울산 돋질산 설화의 전승 의식과 스토리텔링 방향 = Storytelling Approaches and Awareness of Narrative Transmission in the Legends of Dotjilsan, Ulsan, Korea

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

This study examines the existing materials and transmission patterns of the legends surrounding Dotjilsan, a sacred mountain (yeongsan) in Ulsan. It clarifies their narrative significance and the community’s awareness of narrative transmission. A review is undertaken of the humanistic and geographical environment of Dotjilsan in order to explore the guardian-like functions and symbolic meanings attributed to key figures in the legends, including ttigodong (a striped whelk), imugi (a serpentine being on the path to becoming a dragon), and dokkaebi (Korean goblins). The study proposes storytelling approaches that can articulate Ulsan’s future urban vision and regional identity. The legends of Dotjilsan reflect the local community’s collective memory and a life-oriented consciousness associated with a Great Mother deity, shaped by the intersection of the Taehwa River, Ulsan Bay, and the surrounding plains. These legends encompass prayers for abundance, efforts to prevent calamities, the ethics of human-nature coexistence, and reflections on reckless industrial development. They thus function as a communal “life-safety system.” In contemporary society, where individualism is accelerating, the Dotjilsan legends go beyond a simple warning of past disasters. They acquire contemporary narrative significance by foregrounding the need to build ecological and social safety nets inclusive of marginalized lives. These legends offer an alternative paradigm that embodies the identity and ethic of symbiosis Ulsan seeks to restore. As archetypal narratives with strong potential for expansion into diverse cultural contents, they represent a sustainable and highly valuable cultural asset for the region.