『금석이야기집(今昔物語集)』의 유령담 성립에 관한 고찰

Konjaku Monogatari-shū is a vast collection of ancient Japanese tales compiled from the Nara to the late Heian period. The ghost stories within it vividly trace the transformation from Buddhist moral parables to narratives featuring anthropomorphic ghosts possessing human emotions. First, in the “Tale of the Grateful Skeleton,” the spirit of a dead person speaks to the living in human language, emphasizing moral retribution rather than emotional conflict. Second, in tales such as those of Kifune Myōjin, supernatural beings appear in human form—showing the humanization of the invisible, though not yet as spirits of the dead. Third, serpents, demons, and tengu embody primitive vengeful spirits that express emotion but ultimately find Buddhist salvation. Fourth, spirits emerging from hell or the otherworld interact with the living, gaining individuality and emotion—marking a step toward humanization. Finally, the four stories in Book 27 depict the dead appearing as humans before the living, conveying feelings and resolving human relationships. These are no longer tales of mere curses or moral instruction but rather emotional and memorial ghost stories. Together, these narratives illustrate the transformation of the ghost from a religious “other” into a human-like being, representing the origin of Japanese ghost literature.