논개 설화의 서사 전개 양상과 의미

Abstract

A setting of Nongae(論介)'s tale is Japanese invasion of Korea in 1593. At the beginning, this tale had a very simple narration but it started to expand a lot in the 20th century. For the expansion, an oral tale, a historical romance, a topography, an epigraph, classical literature and a true record were gathered and also tale elements, motives and episodes for the narration were used and insulted into it being changed and created for the suitable context. Such an expansion of the narration was done between 1960 and 1990 at Jangsu(長水) and Hamyang(咸陽). The reason is that people at Jangsu(長水) tried to gather the tale believing Nongae(論介)'s from their region and people at Hamyang(咸陽) seached Nongea(論介)'s grave which was known to be there. So the tale could spread mutually. The main conflict of Nongae(論介)'s tale is that she murdered a Japanese general who was one of the generals who had invaded Korea. Nongae(論介) settled the problem jumping into the river with holding the general from the rock called 'Euam(義巖)' at chinju(晉州). Listener who had heard her story thought that she was loyal and devoted to the country, or very faithful to her husband. In this tale, the position of noble Sadebu(士大夫) and humble Kuangi(官妓) which is based on metaphysics of Chosun(朝鮮) is changed, because Kuangi(官妓) kept the faith which even the noble couldn't do. When Chosun(朝鮮) fell into utter confusion in the 19th century, the government performed Nongae(論介)'s religious service at chinju(晉州) so that they might remedy people's grievance and restore order of the society. In recent times, tale-teller tried to get through a serious mental crisis which was built up under the rule of Japanese imperialism for 35 years through Nongae(論介).