유교가 한국 건국신화에 미친 영향

Abstract

Effect of Confucianism on the Nation-building Myths of Korea / Lim Taihong Effect of Confucianism on the Nation-building Myths of Korea / Lim Taihong The paper examines the Korean nation-building myths as follows: 1. The nation-building myths of Korea, such as Dangun myth of Gojoseon, Jumong myth of Goguryo, Onjo myth of Baekje, Hyeokgeose myth of Silla and Suro myth of Gaya in Samguksagi or Samgukyusa, has been historicized. In other words, the myths has became historical stories. It seems to be the result of the Confucian culture's effect on the Korean Society through the long history. 2. The Korean nation-building myths, unlike the Japanese Kiki myths, has been fragmented. This also seems to be the effect of Confucianism which emphases rationalism and secularism. Although Chinese myths are also fragmented, but because of the lack of the documents about myths, the Korean mythology can be said to be more fragmented than the Chinese ones. 3. The Korean nation-building myths has been humanized. In China and Japan, there are many zoomorphic gods and personal gods. On the contrary, in the Korean mythology, there are many stories of human not of God. And in many myths of Korea, human beings play a leading character. It seems to be the result of the effect of Confucian culture aspiring humanism and rationalism. 4. The Korean myths on nation-building has been structured. Particularly, they usually have the three-stage structure of Heaven-World-Man, that is, the stories of the myths have episodes in heaven, world and the human world. Heaven is, in some stories, described as an advanced nation to the north of the new country. This sort of tendency is similar to the Heaven-World-Man structure of the Confucian thought. And Korean myths, in many case, describe the family-centered human relationships. This also can be considered to be effected by the family-centralism and human-centralism of the Confucian culture.