This study aims to elucidate the formation and evolution of fisheries folklore by analyzing the ecological environments within which fisheries were distributed in the modern Korean Peninsula and how this distribution was utilized and mediated across f...
This study aims to elucidate the formation and evolution of fisheries folklore by analyzing the ecological environments within which fisheries were distributed in the modern Korean Peninsula and how this distribution was utilized and mediated across folk life, including dietary habits and ritual culture. Accordingly, fisheries are defined as "water products," encompassing both saltwater and freshwater, and are approached from the perspective that fisheries are a key folk resource mediating the connection between the local ecological environment and daily life culture.
Fisheries folklore is formed through the interplay between the ecological environment in which fisheries are located and the production and living conditions organized within that environment. Therefore, to examine fisheries folklore, it is necessary to first understand the fisheries ecological environment that forms its foundation. To this end, we focused on the "Korean Fisheries History" (1908-1911), a comprehensive survey of the Korean Peninsula's fisheries during the Korean Empire. This study examined the modern Korean peninsula's fisheries ecosystem, the distribution structure of fisheries resources, and the fluctuations in fishing patterns. The findings revealed that the East Sea, South Sea, and West Sea possessed distinct fisheries ecosystems and fishing ground structures. These differences fostered the concentrated distribution of specific fish species and seasonal fishing patterns. In particular, a small number of prolific species, such as sardines, pollack, mackerel, and croaker, were repeatedly identified throughout the modern period, establishing themselves as core folk fisheries that consistently intertwined dietary habits and ritual culture. Furthermore, a review of marine products recorded in the 『Korean Fisheries Records』, including their fishing grounds, fishing gear, processing, distribution, consumption, and ritual use, revealed that these marine products were not simply objects of catch, but rather functioned as folk marine products that repeatedly intervened in all aspects of folk life, such as dietary preferences, selection of offerings for ancestral rites, seasonal livelihood structures, and division of labor, constituting marine folklore. Furthermore, an analysis of marine catch statistics during the Japanese colonial period revealed that modern marine catches developed in a three-stage structure: a period of gradual increase in the 1910s and 1920s, a peak in the mid-to-late 1930s, and a period of decline in the early 1940s. Among these, sardines, pollack, and mackerel maintained top rankings in catches throughout the period, forming the center of the Japanese colonial catch structure. In particular, the share of sardines caught was prominent in 1937, the peak fishing period. To examine how this distribution structure was utilized in everyday life, we reviewed the "Comprehensive Survey Report on Korean Folklore," the first nationwide folklore survey conducted after liberation, as well as "Traditional Local Foods of Korea" and "Life Rites of Koreans." The results confirmed that marine products were selected and adjusted based on regional ecological environments and fishing ground conditions. In the diet, they served as a major source of protein and a central ingredient in local cuisine. In ancestral rites, they were repeatedly featured as key offerings on ancestral rite tables. While the composition of ceremonial marine products expanded over time, key species such as pollack, octopus, and croaker persisted. The taboo against fish with the letter "chi" (chi) or scaleless fish is not a norm based on ceremonial texts, but rather a folk belief formed through a combination of everyday experiences and symbolic perceptions.
Conclusively, by examining the distribution and utilization of marine products in relation to ecological environments, this study revealed that marine folklore has developed with a combination of regionality, continuity, and variability. Furthermore, based on the distribution and utilization patterns of marine products, a map of marine ecology and folklore, a map of marine food, and a map of marine ritual folklore were created, providing a visual representation of the structure of marine folklore. Furthermore, by reinterpreting the "Korean Fisheries Records," previously primarily used as a source for modern marine industry data, as a folklore resource that captures both the distribution and cultural uses of marine products, this study aims to foster folkloristic interest in marine products.