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Groundwork for the Cultural Ecology of Fishery Origin Myths and Mythology so Embodied -Comparison of Fish Catching Myths with Agricultural Fishing Myths-

  • The Research of the Korean Classic
  • 2012, (26), pp.277-310
  • Publisher : The Research Of The Korean Classic
  • Research Area : Humanities > Korean Language and Literature > Korean Literature > Korean classic prose

Song, Ki-Tae 1

1목포대학교

Accredited

ABSTRACT

Culture related to the sea focusses on fishing, and specifically ‘fish catching’. With the advent of modern times, however, and the introduction of aquaculture farming techniques, the seas were transformed into cultivation areas in the same manner as on land, in becoming areas of ‘agricultural fishing.’ The whole area of the western and southern coasts of Korea is now farmlands for marine plants and shellfish. In this study, fishery origin myths are compared to understand the cultural differences between fish catching and agricultural fishing. The concepts of ‘fish catching’ and ‘agricultural fishing’ were first classified from a viewpoint concerning the history of cultivation. The traditionally passed down myth of shell harvesting, and the 'Goddess of the sea' myth were researched and compared with the standard status of fishery origin myths and the nature of cultivation history. This was a purposeful effort to break out of the civilization origin myth which is equated with the agricultural origin myth. According to the viewpoint of fishing culture, the west coast shell harvesting myths and Jeju-do’s 'Goddess of the Sea myth' are classic myths concerning ‘fish catching’ and ‘agricultural fishing.’ However, the changeover of fishing culture actually began just one hundred years ago, with the introduction of modern fishing and aquaculture techniques. Viewing writing from this understanding, the truth concerning the cultural shifts viewed through fishery origin myths was ascertained. On the basis of these myths, an awareness and embodiment of the inherent ‘cultivated sea’ was discussed. The myth of shell harvesting is a myth handed down in west coast fishing villages and by fisherman who catch fish. It tells the story of a general named Lim Kyung Up from the Joseon Dynasty who stuck a thorn bush in a mud flat during a journey to China, to try and harvest shellfish after his food had run out. The myth of shellfish harvesting is offered by the village communities, recited in a ritual, and ceremonially reenacted. This myth of shellfish harvesting is understood to have been adjusted to incorporate changes in fishery techniques. The 'Goddess of the Sea' myth is the story of Grandmother Yeung-Deung who sprinkled crop seeds and shellfish when crossing the sea to Jeju-do. In Jeju-do, the myth and ceremony is passed down to female divers, and the ceremonial habit of sprinkling seeds in the sea is reenacted for big catches. The 'Goddess of the Sea' myth and attendant ritual is thought to originate from an agricultural shift that spread from person to person. The process of gathering marine plants and shellfish along the shore illustrates the methodology of cultivation and farming, but the original foundation of the 'Goddess of the Sea' myth reveals its connection to agriculture. This is due to the emergence of an aquaculture industry in Jeju-do in recent times.

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