동북아시아 설화에서의 변신 · 교혼 · 보은 다시 생각하기 -인류학 내 존재론적 전회를 중심으로-

초록

Using the "Ontological Turn" in anthropology as a theoretical framework, this study is a preliminary attempt to reinterpret the relationship between humans and non-human beings in Northeast Asian animal folktales from a new perspective. Animal folktales have long been regarded as products of "anthropomorphism," in which animals are borrowed merely to convey human narratives. This paper, however, views the world not as a single reality perceived through diverse cultural perspectives, but as a multiplicity of distinct ontological worlds. Based on this premise, the discussion posits that both humans and non-human beings are "persons" possessing the same underlying personhood. Although they share the same personhood, they possess different bodies, leading them to perceive the world differently according to their respective bodily contexts. Grounded in this ontological turn, this study sheds new light on the core narrative motifs or types of folktales: "transformation," "intermarriage," and "repaying kindness." First, "transformation" is understood not as a mere fantasy or imagination, but as a process through which beings with the same personhood don different bodies to communicate and coexist. Second, "intermarriage" is treated not as a union between different species, but as a process in which multiple ontological worlds encounter one another. The tragic conclusions of intermarriage tales (such as infanticide) can thus be interpreted not as a "transition from nature to culture," but rather as a process wherein humans gradually lose the understanding that they once shared the same personhood with non-human beings. Lastly, departing from the framework that views animals as subordinate subjects of human morality, "repaying kindness" is reconceptualized as a reciprocal attitude of "gift" and "pure gift," through which nature unconditionally bestows abundance upon humanity. Accordingly, by restoring an agentive position to non-human beings within folktales, this study attempts to offer a small clue toward deconstructing the hierarchy of modern anthropocentrism. Ultimately, through a fresh perspective on folktale research, it aims to present a new methodological starting point for seeking mutual coexistence between humans and non-humans in a contemporary society facing climate crises and radical ecological transition

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