Wednesday, June 12, 2013

A Ceremonial BBQ at the Jongmyo Shrine



The chief prayer reciter would enter each spirit’s chamber at the Jongmyo Shrine and bring out the mortuary tablets of the king and queen and place them on an altar prepared outside, at which time the first wine signaled the start of the rite. At this time, the Botaepyeong Music and Dance was performed. In the first part of the ritual, incense was burned to invoke the royal ancestral spirits from heaven. Following this, Jinchan, the rite of sacrifice was held. Worshippers offered meat, beef, mutton, and pork to the spirits while praying for the safety and prosperity of the royal dynasty. Each sacrificial table was carefully prepared, arranged in strict prescribed places and in elaborate vessels. On each table were three raw meats, two soups, four wild grains, two rice wines, three alchoholic beverages, six fruits, six cakes, two ried meats, four salted and fermented sauces, four salted vegetables, nuts, and bloody animal skin. Musicians seated on the lower terrace played their instruments at this time. 

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