도깨비 설화와 연금술

Abstract

'Dokkebi' is a proper figure of Korean mythology who reveals many characteristics as divinity of richness, fire, tree, smith, etc. There are many hypothesis concerning Dokkebi's origin, but Dokkebi cannot be considered to have only one origin. It is estimated that Dokkebi came from many origins to be a complex mythic figure. In some sense, it keeps a place, in deep unconsciousness of Korean people, as the synthesis of different folkloric divinities. We are specially interested in the position finding the Dokkebi's origin in the relation with the myth of smith. We can recognize the amazement of primitive human kind, discovering, for the first time, the ability of material transformation of smiths, which resides in the origin of Dokkebi's superior abilities realizing everything he wants to make. In every mythology, the smith is considered not also as a possessor of divine ability making him an object of respect and adoration, but also of fear and unwelcome. It is concerned with the fact that many world myths represent the smith as a monster. We can take Hephaestus of Greek mythology as a model. The origin of Dokkebi as smith-god is supported by the hypothesis supposing <Duduri> as one of Dokkebi's primitive names. Donggook-Yeoji-Seungram defines the Lord Bihyeong, a mythic figure of the Silla Dynasty, as the first <Duduri>. According to other references, it was found that the religion of <Duduri> was very popular in the Goryo Dynasty. And Duduri was also called <Mok-Mae>(Wood spirit> or <Mok-Rang>(Wood man), which means <Jeol-gu>(pestle). Phonetically, <Jeol-gu> could be possibly transformed from <Dot-ku>, the primitive form of <Jeol-gu>. So, we can suppose the Dokkebi's etymology as <Dot-ku-abi>(Abi means a male adult). Under this hypothesis, Duduri('dudurida' means beat) can be understood as a verbal expression of Dokkebi's act of beating. On the other hand, the word of <Duduri> appears in Japanese ancient text, as a term indicating the Silla Dynasty whose still manufacturing technology was highly developed, and its tracing is still found in Korea at the ancient forge place. Therefore, we can make a conclusion that there is a symbolic isomorph between beating pestle and beating iron in a forge. Dokkebi could be positioned as the smith god of divine craftsmanship, who has an act of Duduri's beating as a verbal schema. Moreover, we can understand Dokkebbi's ability transforming substance, architecture, and his characteristic of <master of fire>, as specialties of smith god. But the characteristic of the Dokkebi-smith god is evidently shown, without any doubt, in the myth of Jeju Island, where the archetype of myth is well preserved than in the Korean peninsular. Dokkebi is invoked precisely as <Sot-mul-Mui-to>(the god of liquid steel), in other word, the smith god. We assumed that the myth of alchemy could be found in Dokkebi if smith can be considered as one of Dokkebi's origin. It cannot be insisted that Dokkebi is a direct incarnation of alchemic imagination, however, it is evidently found in many Dokkebi stories. We found the typical characteristics of alchemy in <legend of Bang-i>, assumed as one of Dokkebi's original myths. And in the symbolism of music as <heavenly knowledge> of alchemy, we made a new interpretation on the fact that Dokkebi, in particular, loves music. We also interpreted the image of <body mutilation> shown in the Dokkebi myth of Jeju Ialand, as the alchemic murder for a new born.