Jaei (災異): Reading History Through Heavenly Warnings

How Did Ancient People Predict Political Futures Through Natural Phenomena?

• Understand the meaning of ‘Cheonin Gam-eung Theory,’ a core idea in ancient East Asia.
• Examine how various Jaei events like eclipses and comets were interpreted throughout history.
• Learn how Jaei functioned as a dynamic political system beyond mere superstition.

Have you ever imagined the sky speaking to you when watching stars or heavy rain? While these are ordinary natural events to modern people, for our ancestors, every change in heaven and earth was a message filled with profound meaning. Especially, strange natural changes called Jaei (災異) were more than simple phenomena—they were mirrors reflecting whether the king governed well. This belief granted the king heavenly authority while also serving as a crucial channel to say, “Your Majesty, you are in the wrong!”

This article follows the voice of nature recorded in the Samguk Sagi and Annals of the Joseon Dynasty to embark on an exciting journey exploring how our ancestors sensed historical storms through the expressions of heaven.

Cheonin Gam-eung Theory: The Secret Dialogue Between King and Heaven

In ancient East Asia, there was an important philosophy called Cheonin Gam-eung Theory (天人感應說), meaning “Heaven and humans feel each other.” Here, ‘humans’ specifically referred to the king who ruled the country.

Son of Heaven, the Weighty Responsibility

The core of Cheonin Gam-eung Theory is simple. If the king governs the country well with virtue (德), heaven is moved and shows auspicious signs. Conversely, if the king troubles the people, heaven becomes angry and sends terrifying disasters like droughts, floods, and earthquakes—these are Jaei (災異).

Thus, Jaei was not mere misfortune but heaven’s rebuke of the king. Initially, heaven warned lightly with disasters like droughts or floods (재(災)). If ignored, it escalated to strange phenomena like eclipses or comets (이(異)) as stronger warnings. Thanks to this belief, the king was revered as the sacred Son of Heaven (天子) but always bore the heavy responsibility of being watched by heaven.

Jaei in Joseon: A System of Communication and Checks

This philosophy was passed down since the Three Kingdoms period and became a core governing ideology in Goryeo and Joseon. Especially in the Confucian Joseon state, responding to Jaei was politics itself.

Jaei was a double-edged sword. When Jaei occurred, officials gained a legitimate reason to submit memorials (상소, 上疏) saying, “Your Majesty, heaven is angry, surely because of political faults!” This was a sacred right to criticize the king.

Of course, the king did not remain passive. When an eclipse happened, he performed the Gusikrye (救食禮) ritual; during droughts, he issued Gueon Gyoseo (求言敎書) to seek the people’s opinions. He also used pardons (Samyeonryeong, 赦免令) and relief policies (Guhyul Jeongchaek, 救恤政策) to display his virtue and strengthen his legitimacy. Ultimately, Jaei was a dynamic political system where king and officials confirmed their roles and balanced power.

Types and Meanings of Natural Warning Signs

Abnormal phenomena from heaven and earth were read as warnings with different meanings and ranks.

The Most Severe Warnings from Heaven: Sun, Moon, and Stars

• Solar Eclipse (日蝕): The sun, symbol of the king, losing its light was the ultimate ‘red card.’ It was seen as the worst omen threatening the king’s authority or signaling a national crisis.
• Comets (彗星) and Guest Stars (客星): Strange stars like comets were ominous guests predicting war, rebellion, or the king’s death.
• Other Phenomena: Meteor showers or daytime appearances of Venus, such as the ‘Taebaek Juhyeon (太白晝見),’ were also recorded as important signs of national unrest.

Warnings from Earth and Ecosystems

• Earthquakes (地震) and Landslides (山崩): Shaking earth and collapsing mountains signified fundamental conflicts in the country, such as public unrest or disputes among officials.
• Floods (洪水) and Droughts (旱災): These disasters causing direct suffering to the people were seen as proof that the king failed to harmonize with heaven, prompting relief policies.
• Locusts (蝗蟲) and Reversal of Natural Order: Locust swarms symbolized corrupt officials’ greed; events like hens turning into roosters were ominous signs of the world’s fundamental order being overturned.

Though there was a clear hierarchy among these signs, their interpretation varied with political circumstances. In intense power struggles, even minor Jaei could become a powerful weapon to attack opponents. This flexibility of interpretation was the secret to Jaei theory’s long survival at the heart of politics.

Jaei: A Political Drama Turning Crisis into Opportunity

When Jaei occurred, king and officials played their roles in sophisticated political acts.

King’s Response: Humility and Restoring Authority

The king issued Gueon Gyoseo saying, “Everything is due to my shortcomings; anyone may point out my faults,” humbling himself. He also issued pardons and relief policies to show benevolence. Especially during droughts, he personally performed the Rain Prayer Ritual (祈雨祭) to win heaven’s favor. This was a clever strategy to gain public support and strengthen royal power through crisis.

Scholar Officials’ Counterattack: Life-risking Memorials

For officials, Jaei was a sacred sword to criticize the king. Especially the Jibu Sangso (持斧上疏) involved placing an axe at the palace gate and declaring, “If I am wrong, strike my neck with this axe!” This showed how powerful a political weapon the heavenly sign of Jaei was.

Gwansanggam: Experts Reading Heaven’s Will

The scientific basis for this political drama came from Gwansanggam (觀象監), a state institution observing astronomy, geography, and weather and officially interpreting them. Interestingly, Gwansanggam’s goal was not pure scientific inquiry. For example, accurately predicting eclipses was to perform the Gusikrye ritual on time. Officials responsible faced severe punishment if predictions failed. This illustrates how scientific accuracy served the maintenance of political and religious order.

Jaei, Heavenly Warnings That Became History

Jaei is recorded at every turning point in history. It was both a belief of the time and a narrative device used by later historians to emphasize the inevitability of events, saying, “That country was doomed; heaven had already warned.”

Conclusion

Ancient people read heaven’s will and shaped history through the window of Jaei (災異). Jaei was more than superstition; it was a dynamic system evaluating the king’s morality and balancing political power.

• Key Summary:

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  1. Cheonin Gam-eung Theory: Jaei was believed to be heaven’s warning about the king’s misrule.
  2. Political System: Jaei provided the king a chance for reflection and officials a reason to criticize, serving as a communication channel.
  3. Historical Compass: Jaei was always recorded during national crises or dynastic changes, giving historical inevitability to events.

Today, when major disasters occur, we analyze causes with scientific data and evaluate government responses. Could it be that beneath this scientific guise still lies the ancient wisdom of our ancestors, who reflected on human society’s problems through nature’s upheavals?