거문도 바다사람의 자긍심과 민속전승의 원동력－거문도 뱃노래와 풍어제 전승을 중심으로－

Abstract

Islanders have been somewhat neglected by landlubbers. Historically, islands have been considered as being remote and used as places of exile. In addition, as islands were even evacuated due to Japanese invasions, mainland people considered the islands as abandoned lands and looked down on islanders. Despite these situations, people in Geomundo have been living with their own pride of being descendants of ‘sea people’. This study considers that the folklore transmissions of the Boating Song and Fishing Ritual are related to that pride, and therefore, researched was conducted on the formation and background of the residents’ identities. It has not been that long since the residents had the pride of ‘sea people’ evolve and peak on its own. Recently, the Dokdo territorial dispute with Japan has become a national interest. Geomundo people were able to historically declare that ‘when no one was interested in Ulleungdo and Dokdo, our ancestors pioneered Ulleungdo and Dokdo’. Geomundo residents insist that when the territory of Joseon Dynasty was once occupied by Britain, the name ‘Geomundo’, which means ‘an island with outstanding academics’ was established. Based on the pioneer spirit of ‘sea man’, residents are now cultivating the history and new traditions of the area. The pride of Geomundo descendants can be seen in the Boating Song and Fishing Ritual that is passed down through generations. The Boating Song, designated as the No. 1 intangible cultural asset of Jeollanam-do in 1972, has seen numerous dramatizations and restorations to become the song that embodies the islanders' identities. Uoroyo, sung at the time of fishing, was culturally acclaimed and became another intangible cultural asset, and both songs were staged as a performance that helped demonstrate the fishing activities in the context of the history of the ancestors who pioneered Ulleungdo. The Fishing Ritual is a form of sea ritual that became an event run by National Federation of Fisheries Cooperatives (NFFC) in 1985. The residents of Geomundo has been inheriting this ritual for 30 years. Moreover, the Fishing Ritual celebration helped restore otherdisappearing folk rituals and allow them to become traditions of Geomundo. On the event day, April 15 in the lunar calendar, the Fishing Ritual by NFFC is performed as the ‘day to celebrate ancestors who pioneered Ulleungdo’, as a tool to highlight the historical significance of Geomundo. The Geomundo Fishing Ritual is becoming a festival for seeking unification and contributing to embracing the identity of sea people through new traditions.