Uigwe

Uigwe
The cover of the Mount Odaesan archive copy of the Uigwe for the funeral of Empress Myeongseong
Korean name
Hangul	의궤
Hanja	儀軌
Revised Romanization	uigwe
McCune–Reischauer	ŭigwe

Uigwe (Korean: 의궤; Hanja: 儀軌) is the generic name given to a collection of approximately 3,895 books recording in detail the royal rituals and ceremonies of the Joseon dynasty of Korea. There is no generally agreed English translation for the title of the work; some scholars suggest "book of state rites",^[1] while the Glossary of Korean Studies from the Korea Foundation suggests "manual of the state event" or "rubrica for a state ceremony." The expression "Royal Protocols" (of the Joseon Dynasty) is widely used.

The collection of Uigwe, was inscribed in UNESCO's Memory of the World Programme in 2007.^[2]

The term "Uigwe" is not easily translated. It refers to a collection of rites, protocols, codes and rules. Thus, the Joseon Sijeong Uigwe are the “Protocols” or legal “Code” of the Joseon Sijeong. The Joseon Sijeong Uigwe was compiled under the reign of King Sejong (ruled 1418 to 1450).

King Sejong is credited for organizing a body of scholars that consolidated, refined and codified various laws, practices, beliefs and the accepted Confucius systems into law. The Joseon Sijeong Uigwe was compiled into an volumes, similar, to a modern encyclopedia. Volumes included comprehensive criminal, civil, administrative and tax laws.^[3]