거북놀이의 성격과 의의

Abstract

Turtle Play is a kind of seasonal custom performed in the village community. It takes place from evening to late night on the day of Chuseok on the 15th day of the lunar month. The ‘boys’ or ‘young people’ of the village make the shape of a turtle with the stem and leaf of sorghum and visit the houses in the village. Young people who perform with the turtle made of sorghum are enjoying food and drink donated by the landlord, and are blessing the family instead of receiving grain and money. Depending on the region and the village, the composition and content of the Turtle Play may be a little or a lot different. However, the deviation is not so essential to comprehend the nature of Turtle Play. Some villages performed Turtle Play on the 14th of January or the day of the first full moon of the year by the lunar calendar, instead of Chuseok. In some regions, boys are playing a significant role in Turtle Play. However, the most fundamental characteristic of Turtle Play can be found in the one performed on Chuseok by the young people. Turtle Play was a classic seasonal custom performed in Chuseok in South Chungcheongnam-do and Chungcheongbuk-do. Indeed, it is difficult to elaborate on the historical origins of when and how the Turtle Play began, and about the detailed process of how it spread to another region above. The nature of the Turtle Play is that the villagers entertain a turtle that is regarded as spiritual to get rid of misfortune come to the human and to bring luck. The form of the Turtle Play has combined of traditional customs and symbolic meanings of a turtle. The traditional customs found in Turtle Play are ‘Gulip(걸립)’ that is to go to every house to being donated grain and money, ‘Jisinbalgi(지신밟기)’ that is to comfort the god of house ground to get rid of misfortunes coming into the house. Also, there is ‘Getting full moon rice(보름밥 얻어먹기)’ that means to get food on the day of the first full moon of the year. These concepts of customs combined with the symbolic meanings of turtle that are miraculous, lucky, and longevity have created a form of Turtle Play.