두레 용대기(龍大旗)의 연원과 그 특징

Abstract

Duregi is commonly called Nonggi (lit. farming flag), but Nonggi with a dragon on it is called Yongdaegi. Flags are divided into horizontal and vertical types depending on the hanging type, and are classified into letter types and picture types depending on the forms of expression. Nonggi is known to be originated from Singi (shamanic flag) or Gungi (war flag), however, it is in line with Dure (farmer’s cooperative group) in the late Joseon Dynasty. Early records of the farming flags were seen in 1738 (the 14th year of King Yeongjo’s reign), but it is not known how the specific shape of the flags looks like. Through literature and the existing Yongdaegi, it is assumed that the distribution of the civil Yongdaegi expanded around the 19th century. But, since the dragon is a symbol of royal authority it was impossible to adopt the dragon image in the civil sector as appeared. Hence people differentiated the flag from the royal authority by adding elements of folk paintings and reflecting the farmers’ wish of rain. Images like rain clouds, dragon the god of water, turtles, carp, Sinnong (god of agriculture) and Salpo (irrigation tool) on the Yongdaegi support it. In addition, by the end of the 19th century as the name of a country changed from the Joseon Dynasty to the Korean Empire (1897-1910), the royal flag transformed from square to triangle. This circumstance is believed to have encouraged the civilians to use the square-shaped royal flag of Joseon Dynasty as a dragon flag (Yongdaegi). This article aims to examine the origin, characteristics, and symbolic meaning of Yongdaegi. In particular, it investigates the cause of remarkable number of dragon flags in the Naepo of South Chungcheong and North Jeolla province in Korea. As for the research method, it was referred the Annals of the Joseon Dynasty, collections of writings in the late Joseon Dynasty, newspaper articles, existing data, survey reports, papers and field research.