The Written Sources of the Goryeo Period about Incense and Buddhist Olfactory Practices on the Korean Peninsula

Abstract

Having originated in ancient China during the Neolithic era, the tradition of using aromatic substances spread to other countries of the Sino-hieroglyphic area. On the Korean Peninsula, under the influence of internal features based on the Chinese version of aromatic culture and the Buddhist religious component, even a special type of maehyang ritual rite was formed, which consisted of burying a piece of wood in the ground in the presence of representatives of the Buddhist community on some important occasion. In this case, it was necessary to record in writing form the fact of burial on a stele, which was installed in memorial of such an event at the burial site of the wood, or on a stone located near the site of the ritual. A whole range of Korean written sources contains information about the use of incense for ritual and medical purposes. To identify the specific features of olfactory practices in the early Korean Middle Ages, this article will analyze “Historical Records of the Three States” (三國史記 Samguk sagi, 1145); “Lives of Eminent Korean Monks” (海東高僧傳 Haedong Goseunjeon, early 13th century) and “The remaining information [about] the three states” (三國遺事 Samguk yusa, late 13th century). An analysis of written sources, the use of folklore and mythological materials make it possible to reveal characteristics of olfactory practices in the context of the development of Buddhism on the territory of the Korean Peninsula. All these sources demonstrate many facts related to the use of incense at the court of the Korean king, in monasteries and temples for ritual and hygienic purposes. Analysis of sources not only allows us to trace the history of the spread of Buddhism across the Korean Peninsula and identify the peculiarities of interaction between cultures of the East Asian region in the chronological period under consideration (1–10th centuries), but also provides rich material about the flora of Korea, Korean ideas about plants and herbs, and as well as methods of their use.