畵像石에 그려진 두꺼비 형상의 신화적 해석

Abstract

Stone carvings, tomb decorative arts prevailing through Han dynasty, are a treasure house of the earliest Chinese icons to which we may refer up to date, and provide crucial data in studying the Chinese myths since they contain abundant mythical topics. This study examines and analyzes the toad image, universally appearing in stone carvings of almost all parts of China, among various mythical topics in a mythical point of view. Toad images appearing in stone carvings depict toad in the moon in most cases and could be classified into some types. Firstly, the mythical prototype of toad in the moon was derived from the Change’s myth, and then the images of toads are appeared in stone carvings as a transformational image of the Change’s. Secondly, in an image depicting only a toad, when the moon correspond to the universe, the toad corresponds to the sun. Then a toad and the sun always appear in pairs. Further when Fuxi-Nuwa represents a combination of male-female and yin-yang, the toad appears alone in the moon as a symbol of a yin energy. Thirdly, the number of images depicting both toad and rabbit together is much more than those of toad in the moon. Rabbit and toad build a structure of confrontation and harmonization of yin-yang in this case. This means circulation and regeneration of yin-yang, and symbolizes immortality and eternity of the moon. Hence this structure is interpreted as the cause of periodic transformation of the moon. Lastly, we find toad which is irrelevant to the moon in the immortal world of Xiwangmu. At this time toad symbolizes yang energy and combines with other images to build harmonization of yin-yang, Also toad symbolizes the moon and becomes a factor of the immortal world. Toad, the spirit of the moon, appears as a symbol of immortality on stone carvings scattered everywhere in tombs, immortal residences of the dead. This represents strong desire of people of Han dynasty who prayed for immortality in other world.