동아시아 漂流敍事 序說 ― 동아시아 해양문화의 端緖로써

Abstract

This study focused on the drifting records of Buddhist divine effect narratives in early East Asian narratives. These records have a pattern of narrative where a person adrift on the sea is being saved by Buddhist power to return home alive. The purpose of this study is to investigate the appearance of this type of material in early East Asian narratives. In addition, a special characteristic of East Asian Marine Culture could be indexed. A case is being discussed for East Asian Marine Culture to be symmetrically balanced with East Asian Continental Culture. Furthermore, This study aims to determine the characteristics and the aspects of drift narratives. Interestingly, most East Asian Marine narratives appear in a form of the propagation of Buddhism where a person miraculously returns home alive by reciting 'Gwan-se-eum(觀世音)'. Many people then were endangered by the sea or the river because these places were where the people could make a living. However, these stories of people being saved by Buddhism do not always focus on 'where' people suffer, which is mostly the ocean, but 'how' the are being saved in a difficult situation. The case appeared in the Six Dynasties and followed. The narratives of China's Tang Dynasty, Korea's Silla-Goryeo Dynasty and Japan's Heian Period were chosen to be investigated. The narratives of the three countries in East Asia showed similar form but some differences were noticed in the form of stories. The narratives of drifting in East Asia change their nature subsequently in order to show the experience or desire of the adrift person. This change needs to be researched later on. On the other hand, the drift narratives could be linked with other marine cultural elements for more productive discussions.