중국 홍수신화와 인류기원신화에 보이는 호로와 중국민족의 호로숭배

Abstract

It can be said that gourd occupies the most special position for Chinese nation in the cultural history of whole world nations. In addition, the influence of gourd upon the Chinese myth is considered substantial. In the human origin myth, the most part of minor races including Han race is recorded to be come out from gourd, and in the Genesis flood myth the flood disaster could be avoided by taking gourd as shelter tools. It is thought that all of these contribute Chinese nation to be flourished in posterity. That is, gourd is exactly not only the best ground for Chinese nation's origin, but totem plant which makes Chinese nation flourished in the present days. This study firstly delves into the historicalㆍfolklore meaning of gourd, which is considered to be representative worship object and totem plant. Also this study tries to figure out some relationship with the gourd discovered in the human origin myth, which is regarded as the core of the Genesis myth, that is gourd type of the human origin myth. Lastly we will attempt to re-interpret the definition of gourd, which conducted great role for human re-generation as shelter tools in the flood myth. In addition, we will examine the development process of the myths by looking through how the human origin myth and the flood myth were gradually getting complicated and diverse from initially and relatively simple status.