달의 여신은 왜 고독한가? -한중 고전시가에 나타난 외로운 항아(嫦娥) 이미지 연원 탐구

Abstract

Representative the moon goddesses of the West and the East, Diana and Chang’e are both depicted as lonely beings in literary works. In Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Hermia, who rejects the marriage arranged by her father, is demanded to choose between death and a life dedicated to the goddess of moon and the chastity. In mythology, Diana voluntarily chose to become the goddess of chastity, in later literature, the life of a woman devoted to Diana is portrayed as enduring a loneliness akin to death. In contrast to A Midsummer Night’s Dream, where patriarchal power is explicitly revealed, the patriarchal transformations imposed on the Chang’e myth are more subtle. Chang’e, after consuming the Elixir of Immortality meant for her husband, fled to the moon where she transformed into a toad. The toad, originally a central object of worship in ancient moon-related myths, gradually became associated with punishment received for betraying her husband. Classical poems often portray her as a lonely and regretful figure, akin to a grieving widow. This narrative reflects a patriarchal perspective that views Chang’e, who shattered the core institution supporting patriarchal society by rejecting marriage and choosing a single life, as a lacking existence. The portrayals of Chang’e and Hermia in classical literature illustrate that their perceived loneliness and solitude are not inherent but rather a result of patriarchal ideologies.