반구대 암각화 고래도상의 미술사적 의의

Abstract

The rock carving whale images on Bangudae are characterized as they were depicted to a view from top to bottom and moved to upper direction. These aspects have been variously explained as it means these depicted whales were in dead or thier soul were ascensioning. But this essay tried to interpret it as they were depicted in this figure because they were described from the view of whale hunter on the boat who lived the contemporary period with the creater of this rock carving images. And the moving to upper ditection means the whales were in condition of running away from the whale hunters. About the depicted scene of process to whale hunting, former researchers have ever explained the boat between whales is 'umiack' which are still used in Alaska native, and it means the hunters in Bangudae would be come from Alaska along the sea side of Okotsk and East sea of Korea Peninsula. The other opinion suggest that the hunting was done at not on ocean but at the sea shore to hunt the whales who were wracked. But it can be a question that why the emigrant whale hunters from so far Alaska intended to leave a permanent carvings at so deep valley being far away from sea shore. And if the whales were in condition of wracked, why were they depicted in so good order as almost one direction? With these questions, the panoramic scene of simultaneously hunting of the whales and the animals in both place of sea and fields made us to regard it as not just a ordinary daily hunting but a huge hunting ceremony for harvest ritual. Even though these all images were not carved at the same time, but it is doubt that the whales and animals are belong to differnt period. Because if one's absence to the other looks too much unbalanced composition. So it looks more natural to interpret that the all creatures are originally intended at the beginnig of whole rock carving plan.