Incised Seonin Statue Ipseok in Nongsan-ri, Geochang

Standing stones (ipseok), together with dolmens, are a form of megalithic culture, and are also called seondol. In prehistoric times they were placed around dolmens to mark the boundaries of tombs, while in the historical period they were set up at village entrances to ward off evil spirits or mark boundaries, and, merging with indigenous folk belief, some became objects of worship as chilseong (Seven Stars) rocks, prayed to for long life. They were also used in rites praying for an abundant harvest in agricultural society, or for the fertility of people and livestock. This standing stone was made by shaping a large rock into an elongated form and then incising the figure of a Taoist immortal (seonin) into its surface. On the lower left face are traces of cup-marks (seonghyeol); these are interpreted either as symbols of the female genitalia, reflecting rites in which prehistoric people of an agricultural society prayed for abundance and fertility, or as having a shamanistic meaning connected with rites of worship symbolising the sun. Traces of cup-marks appear in the southern Korean peninsula mainly from the late Bronze Age to the early Iron Age, suggesting that this standing stone dates from prehistoric times, while the incised figure of the immortal on its surface is presumed to have been added later, in the early Joseon period.

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Geochang, Gyeongnam

Designation

Provincial Tangible Heritage · 시도유형문화유산