한국의 마고할미 고찰

Abstract

Mago Halmi (an old woman named Mago) is one of Korean tales transmitted by word of mouth and a relatively important tale among them. It has been studied through materials on Shamanism and defined as an object of the myth on the Creation. The idea that Mago Halmi is not a god who came from other country but a god who was born in Korea is predominant. So far studies on Mago Halmi was dependent on the materials transmitted by word of mouth but not on the documents. However, there are poems and old form of Korean verses on Mago Halmi in books written in the period of Chosun Dynasty. They show that the intellectuals in that time knew Mago but the Mago they knew was Chinese fairy and Mago Halmi first appeared in books in the 18th century. Therefore, Mago Halmi is considered to be not a tale of the Creation but an object of materials transmitted by word of mouth. Mago is a Taoist hermit and mountain god but not a big and strong figure in Chinese tales. However, Mago Halmi is big and has a super natural power in Korean tales with Korean characteristics. Confucianists in the period of Chosun Dynasty admired the beauty of Mago as a 18 year old fairy but in the 18th century when the literature for citizens was popular, Mago became Halmi (an old woman), came down to the earth from the Heaven and began to live with normal people. The Korean tale of Mago Halmi was analyzed and it was identified that it shared some parts with the Chinese Mago tale. Chinse Mago tale was transmitted to Korea and it changed in various forms. As literature of Gasa (an old form of Korean verse) developed, Mago Halmi was spreaded out across the country and mixed with various types of tales transmitted by word of mouth and changed. The tale of Mago Halmi is a tale of a giant and the origins of the tale of a giant were the god of Halmi, a avatar of the Buddhist Goddess of Mercy and the god of Halabugee (an old man) appeared in the tales spreaded around coast area. The tale of Mago Halmi with a big figure is a mix of the gods of the sea and Mago Halmi. The reason why Mago Halmi is distributed mainly on the coast and islands is because of the background of the birth of Mago Halmi. The coast of Bota mountain is considered as the background of Mago Halmi. When Myeong changed to Cheong Magoheonsudo was transmitted as folk belief and the fairy Mago changed to Mago Halmi. the Buddhist Goddess of Mercy in white clothes who was a mix of Mago and the Buddhist goddess of Mercy with a big figure came to Korea through the sea route, Sadan, began to have an image of an old woman and became a god of the sea around coast area and islands. An example is Sunmoondae Halmang on the top of Halla mountain on Jeju island. Mago Halmi is a mix of a mountain god, Mago and the Buddhist Goddess of Mercy in white clothes and it uses its extraordinary power in Korea.