Sa-geum-gab tale is a cultic type character story in Vol 1, Strange tales, Samkukyusa. The meaning of 'Sa-geum-gab' is shooting the geum-gab, which is a space or structure into which geomungo, a Korean traditional instrument, is put.
In this thesis, w...
Sa-geum-gab tale is a cultic type character story in Vol 1, Strange tales, Samkukyusa. The meaning of 'Sa-geum-gab' is shooting the geum-gab, which is a space or structure into which geomungo, a Korean traditional instrument, is put.
In this thesis, we developed the discussion focusing on examining the cultic type of character in the tale rather than the simple origin of custom or the process of acceptance of Buddhism. So, we provided that performing a religious service to crows on the 15th of the first lunar month is a religious service to reject things which have to disappear, not the meaning of appreciation. We also discussed the interrelation between this tale and the 15th of the first lunar month custom which has cultic type character.
We examined the content of the tale itself to figure out the symbolic meaning of Sa-geum-gab tale in chapter II.
First of all, we divided Sa-geum-gab' tale into a development part and an ending part and developed the character of animals appearing in the tale.
As the case progresses, we discussed the symbolism that a mouse, a pig, and a crow have in order. So, we compared and analyzed how each animal's character is expressed in other tales and looked into the sacredness and roles those animals have.
Secondly, we developed the character of people appearing in a tale. We discussed the role of people, such as the king, an insense burning monk, the queen, an old man, and il-kwan, who is a government official who observes the sun or tells fortunes through the sun's change.
We approached the cultic side, in other words sacrificial, seeing the old year out and new year in, a seasonal religious service focusing on performing religious services to crows and appearing in the ending part of Sa-geum-gab tale chapter III.
Then, we approached the meaning of a sacrificial religious service. It is the religious service which makes nature strong and new by killing live species because of the fear that the power of nature surrounding humans will disappear some day.
It equally applies to the king as a symbol of the sun. Therefore, in this thesis, the king 'Bichu', the present sun, killed the crow, which is another sun, to make his weakening power stronger again and to eradicate disease and pain from the whole country.
Secondly we approached this study related with sacrificial rite of the old year out and new year in. In Yurlyang Saesikee, it was written that 'Gang-jeong' is the best food to perform a sacrificial rite on the first day of new year and the 15th of January. So we can figure out that the first day and the 15th day of new year can be understood in the same view. Dongkuk Saesikee says that people light the lamps in the house and stay up all night. This is almost similar situation with greeting the new year on the last day of December. This means that Sa-geum-gab tale clearly shows the events people did on the 15th of January. Much custom performed on the 15th of January shows the tendency related with greeting the new year. In this thesis, we analyzed that performing a sacrificial rite to crows in Sa-geum-gab means people farewell the old sun and greet the new sun, as a sacrificial rite of the old year out and new year in.
Finally, we approached the Sa-geum-gab tale as a seasonal religious service related with the play "Deo-we-pal-kee (selling the heat)" which is the custom on the 15th in January. This view is focused on the crow that contains the symbol of the sun. That is, it is to get rid of one of the two suns to save people suffering from the heat. Therefore people could be protected from the heat through getting rid of one of the suns on the 1st in the new year. As a result, people have performed this kind of sacrificial service to crows continually. We can conclude that the sacrificial rite to crows and "Deo-we-pal-kee" is not a strange coincidence but this is a religious rite to prevent the heat and drought for one year. As we suggested, Sa-geum-gab tale is a seasonal religious service performed on the early year to prevent the heat of summer.
In this thesis, we pointed that a sacrificial rite performed on the 15th of January came from Sa-geum-gab tale. We also investigated the specific existence approach of Sa-geum-gab tale and the symbolism of a crow. Comparing Sa-geum-gab tale with other folk tales, we tried to consider Sa-geum-gab tale in the various ways. We examined the relationship between Sa-geum-gab tale and the 15th of January.