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Korean Classical Literature and the Cognition of the Sea

  • The Research of the Korean Classic
  • 2012, (26), pp.5-48
  • Publisher : The Research Of The Korean Classic
  • Research Area : Humanities > Korean Language and Literature > Korean Literature > Korean classic prose

Jae Nam Choi 1

1이화여자대학교

Irregular Papers

ABSTRACT

The aim of this article is to summarize the cognition and the figuration of the sea in Korean classical literature. We are able to read the records related to the sea in 『Samguksagi(三國史記)』, 『Samgukyusa(三國遺事)』, 『Koreasa(高麗史)』 and 『Chosunwangjosillok(朝鮮王朝實錄)』. In records, The sea is generally accepted as a road of envoy voyage, a road of trade, and a road of going abroad to study. When making voyage and trade in a rough sea, many seamen pray the Dragon God, and sometimes they are adrift on the sea, robbed of in crowds. And the sea is enveloped in flames of battlefield. The cognition and the figuration of the sea in literature is to be summarized as follows. The character of the sea is connected to the nature of water. Namely spring water trickles down to the river, and the river finds its way to the sea. This submission and non-reverse is transferred to the inside of the mind. The position and the direction of the sea is three side, the East sea, the Western sea, and the South sea. We are able to read the fear of the Japanese, and the spirit of sighting in The East sea. We are able to read the faith the Dragon God during the trade and tribute in the Western sea. And we are able to read the battlefield and the exile in the South sea. The width and the depth of the sea is connected to the general depth, and especially we are able to read the cognition of another world over the sea. The border and the separation from the sea is connected to a feeling of isolation in exile lives.

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