광양 태인도의 <전우치전설> 연구

Abstract

Jeon-woochi, a mysterious person who was difficult to know his history and lifetime, is assumed to be born in Songdo as an poor household of the two upper classes of old Korea, around the latter half of 15C, and to die in jail while he was doing anti-dynasty activities by learning Zen-Do. Legends related to Jeon-woochi had been widely spreaded in Taein island of Kwangyang, and these legends include a few episodes which are rarely founded in novel <Jeon-woochi>. These episodes include that Jeon-woochi was a king in Taein island with royal palace built, and he robbed tax of the country or he was defeated in battle with a Chinese Taoist, and when weather was poor, Rock Island, where Jeon-woochi was hidden, cried, and many other episodes. The point of these episodes is that ‘Jeon-woochi had attempted to rebel against the dynasty by building royal palace, but finally he was failed’ This is assumed to reflect the fact that people in Taein island was angry with social environment in the latter era of Chosun Dynasty. In addition, from the fact that Jeon-woochi became a guardian for fishermen in Taein inland after he died, he is assumed to be worshiped as a god by fishermen at that time. The reason why <Legend of Jeon-woochi> was widely spreaded in Taein island seems to be related to geographic characteristic for Taein island. Taein island of Kwangyang is far away from Seoul. Legends on men of unusual ability or weird people such as <Legend of Jeong-Do-Ryeong> was widely spreaded in the latter era of Chosun Dynasty, and most of these legends indicated that ‘a man of unusual ability is training many military people in islands in order to open new world by abolishing Chosun Dynasty’ <Legend of Jeon-woochi> in Taein island is also assumed to be spreaded with combining people's desire for a new world in the latter era of Chosun Dynasty with weird behaviors of Jeon-woochi