朴(金)堤上傳과 倭國

Abstract

The biography of Bak Jesang, given originally in the Samguksagi and the Samgukyusa, has been handed down through centuries as the tale of an ideal loyal subject of the Silla period. The story is as follows. When Bokho and Misahun, two younger brothers of King Nulji(417~458), were taken hostage to Goguryo and Baekje respectively, Bak Jesang used his wit and succeeded in securing their return to Silla. Subsequently he was killed in Wa (a generic term referring to Japan). King Nulji threw a banquet to celebrate the return of his brothers and composed a poem, entitled “Usiknak” (Lament-ceasing Song) on the occasion. It is said that Bak Jesang's wife waited for her husband with such intense ardour that she ultimately turned into a stone. Although historical evidences confirm that Silla sent hostages to Goguryo,it seems improbable that Silla sent hostages to Wa, because Silla and Wa were not bound by close diplomatic and military ties, and furthermore, Wa was not a powerful state in the 5th century. Besides, Bak Jesang's cleverness and heroic deeds notwithstanding, it is hard to understand that Bak Jesang succeeded in securing the release and return of two Silla princes in the same year(418 or 425). As the tales of Bak Jesang were transmitted orally and form a part of Silla's folk lore, the relevant texts in the Samguksagi and the Samgukyusa contain several discrepancies and differences. This means that these texts developed a simple incident or event into a full-fledged historical narrative. Oral traditions created fictionalized version of the simple event in order to explain why the stone stood there and why king Nulji wrote the song “Usiknak”.