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A Study on the Inconsistent Attitudes toward the Divinity in Gujiga(龜旨歌)

  • Journal of Korean Literature
  • 2009, (19), pp.113-137
  • Publisher : The Society Of Korean Literature
  • Research Area : Humanities > Korean Language and Literature

Yim, Jaewook 1

1홍익대학교

Accredited

ABSTRACT

Two attitudes toward the divinity coexist in Gujiga(龜旨歌) which is one of the oldest song in Korea. One is a respectful attitude which is expressed in the first and second line of Gujiga(龜旨歌), the other is a threatening attitude which is expressed in the third and fourth line. These two attitudes are inconsistent each other. I studied the reason why these inconsistent attitudes appeared together in one song. There is an opinion in the study of Gujiga(龜旨歌) that regards the 'turtle(龜)' as a totem which was the divinity of ancient people in Korea and the 'head(首)' as 'Suro(首露)' who was the first King of Gaya(伽倻) dynasty. This opinion was used as the premise in this dissertation. I examined various myths such as Nisanshaman which is a shamanic myth of Manchuria, Chasabonpuri which is a shamanic myth of Korea, Song of Aeoina-kamui which is an epic poem of Ainu, Dangunshinwh(檀君神話) which is a myth of Korea telling about the birth of the founder of 'Gojoseon(古朝鮮)', an ancient kingdom in Korean history. Through this examination I inspected the general aspect found in the change of divinities that the sacredness of the existing divinity falls according as a new divinity appears in a certain group of people. This principle existing in the change of divinities can be applied to Gujiga(龜旨歌). The religious conflict between the aborigine who worshiped the 'turtle' as God and the immigrant who worshiped 'Suro(首露)' as the divinity in heaven is expressed intensively in Gujiga(龜旨歌). The inconsistent Attitudes in Gujiga(龜旨歌) reflect the exclusive conceptions about religion toward the 'turtle', one of which is the worshipful thought of the aborigine and the other of which is the expulsive thought of the immigrant.

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