Thursday, September 27, 2018

Where's your mama (마마)?

When servants and officials would address the royal family during the Joseon Dynasty, they would often address them by attaching the word 마마 (媽媽) to the name of the building on the palace grounds where the different members of the royal family resided. The Chinese character 媽 (마) means mother, so 마마 literally means mother, mother. The Chinese character 殿 (전) means house, building, or palace, and the Chinese character 宮 (궁) also means palace

The king resided in the "Big (대 大) House or Palace (전 殿)," so he was addressed as "대전마마" (大殿媽媽) by the servants in the palace. The queen apparently resided in a building referred to as 중전 (中殿), which literally means "Middle (中) Palace (전 殿)" or "Medium-sized Palace," so servants addressed her as 중전마마 (中殿媽媽) or 내전마마 (內殿媽媽). 내전 (內殿) literally means "Inner (內) Palace (殿)."

The crown prince, usually the eldest son of a king and queen, apparently lived in a building called the "East (동 東) Palace (궁 宮)," so servants addressed him as 동궁마마 (東宮媽媽) or simply 동마마 (東媽媽) . If the crown prince was married, the building or palace his wife lived in was called 빈궁 (嬪宮, which literally means "Wife's (嬪) Palace (宮)," so servants addressed her as 빈궁마마 (嬪宮媽媽).

Finally, the widowed mother of a king, also called the queen mother, lived in a building called 자전 (慈殿), which literally means "The Love (慈) Palace (殿)," so servants addressed her as either 자전마마 (慈殿媽媽) or 대비마마 (大妃媽媽). The word 대비 (大妃) literally means "the big (大) queen (妃)."

No comments:

Post a Comment