중국 소수민족 이족 창세서사시의 자료 존재양상과 특징

Abstract

The Southwestern region in China is the place where the Creation epics of ethnic people are being transmitted. Among the ethnic people, the Creation epic of Yizu (Yi ethnic) is academically highly valuable because Yizu has rich and diverse Creation epics of the regions they reside in and lineages they belong to. The Creation epics are very colorful in their mythical contents and characteristics. Due to its feature of diversity, the Yizu’s Creation epics can be regarded as invaluable sources in the academia. In addition, each Creation epic has varied of flavors in mythical elements, the Creation, origin of mankind, flood, origin of civilization, and origin of wedding ceremonies and rituals which the Creation epic conveys and they are also well-organized. Especially, since the human being’s evolution process with the evolution of humankind’s eyes and legs is conveyed in the Creation epics, they could be regarded as a source having the unique mythical aspects. According to the regions where the Creation epics of Yizu are being recorded, the Creation epics of Yizu can be categorized as follows; 『Yizuchuangshishi』, 『Meige』, 『Chamu』, 『Menmijianzhajie』, 『Ashidexianji』, 『Nisuduoji』 in Yunnan, and 『Xinanyizhi』 in Guizhou, 『Leieteyi』 and 『On myth of Human beings’ origin』 in Sichuan have been transmitted. The three features can be deducted from the Creation epics of Yizu. First, the epics have been recorded and transmitted by Bimo, the priest class in the Yizu class system. Second, even though Bimo people belong to the upper class in the hierarchy of the society, they play an essential and subjective role carrying out to transmit the Yi literature. In this regard, the Creation epics of Yizu have the aspect of recording and transmission. Third, people used to sing the Creation epics of Yizu on the important occasions such as New Year, national holidays, the four ceremonial occasions of coming of age, wedding, funeral, and ancestrial rites, and harvest. These kinds of diverse aspects and contents which the Creation epics of Yizu have essentially help us to understand the Creation epic of Korea as well. Compared the Creation epics of Yizu with the Creation epic of Korea, they have similar characteristics of mythical elements with those of Korea in terms of the Creation, the origin of human kind, rearrangement of Sun and Moon, and the origin of death, Accordingly, it could be possible that the diverse shamanic epics, as independent sources, which have been transmitted separately from the Korean Creation epic, can be grouped into a structure.