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Comparative Study of Traditional Korean and Japanese Performing Arts : Focusing on the Multilayered Nature of ‘Xiwangmu’ and the Cultural Geographies of ‘Woman(女)’ and ‘Deity(神)’ -

  • JAPAN SPACE
  • 2024, (36), pp.135-165
  • Publisher : The Institute of Japanese Studies
  • Research Area : Social Science > Area Studies
  • Received : October 23, 2024
  • Accepted : November 27, 2024
  • Published : December 30, 2024

Taequ Park 1

1가천대학교 아시아문화연구소

Accredited

ABSTRACT

Xiwangmu(西王母, the Queen Mother of the West), significant figure in East Asian mythology, has long been loved the boundaries between deity and human for generations. At the same time, She appears both as an object of religious belief and an icon of traditional performing arts, establishing a multi-layered system. However, Xiwangmu is represented differently in Korea and Japan, reflecting the unique characteristics of each country’s cultural landscape. In Korea’s Heonsundo and Oyangseon, Xiwangmu governs the ‘peaches of immortality’(蟠桃) in the realm of the immortals and symbolizes longevity, and She plays an important role, particularly in celebrating the virtue of kings and wishing for their longevity. However Xiwangmu is often portrayed as subordinate to the king, rather than as a powerful goddess with strong divine authority. In contrast, in Japan’s <Seiōbo(西王母)>, Xiwangmu maintains her divine status as a goddess without being placed beneath the king. The difference in the status of Xiwangmu in traditional Korean and Japanese performing arts seems to stem from the different cultural geographies of the two nations, such as the strong male-centric societal norms in Korea.

Citation status

* References for papers published after 2023 are currently being built.

This paper was written with support from the National Research Foundation of Korea.