KJCKorea
Journal Central

The purpose of this study is to consider healing elements and enhance their values in Hwajeonga. Hwajeonga is the product of a spring blossom excursion that was women’s group play and a branch of Gasa(poetry). The spring blossom excursion was a spring activity to get out of our routine and enjoy in nature. In other words, it was the time of healing to recover our mental and physical health. 「Dendong Eomi Hwajeonga」 is one poem of Hwajeonga. It conforms to a general structure of Hwajeonga but is a unique work based on Deondong Eomi’s checkered life. It allows us to experience healing to recover our health of life by looking back over the meaning of pains in human affairs. The play space of the spring blossom excursion is nature outside our routine. It is also the space where desire to escape and limited freedom to return get entangled in women getting out of routine. Mt. Bibongsan, the scene of 「Dendong Eomi Hwajeonga」, is the place where characters reveal their pains and wounds and experience sympathy, cure, and healing. Moreover, emotional ties and bonds are made between participants there. It can be an ideal place where one wants to go again, namely, Topophilia(場所愛). Telling participants’ information or calling participants by name is another healing point because this action arouses concern and love for being and a sense of independence. In particular, a young widow is deeply influenced by Dendong Eomi’s story, sings a spring song, and individually calls participating women by name. The buried beings emerge as the center in this process and the will to communicate is reflected. It is the excitement of a play place and becomes the driving force of life. The greater meaning of 「Dendong Eomi Hwajeonga」 is changes included in Dendong Eomi’s story. Dendong Eomi marries three times, loses her husbands four times, and finally returns to her hometown. She looks back on her last life even after her mind and body are destroyed. Then, her mind is changed. Her life is only rough and difficult and she suffers all hardships as if she becomes one large tree. But her life goes to love of fate that loves life as it is. Such realization does not stay only at herself and goes to another women in the play place and all readers via a 17-year-old young widow. Dendong Eomi’s changes coming from pains become the motive power for true healing by viewing life from a different angle.

healing, hwajeonga, DendongEomi hwajeonga, play space, calling by name, change, story