Muan Seongnam-ri Stone Jangseung Guardian Posts

These are two stone jangseung standing in Namsan Park. They were originally erected outside the south gate of Hucheong village in Seongnam-ri, to block evil spirits from entering the village and to serve as guardian deities granting people's wishes, but in May 1984 they were moved to their present site. Made of granite flecked with reddish spots and carved roughly into square pillar shapes, each post bears an inscription on its body reading "Dongbang Daejanggun" (Great General of the East) and "Seobang Daejanggun" (Great General of the West). The Dongbang Daejanggun measures 199cm, is 37cm wide and 33cm thick; the Seobang Daejanggun is 177cm tall, 37cm wide and 22cm thick. The Dongbang Daejanggun wears an official's cap, has upturned eyes, gourd-shaped ears, a prominent triangular nose, and a mouth closed in the shape of the character "一". The Seobang Daejanggun has a bald head, its other features resembling those of the Dongbang Daejanggun. Each year, in the first month of the lunar calendar, food offerings were laid out before the posts and a street ritual (georitje) was held to pray for a good harvest and peace, but the village tutelary rite (dangsanje) ceased after February 1972. The stone jangseung are presumed to date from around 1741, the seventeenth year of King Yeongjo of Joseon, on the basis of a reference to this village's dangsanje recorded in an old document of the hyangyakgye (village compact association) from that time.

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Muan, Jeonnam & Gwangju

Designation

Provincial Folklore Heritage · 시도민속문화유산