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The Characteristics and Transmission of Oral Literature: Research on “A Song of Prison No. 8” in ‘New New Media’ - With Focus on the Original Texts of “The Seonjukgyo Blood Bridge” and “Korea Has Survived” -

  • Journal of Humanities
  • 2024, (94), pp.069-101
  • DOI : 10.31310/HUM.094.03
  • Publisher : Institute for Humanities
  • Research Area : Humanities > Other Humanities
  • Received : July 26, 2024
  • Accepted : August 12, 2024
  • Published : August 31, 2024

Oh, Jeong-mi 1

1전북대학교

Accredited

ABSTRACT

This paper attempts to make a new approach to examining and interpreting old folk songs through “A Song of Prison No. 8”, which was newly discovered and reproduced in 2019. “A Song of Prison No. 8” is based on two preceding original songs: “The Seonjukgyo Blood Bridge” and “Korea Has Survived”. These songs had been out of circulation for a while until they were later rediscovered. The original songs were written and sung in prisons by seven women fighting for the independence of the nation from Japanese colonial rule, including Yu Gwan-sun, Shim Myeong-cheol, Eo Yun-hee, Kwon Ae-ra, Shin Gwan-bin, Lim Myeong-ae and Kim Hyang-hwa. The discovery of this song has the significance in terms of not only rediscovering a historical song that was almost forgotten but also inheriting the heritage of valuable oral literature. Considering the background and characteristics of this song, it probably has a meaning of conveying the sentiments of the grass-roots and transmitting and propagating oral traditions, thus paving the way for a new genre-based interpretation. In addition, anti-Japanese organizations were established for independence movements during the Japanese colonial period, and the fact that people’s songs containing the characteristics of the communities became popular again with the change of the times is even more meaningful as it implies an important value in terms of re-illuminating folklore.

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