국문장편소설의 무고(巫蠱) 모티프 연구 = A Study on the Mugo(巫蠱) Motif in Korean Long Novels

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

This study aims to examine the background, patterns, and implications of the Mugo(巫蠱) motif in Korean long novels. In the formation of the Mugo motif within Korean long novels, the Mugo incidents involving Bang Yeon (龐涓) and Gang Chung(江充) serve as important references. Additionally, Mugo incidents that took place in the royal court during the same period, such as the accusations involving Choguiin(趙貴人) and Jangheebin(張禧嬪) provide significant references for understanding the Mugo motif, particularly in terms of the accuser, the reasons behind the accusations, the development process, and the resulting outcomes.
From the perspective of the accuser and the motive, the Mugo motif functions as a means to fulfill the accuser’s unmet desires. The accuser, who suffers from a lack of affection from her husband, recognition from her family, the loss of her inherited rights as the eldest son, or insecurity in her position as a secondary wife, uses Mugo as an indirect, roundabout way to change the situation and fulfill her unmet desires. The Mugo motif, as structured in this way, often serves as the starting point for a larger conspiracy or functions as part of a continuous web of schemes in the narrative. Along with the Mugo motif, series of immoral acts such as poisoning food and private meeting with a man having an affair are depicted, resulting in the realization of intense malfeasance. In Korean long novels, the Mugo motif is restructured into a form that generates stimulating interest and excitement, through the release of desires and the gradual accumulation of evil deeds, thereby adding to the novel’s provocative enjoyment.
On the other hand, when examining the Mugo motif in terms of process and outcome, a clear contrast emerges in the effects of the Mugo and the responses to it. The Mugo motif in Korean long novels is employed not as a tool for supernatural effects but as a method to fabricate falsehoods, malign others, and plunge them into hardship, thereby becoming a vehicle for the wrongful accusations. When characters in the novel engage with the Mugo incident, there is a distinct contrast between those who believe only in the apparent facts due to ignorance and those who recognize the underlying truths and awaken to the reality of the situation. Through this contrast, a negative perception of Mugo and a critical stance towards it are clearly revealed. The process of judging and punishing Mugo incidents exposes the issues of fabrication, misfortune, and wrongful accusation shedding light on the misuse and negative consequences of Mugo that had not been publicly discussed in society.