Recognition and category of the elements of ‘customs’ in yeonhangrok(燕行錄) in the 18th century

김현미

doi:10.18213/jkccl.2016.33.1.009

This writing was written to examine the concrete contents and development of ‘customs(風俗)’, which is one of major contents of yeonhangrok(燕行錄) existing as important cultural literature(文獻群) in the late Joseon Dynasty because ‘customs’ are important subjects of observation and description to the authors yeonhangrok that basically has the situational·contextual characteristics of the records of experience of other cultures while being a contextual element that makes those that read yeonhangrok have continuous interest. Therefore, ‘customs’ are expected to become a connecting ring that would enable analyzing yeonhangrok that contains texts in diverse natures under the name ‘literature’ with a unity ‘text of observation and experience of other cultures.’ First, to consider why ‘customs’ appeared as a new tile in the 18th century based on the tradition of delegation records, how customary elements appeared in the ‘records of delegation to Ming’ that were written earlier and mainly what were introduced were examined. Thereafter, to see comprehensive understanding of the concept ‘customs’ and how the concept developed in 24 pieces of yeonhangrok in the form of magazines out of yeonhangrok written in the 18th century, descriptions under the title customs were analyzed. The format of descriptions of the elements of customs formed through the tradition of the literature regarding delegations to Ming was miscellanea in the form of ‘separate records of experience’ for reporting to the king and the contents were the discovery of conventional practice mentioned to show off cultural pride and customs closely connected to geographical elements. Centering on the ‘miscellaneous records of folklore’contained in three records that gathered short story narrations under the title ‘custom’ out of yeonhangrok written in the 18th century, that is, 「Sancheon Pungsok Chongrok」 in the 『yeonhangilgi』 of Noh Ga-Jae and Kim Chang-Eop(金昌業)(1712), 「Sancheon Pungsok Chonglon」 in the 『Bukwonrok』 of Lee Sang-Bong(李商鳳)(1760), and the 「miscellaneous records of folklore」 contained in the 『Gwanhaerok』 of Kim Jo(金照)(1784), concrete shapes of the new world ‘Qing’ as seen by them and how the shapes changed over time were examined. First, 72 items contained in 「Sancheon Pungsok Chongrok」 of Nogajae included conventional practice and geographical and topographic elements and evenly introduced the areas of food, clothing, and shelter that are basic ways of human life but the objective of the author was not information for management of the country unlike the separate miscellaneous records in the pervious period. The 118 items in the 「Sancheon Pungsok Chonglon」 of Lee Sang-Bong are descriptions of observation of other country’s customs based on other country’s customs observed and experienced by Noh Ga-Jae in the early 18th century added with the results of observation by Lee Sang-Bong. Kim Jo, who left miscellaneous records of folklore as a result of delegation in 1784, described items of ‘folklore’ based on his experience and observation during the trip rather than general ‘customs’ in 30 record items and projected his emotions and sentiments considerably in the records.

KJC Korea
Journal Central

Statistics

Tools