동서양의 문화영웅 비교－우신화와 프로메테우스신화를 대상으로－

Abstract

A myth reflects a cultural area. The East and the West, which are the huge cultural area, can be seen to be a kind of mythological circle. A myth, which is sensitive to a cultural area even among myths, can be said to be culture origin myth. The typically culture origin myth in the East is a myth of U(禹). The typical myth in the West is selected Prometheus. In the face of this representation so far, a comparative research on two myths have never been performed. Accordingly, this study aims to seek for characteristics in the cultural area that those had been transmitted, by comparing two of culture origin myths, which stand for the East and the West. The myth of U(禹) in China is the one related to flood control(治水). When big flood happened, Gon(鯤) tried to prevent the sky and to bury water, but failed. Instead, U(禹) succeeds in flood control by allowing a waterway so that water can flow. In other words, it is a plot that fails given disobeys nature and that succeeds given accepting nature. On the other hand, in the myth of Prometheus in Greece, it violates Zeus's strict order, and steals fire and brings it to a person. In a sense that a human being resulted in being able to use fire even if Zeus, which is another name of nature, was disobeyed, it had a plot of opposition against nature. As this plot can be changed into a logical structure, it is revealed with mutually different dialectical system in the East and the West called Gung·Byeon·Tong(窮變通) in the myth of U(禹), and Jeong·Ban·Hap(正反合) in Prometheus. Also, as a sign of enculturation, the East is represented by water. On the other hand, the West is being selected fire as typical. In a sense of being shown a principle of conformity in the East and a principle of disobedience in the West regarding the structure of conflict between nature and a human being or between God and a human being, the difference is indicated.