Rice straw symbols are created to convey an abstract concept or meaning in a concrete way. In Korea, rice straw symbols are found in folk beliefs, as well. Transmitted since early times, folk beliefs involve such acts as selecting an object and puttin...
Rice straw symbols are created to convey an abstract concept or meaning in a concrete way. In Korea, rice straw symbols are found in folk beliefs, as well. Transmitted since early times, folk beliefs involve such acts as selecting an object and putting faith in it to make a life comfortable. Such rice straw symbols are found only in rice farming culture zones and were used to express wishes for good harvests, life force, fecundity, well-being of the village community, expulsion of evils, and good luck.
Based on this interest in rice straw symbols for their symbolism and making techniques, this study selected three rice straw symbols, which include Geumjul, tug-of-war, and Byeotgaridae, in two of the seven intangible cultural heritage categories in the nation, which are "social consciousness including folk beliefs" and "play, festivals and skills, and martial arts." Chapter 2 examined the attributes of rice plants and straws to understand rice straw symbols. Chapter 3 examined the meanings and functions of rice straw symbols. Chapter 4 looked into their making techniques, transmission, and values as intangible heritage.
The findings show that rice straw symbols were created based on the material characteristics and symbolism of rice straws. They were an element of traditional culture that was common across different rice farming culture areas, thus holding values as intangible cultural heritage.
The old days saw no need for master craftsmen that would make rice straw symbols, but today there is a shortage of manpower to create them. It has been difficult to transmit cultural heritage due to the deconstruction of traditional villages following urbanization and industrialization, absence of manpower for transmission according to aging, and lack of conditions and population to transmit cultural heritage. There is a need for documentation and transmission environments to preserve cultural heritage.
The present study focused on some rice straw symbols and did not analyze the entire rice straw symbols. In the future, alternative researches will be needed on the overall current state, making techniques, and transmission of rice straw symbols.