This research team recorded folk culture, especially oral literature, in mountainous region of Hongcheon-gun as the assignment of the first year, riverside area of Hongcheon-gun as that of the second year and plain area of Hongcheon-gun as that of the ...
This research team recorded folk culture, especially oral literature, in mountainous region of Hongcheon-gun as the assignment of the first year, riverside area of Hongcheon-gun as that of the second year and plain area of Hongcheon-gun as that of the second year, and researched sociocultural background of the oral literature. To achieve the goals, all backgrounds including not only the oral literature in each area but also physical geography, society, economy, politics, culture, religion, attitude and educational level of people who deliver the oral literature, understanding and awareness (perception of people who enjoy the oral literature) were investigated and researched. As the way includes all fields such as literature, folklore, media, regional studies and anthropology, the results based on each subject were gathered in a way to integrate the results.
1. Focusing on the mountainous region (Nae-myoen, Nae-chonmyeon, Hwachon-myeon, Duchon-myeon) in Hongcheon-gun, the research team recorded and investigated oral heritages as an assignment of the first year. Oral literature is created and developed in a specific space time as the other cultural phenomena are, based on physical geography, economy, society and cultural background. This study reinterpreted the oral literature according to sociocultural frame first and extended it externally and internally to establish the concept of the oral literature. Furthermore, it aimed to figure out distinct characteristics, historicity, specific reality and original form of the mountainous region in Hongcheon-gun through a view of oral literature.
Hongcheon-gun located in the middle part of Korea is close to eight cities and districts, and has a unique social culture. There are mountainous region including Nae-myoen, Naechon-myeon, Duchon-myeon and Hwachon-myeon in Hongcheon-gun and these areas has similar natural and humanistic environment, and living circumstance. Firstly, when it comes to natural environment, there are not many farmlands but natural resources such as gold, lumber and iron ore as they are placed in mountainous area. Since dry-field farming is mainstream, agricultural techniques with a plow drawn by a yoke of two oxen are developed. As it is located high, highland vegetables and medicine herbs are cultivated. As for features of humanistic environment, they are sparse population, small natural villages and widely spread worship for mountain spirits.
Since there were few rid paddies in the mountainous area in Hongchoen-gun, cultures related to frame were developed and there were hardly ‘Songs for weeding a rice paddy’. On the other hand, as it had barren soil and highly inclined farms, a plow drawn by a yoke of two oxen and cows to pulling it were used. ‘Songs to drive cattle’ were also developed. A characteristic of the songs to drive cattle is that it includes the state of tillage and cultivation method rather than being an individual work song. It turns out songs to drive cattle is an output from life to connect cows and people while they are cultivating the barren soil and keeping in step. A plow is not just a tool to cultivate ride paddy and farm but entity of local culture and a plow drawn by a yoke of two oxen contains nature, topography, geological features, life of cow, communication way between cows and human, social relations, life of residents and an outlook on the world.
2. As assignment of the second year, the researched team recorded and investigated oral heritages, focusing on riverside area (Hongcheon-eup, Bukbang-myeon, Seo-myeon) in Hongcheon-gun. A number of villages around Hongcheon-gun riverside played a significant role to activate Han river water traffic that were formed along Hanyang in the Joseon Dynasty period and Japanese colonial era as a ferry, tavern and hub. At the same time, Hongcheon-gun river was an interaction barrier to divide villages. People in the villages set a ship afloat and built a bridge called Seopdari to overcome the obstacle. People communicated with the outside world to cross the Hongcheon-gun river dividing the village under north and south by bad and Seopdari.
Living culture in the riverside area was shared through ferry. Due to the reason, there were various village festivals such as local god religion, Jangseung religion, shamanistic belief, the dragon king religion and street festival according to each branch in the riverside area unlike mountainous ares with village festivals focusing mountain spirit.
Rice is being cultivated in Hongcheon-gun along Hongcheon river relatively more than other districts in south part of Gangwon-do. Speaking of songs for rice farming according to area, based on Seo-myeon as a boundary, Sangsasori, Bang-a sori and Minari were found in the south part of Gapyeong and Chuncheon city. On the contrary, Bang-a Taryeong was found in Gapyeong-gun Seorak-myeon and Yangpeyong-gun Danwol-myeon as west, songs for weeding a rice paddy such as Bang-a sori and Sadiyeosori in Bukbang-myeon as the east of Seo-myeon. There differencees stem from networks of each area in Hongcheon-gun surrounded by mountains and rivers. As for tales, in general a tale of geographical name was mainly recorded but there were few tales about characters. Yi Gwal tale has been actively passed down among character tales. In the tale, Yi Gwal showed his outstanding abilities in Hongcheon river but they sometimes are depicted as a careless behavior. It is because the local residents perceived Yi Gwal’s rebellion was failed.
‘A fish-feeding service’ was considerably popular among folklore performed by Hongcheon river residents on January 15th in the lunar calendar. Although it is not many, it is still performed. ‘A fish-feeding service’ is a Korean tradition on January 15th in the lunar calendar the moon, water and women all played together with. In case of rain calling ceremony, although there were different types and forms according to villages, ‘women’ performed the ceremony as a main agent in the ‘water’ in common. Rain calling ceremony women sift near never is a main one around Hongcheon river. Residents in Hongcheon analyze the ceremony if there were no crops to sift, they would sift water, then the god in the sky took pity for them and made it rain. There is another view to see the ceremony. It is if they sift water, the god in the sky make in rain to wash away unfaithfulness.
The research team analyzed media supply and publicity activities in Hongcheon area. Newspaper and broadcast in Gangwon area in 1960s to 1970s were rapidly spread among the residents, forming possession and management structure attached to political power. Main policies including citizen awareness reform movement, anticommunism idea reinforcement and promotion for national development were completely delivered to the residents through media.
3. As assignment of the third year, the researcher team recorded folk culture, especially oral literature performed in plain area (Nam-myeon, Dong-myeon, Seoseok-myeon) of Hongcheongun, and researched sociocultural background of the oral literature. In comparison with other Myeons of district, Nam-myeon, Dong-myeon, and Seoseok-myeon have large rice paddies and are regarded as plain area. Due to the reason, Nam-myeon has the most stank and Dong-myeon does the most rice paddies in Hongcheon-gun. Poongam-ri located in Seoseok-myeon is well-known for its wide field and there is even a saying ‘Poongam-ri is where people eat rice and light a wood fire.
Group work song were developed as there were group work performed by family and farmers in a community instead of individual work in plain area. It is revealed that in the light of group folk songs according to area, chorus of <Sangsasori> was divine into Nam-myeon, Dong-myeon and Seoseok-myeon, that of <Bang-a sori> into Seo-myeon, Bukbang-myeon, Hongcheon-eub and Seoseok-myeon, and that of <Danheori> into Nam-myyeon, Hongcheon-eub and Seoseok-myeon. Plain aren in Hongcheon-gun is a boundary between Gyeonggi-do Yangpyeong-gun and Gangwon-do Hoengseong-gun and Pyeongchang-gun. Gachangyooheui song that is sang the most in Hongcheon area is Arari like other Gangwon areas. Hongchoen people consider Atari, a spontaneous sound, to be slow and other sounds such as Gyeonggisori from other areas to be sophisticated and fast.
Features of residents in plain ares can be classified under three ways including integrated way of thinking, androgynous image and a positive attitude. As the plain area is surrounded high mountains and placed near river like a basin, natural disaster rarely happen, which causes psychological and financial means. The positive attitude based on the environment is reborn as a story, while having a significant effect on all people’s life. This is why a view to see the world of residents in the plain area is bright, active and positive. Furthermore, the festival of the local god is the main village rite in the plain area of Hongcheon-gun, in principle it still maintains formal elements required for the rite process such as sacrifical day (祭日), offering(祭物), written player (祝文), person reading the written player (祝官), firing the written player (燒紙) and person fireing the writen player (燒紙官).
The try to investigate how media impact oral literature in plain area on Hongcheon and what kinds of changes it bright out is to connect acceptance of media with anthropological view. During spread of pop culture focusing on media spread beyond space time, it is interesting to take a look at acceptance and transformation process of oral literature in plain area of Hongcheon. <Song to mimic bird’s sound> consists of editorial with sense and actual events. Some senses are for the bird’s sound and others for singers to project their sense into the bird. When it comes to an actual event, there are desires and emotions of the singers about events actually happening to them. The structure of the editorial helps singers perceive and develop their desires and emotions through <Song to mimic bird’s sound>
Last name Segeo village is being formed mainly in plain ares of Hongcheongun as a clan village. The researcher team investigated how a clan village or the last name Segeo village had an effect on culture tomaton in Hongcheon area through oral heritages. As a result, it brought out yield increase thanks to agricultural technology in Hongcheon-gun, transmission and management of Buddhism culture and oral culture for village members.