쉽게 풀어본 龜旨歌詞의 해석

Abstract

The Epic GuJiGa (龜旨歌) raises new insights and questions as to the true meaning of the poem. The KimSuro clan who settled in the Kimhae area on the southern tip of the Korean peninsula was not a power group due to small numbers, and thus had problems in founding a Kingdom such as Kokuro by Jumong or Baekjae by Eunjae. To make up for this lack in manpower KimSuro composed songs and had his followers sing the song and spread the mythic tale that he was destined to be king thus mobilizing his supporters to enthrone himself as King. The song however was a political ruse. For this reason the paper qualifies the song as a strategem and not incantation. KimSuro to ensure and to enlarge his power base with the local feudal lords told them that HeoHwangOk who was from a Chinese descendant was actually a Princess from India. It is for this reason that the song is known as a song that founded the Gaya Kingdom. The paper develops the point that if KimSuro's wife Empress Hwa was an Indian, KimSuro could also have been Indian himself. Because it would have been close to impossible to have wed someone with a foreign origin at the time. The tortoise mentioned in the poem symbolizes KimSuro himself. Further research on the subject undisclosed that tortoise was used as a symbol for Kings in the Indian caste system. This hypotheses, the tortoise symbolizing KimSuro, is grounded on the tortoise shaped crown that was recovered during the excavation of the Gaya tombs. Even the words “sing the song holding handfuls of soil from the summit in each hand” in GuJiGa (龜旨歌) denotes a part of a ceremony performed in India. This liaison between King Suro and the tortoise was not made, because traditionally researchers translated the tortoise as a tortoise and nothing to do with symbolization. The words “show the head”, in a loose translation means to ʻshow yourselfʼ, in India ʻshow yourselfʼ is literally understood as ʻshow the headʼ. As mentioned the song was a ruse of KimSuro to trick his followers to sing, dance and to proclaim him King. In GuJiBong (龜旨峰) and GuJiGa (龜旨歌) the Ji (旨) symbolizes an order from the King. In ChoSun Dynasty the words such as KyoJi (敎旨) or SungJi (聖旨) was used to denote orders from the king. It was ʻJiʼ which was used for giving out commands by King KimSuro to his close followers. For this reason GuJiGa(龜旨歌) is viewed as an abbreviation of GuWangSungJiGa (龜王聖旨歌). In accepting this deduction as to why the title or name GuJiBong was used after the crowning of King KimSuro becomes quite clear. It is also important to note that not only were the lyrics of the first part GuJiGa lost due to similarities in the lyrics with the Chinese song HaeKa (海歌) the lyrics at the end of the verses were also confused with those of Haega and was lost. Accordingly the ending phrases for GuJiGa and those of HaeGa became identical.