한・일 고전문학 속 기녀와 유녀 ― 여성영웅과 여신의 환상 사이 ―

Abstract

This paper analyzed the image of 'gisaeng' as a national hero and the image of ‘yujo’ as the goddess of sex or the spirit of Buddha shown in Korean and Japanese classical literature. In addition, this paper considered the differences between two countries' perceptions of women and women's sexuality shown in the classical literature. In Korean classical literature, gisaengs were in charge of various roles ranging from the most beautiful partner of noblemen to the heroines of heroic narratives responsible for the fate of the nation. This paper discussed the fact that the heroic narratives of gisaengs are on the extension of the tradition of ‘the female hero novels’ that were popular in the late Joseon Dynasty, and furthermore, they are based on the veneration of chivalry that was popular in the 18th and 19th centuries and the consequent emergence of chivalrous gisaengs. On the other hand, the pinnacle of the images of yujo fantasized by the world of Japanese classical literature can be said to be the deification of the poorest and most sinful yujo when seen from the Buddhist human view. Yujo in the medieval tales and the medieval and modern fairy tales(御伽草子) appeared as the incarnations of Bodhisattva. And such narratives led to the modern-day illusion that the more men a yujo has sex with, the more Buddhist merits are accumulated. To these special women who were selling sex and laughter, Korean classical literature imposed Confucian trust, righteousness, chivalry, and patriotic ideology so that they were born as female hero. The fantasy of a Korean 'gisaeng' hero is a matter of humanism as to what a beautiful human being is, which eventually converges into a form of Confucian human with the virtues of good faith and righteousness. In contrast, the fantasy of yujo resulted in the issue of perception of female sexuality, and bottom of the perception are imprinted with religious memories of sacred sex. Based on this perception, Japanese classical literature has built up a yujo fantasy as a goddess of sex.