Worldview and Conception of Life and Death in Koguryo Tomb Murals

Koguryo tomb murals reveal a profound shift in worldview and conception of life and death, reflecting the cultural evolution from indigenous beliefs to Buddhist influence. From the mid-4th to early 5th century, murals depicted deceased as ancestor gods or immortals, suggesting a belief in a new afterlife or heavenly existence. With Buddhism's establishment in the mid-5th century, depictions shifted to include sacred portraits and scenes of Buddhist rituals, weakening the concept of spirits and souls. By the 6th to 7th centuries, the murals integrated Four Deities (heavenly constellations) on walls and Apsaras (Buddhist immortals) on ceilings, creating a unified heavenly space that symbolized the coexistence of immortality and Buddhist paradise. This study analyzes the changing subject composition in Koguryo tombs to elucidate these cultural transitions.

Jeon, H.-T. (2018). Worldview and Conception of Life and Death in Koguryo Tomb Murals. The Korean Historical Review, 240, 275–302. https://doi.org/10.16912/tkhr.2018.12.240.275