굿문화의 전통과 문화적 정체성

Abstract

Gut culture is spread widely not only in the religious areas but also in broader areas of folk life such as art and play. This article looks into the tradition of gut culture and its identity. Shamanism origination is a contentious topic that sets on fire the identity issues of gut culture. Identity means individuality which isn’t found in other things rather than the purity of its existence. In this point, identity is not an absolute characteristic, but a relative difference. We need to pay special attention to it because it’s the identity which has been established in the tradition and history of our gut culture. Gut culture has maintained its identity by standing and reacting against the control of foreign religions and governing powers. The establishment condemned the festive funerals as evil customs, however, the general public considered funerals without music frivolous, and they considered chief mourner nice if he prepared food to serve the people and called the shaman to perform gut and various plays to go through a funeral process. Gut culture intertwined with other religious cultures, accepted different ways, and enriched itself. This is how it has survived, however, put differently, it’s the way how Koreans prefer to enjoy their culture. In the gut culture, the cultural identity of Koreans are reflected. The background for its long history and the core reason for Koreans to like gut is ‘Sinmyung-Puli’(liberation or release of spiritual human nature). Sinmyung- Puli is for community and it is organically connected to life, thus, furthering its acceptance. Sinmyung－Puli fits the feelings of Koreans well so it served as the transmitting power for gut culture. It gave birth to the unique artistic taste of Koreans and extended to exciting culture which is evaluated positive in the comprehensive realm of life. In this point, Sinmyung-puli is the culture identity that has been conserved in the tradition of gut culture.