도술의 마술적 기원과 전우치의 자리

초록

This article begins with Jeon Woo-chi (田禹治) and ends with Jeon Woo-chi, but the main text does not solely discuss Jeon Woo-chi. The starting point of this study is the famous anecdote about Jeon Woo-chi included in the Eou Yadam (於于野談), which involves Jeon Woo-chi ordering a boy to steal peaches from the sky. The core content of this story is very similar to the magic performances that originated in ancient India, were introduced to China, and became popular with Taoist tastes. While this similarity has been noted in previous studies, this research goes beyond viewing it as an interesting case and seeks to explore it as a powerful path for the formation of Taoist imagination unique to East Asian narrative literature. This is because it focuses on the transformation of magic performances into stories, their close combination with Taoist elements, and their eventual solidification as Taoist artifice. The main text of this paper consists of three major stages. First, I examined the close correlation between actual magic performances and Taoist artifice motifs in narrative literature, as well as various manifestations in early Chinese narratives with more abundant data. In this process, I specified the concept and properties of illusion as a branch of Taoist artifice. Next, I examined the reality and trends of Taoist artifice motifs in the narrative literature of the Joseon Dynasty based on this theoretical framework. I analyzed cases that can be designated as illusion by examining Yadams and classical Korean novels, where Taoist motifs are frequently found, to confirm the reality of illusion motifs. Additionally, I investigated the causes and meanings of the varying trends in their use depending on the narrative style. At the end of this discussion, I revisited Jeon Woo-chi and reevaluated his literary historical status and the stories featuring him from the perspective of the narrative tradition using illusion as a subject. The fundamental issue that prompted this study is that although Taoism is frequently identified as a key component of East Asian literary imagination, there is a lack of specific knowledge about its substance, form, and movement within the literary field. Therefore, in this discussion, the layers of Taoist imagination are divided into the world, people, and abilities, with Taoist artifice corresponding to abilities further divided into training to become an immortal, divination techniques, and illusion, which are presented as a theoretical framework. I hope that this will contribute to deepening the understanding of Taoist elements in the literary field in future studies.

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