Abstract
TaeByulWang · SoByulWang in Jeju Island's shaman epic, 「Baepo-doupchim」 and 「Chonjiwang Bonpuri」, have an heroic behavior of the ancient times. In addition to this, they show the appearance of rebirth; (1) After being accepted as sons, the brothers sat on the knees of their father and took shit and leak, wauling, as babies do, (2) They went into one arm of the aunt's coat and out of the other arm.
According to M. Eliade and Sir Fraser, the former is 'to be a baby' and the latter is 'returning to the womb'. These are the images of the rebirth and a symbol of initiation. Heroes are to be born by twofold birth, dissimilarly from ordinary person. And why did they need this process?It is because they need the power to get rid of the sufferings the humans undergo under the heat of the two suns and the exploitaion from Sumyong Jangja, a man of rich and power, in this Jeju myth.
The Brothers were born in this earthly world and had got the critical mind to solve the earthly problems, human sufferings from nature and social discord. And in order to solve the problems they need the ability authorized by celestial father, the transcendental principle. They are earthly existence with the problems related the earthly mother, but they realize the transcendental principle of heavenly father to solve the problems.
A hero is the person who realized it in person. On that moment of realization he throw out what he was and is to be born anew. This process is made up in the 'initiation' in many societies.
Similar image of rebirth is an egg in many Korean nation-establishing myths. ChuMong of Koguryo, HyukKeoSe and TalHae of Shilla were born as eggs and on hatching they arrived at grown-up. This tells us that their birth is not bodily but symbolic, that is of the initiation. They lead people into the new order of the new society.
According to M. Eliade and Sir Fraser, the former is 'to be a baby' and the latter is 'returning to the womb'. These are the images of the rebirth and a symbol of initiation. Heroes are to be born by twofold birth, dissimilarly from ordinary person. And why did they need this process?It is because they need the power to get rid of the sufferings the humans undergo under the heat of the two suns and the exploitaion from Sumyong Jangja, a man of rich and power, in this Jeju myth.
The Brothers were born in this earthly world and had got the critical mind to solve the earthly problems, human sufferings from nature and social discord. And in order to solve the problems they need the ability authorized by celestial father, the transcendental principle. They are earthly existence with the problems related the earthly mother, but they realize the transcendental principle of heavenly father to solve the problems.
A hero is the person who realized it in person. On that moment of realization he throw out what he was and is to be born anew. This process is made up in the 'initiation' in many societies.
Similar image of rebirth is an egg in many Korean nation-establishing myths. ChuMong of Koguryo, HyukKeoSe and TalHae of Shilla were born as eggs and on hatching they arrived at grown-up. This tells us that their birth is not bodily but symbolic, that is of the initiation. They lead people into the new order of the new society.
| Translated title of the contribution | A Mythical Meaning of Birth Narrative of TaeByulWang · SoByulWang |
|---|---|
| Original language | Korean |
| Pages (from-to) | 43-71 |
| Number of pages | 29 |
| Journal | 영주어문 |
| Volume | 28 |
| Issue number | 28 |
| State | Published - Aug 2014 |