고전식물명 ‘계수桂樹’에 관한 고찰

Abstract

In this study, I would like to examine in which meaning the plant name “Kesu(桂樹)” is used in Korea’s ancient literatures, and what kind of plant it actually refers to. Although ‘Kesu’ is commonly referred to as Katsura Tree (Cercidiphyllum japonicum Siebold & Zucc) these days, it was actually introduced to and planted in Korea during Japanese colonial era. Before then, the plant did not exist in Korean peninsula. Therefore, the present Cassia does not refer to the ‘Kesu’ found in Korea’s ancient literatures. If so, which tree was the real ‘Kesu’ that was referred to in Korea? ‘Kesu’, as it is already known, is an imaginary tree mostly used as a material for poetry and prose rather than a record of real plant. Therefore, it is difficult to discuss what kind of tree species this refers to. Despite the fact, this study would like to clarify the true nature of ‘Kesu’ because it has been confirmed that the name ‘Kesu’ found in Korea’s ancient literatures refers to a specific plant. In particular, trees that grew in the Mt. Geumgangsan area were referred to as ‘Kesu’, which means that the name is related to the distribution of plants growing in a certain area or the dialect of the area. Confirmation of this fact lead to the decision that study on ‘Kesu’ appearing in Korea’s ancient literatures should be proceeded. In this study, the symbolic meaning of ‘Kesu’ used in Korean poetry will be briefly examined first, and then information on ‘Kesu’ in the area of Mt. Geumgangsan will be discussed. Grasping these factors should enable us to have general understanding of the classical plant name of ‘Kesu’, and may provide a clue to distinguish between the ‘Kesu’ of a symbolic meaning and the ‘Cassia’ in real existence.