern Sea was established in the mountain as a result of taking into consideration traditional mountain worship in the eastern coast of Gangwon-do area including Siljikju, and of preparing for the invasion of Goguryeo and the conquest of Usanguk. After the unification of the three nations, the North Sea was included in Siljik despite the territorial expansion toward the north. In order to absorb the maritime power of Siljik s indigenous region through national organization, it was necessary to remain in Siljik, which was the symbol of Silla s maritime power. Although the formality of the ancestral rites in the four seas including the North Sea seem to have referred to the examples of China, it can be understood that the order and the content of ancestral rituals follow Silla s tradition of worshiping mountains and streams. It is highly probable that the day of the ritual was determined following Silla s unique tradition of worshiping mountains and streams. However, it is also possible that it was performed once a year on Yeonggi day when it was performed on the royal road. The divinity of the four seas is the god of the sea of each side and it was built into a pagod and subserved during the ancestral rites. The investiture of the four seas was considered to not have been performed until the 34th year of King Seongdeok(735). The procedure of the ancestral rites of the four seas can be reconstructed through Samgukusa Surobuin and the poem of Lee Je Hyeon from Goryeo. The detailed steps are presumed to be as follows: 1) purify the ritual site with water; 2) summon the dragon by knocking the cane to which divine characteristic has been accorded; 3) pick a flower from a lofty rock and offer it with a glass of alcohol; and 4) wish for rain and good harvest. Such procedures were applied to the ritual sites of North Sea and expanded to other areas of the four seas as well.

• 박승범(한성대학교 한국고대사연구소) | Park, Seung Bum