도장(道藏)과 고소설의 여성 인물 상상력

Abstract

Daozang(道藏), a codification of asian Taoism epic, has a imagination which is a prototype and also a fundamental structure of East Asian Literature. This is a meaningful comparison target in discussing Korean old novels. This article gives an eye to communion a goddess and a human being from the imagination over characters of Daozang(道藏), to examine the characteristics of weird novels; the love between a female ghost and a man, woman's leading narrative, and a tragic ending. A goddess, as a noble and superior being, played a leading role in relationships with men. A female ghost is also considered a transformation of a goddess in that there is another different ghostdom. In taoistic space, this is because heaven and ghostdom interact each other. A leading narrative of a female ghost in weird novels can be understood in connection with goddess' imagination. Goddess and female ghosts stay in the mundane world for a while in the form of descent and conversion souls respectively, are destined to go back to their world. At the end of the narrative, this regression fate will give birth to tragic atmosphere, the loss of love. Tragic features of a weird love story can be figured out in this narrative tradition. Taoistic narration of communion with gods and mortals and longing for human and ghost each other depends on the belief that the world of yin and yang can coexist each other. In confucian rationalism, the world of yin and yang cannot coexist. However, in taoistic thought, this world and the next respectively run to the rhythm, and at some time, they may share a single point. Their encounter is a brief but intense. This thought and imagination which believes the possibility of the universal encounter and cosmic communication created the encounter among gods, ghosts, and human. Taoistic imagination over characters in old novels is subject to the encounter between practical characters and impractical ones. Though this is expressed in forms of encounter and love, by the roots, it means cosmological communication among demigods and humans. Based on the principle of response of gods and humans, this projects the thoughts of coexistence of gods and humans on formalizing characters, monopolizing in literature.