<어우야담> 소재 귀신담의 귀신과 인간의 교류방식과 특징

Abstract

There are 41 gwishin, (귀신), Korean ghost narratives in Ou yadam(어우야담), a book written in 1623 by Yu Mongin. These narratives were collected by Yu from his neighborhood, friends, servants and some also stem from his own experiences. Depending on the kind of interaction between ghosts and human beings, the gwishin narratives in Ou yadam could be classified into four types: the destructive type, the rewarding type, the resolving type and the reminding type. The last two appeared much more frequently starting with Ou yadam. The reason that they flourished at that time can be inferred from the characteristics of the society. In many of the ghost narratives in Ou yadam, the Gwishin has no particular reason for manifesting itself. Compared to previous (15th~16th century) narratives, gwishin in Ou yadam have no reason for appearing except for a desire to reveal their existence. At the same time, the ghost's desire qua desire reveals a lack. In most previous gwishin narratives, the gwishin as a being bearing a desire and a lack occurs infrequently. They appeared either to help a human being who suffered from a lack or to hinder others who appeared to be secure. Human beings were at the mercy of the gwishin. It seems likely that the sudden and frequent appearance of the resolving and reminding types of gwisin in Ou yadam were the result of the Imjin War. Many people lost their lives and identities due to no fault of their own during this time. These gave birth to roaming gwishin who had a desire to regain their lost identity and humanity.