This paper is written with the object of analyzing the structure of a taboo tale and newly pursue its symbolic meaning. The structure of this paper comprises of `Examination of history of studies`, `Fundamentals and meaning of taboo`, `Structural dist...
This paper is written with the object of analyzing the structure of a taboo tale and newly pursue its symbolic meaning. The structure of this paper comprises of `Examination of history of studies`, `Fundamentals and meaning of taboo`, `Structural distinctions of taboo tales` and `Symbolic meaning of taboo tale`. For `Examination of history of studies`, I`ve summed up studies about Korean taboo tales, organized and analyzed them in order to search for imperfections and set a direction for this study. I`ve come to a conclusion as follows in `Fundamentals and meaning of taboo`. I made it certain that a taboo has a ritual function, required when performing a ritual such as a rite of passage in the ancient religion. I`ve found out that a taboo has a restraining characteristic for instinctive desire(i.e., incest) from a psychological desire aspect. I`ve also learned that the purpose of a taboo is shown in the willingness, expressed paradoxically in duplication, to protect oneself from transcendental power or terror of mysterious supernatural power. In `Structural distinctions of taboo tales`, I`ve examined (1)Expressions of a taboo motif, and (2)narrative structure of taboo tales. There are ①negative instructions such as"Don`t do (blank)"and ②positive instructions such as"If you do (blank), (blank) will happen"for taboo expressions. The effect of negative instructions is that it makes the scenes of the story more real by not warning about the result of punishment beforehand. As for the content of taboo, there are unconcealed taboos such as ③"Don`t (blank)"and ④hidden taboos which is not expressed in the writing but can be inferred from the result. In the ④hidden taboos, more weight is given to the in-depth moral punishment rather than superficial punishment where the result of punishment is directly linked to curiosity or inquisitiveness. `Narrative structure of taboo tales` evolves by explaining the tragic ending met by destroying taboos. The basic structure of taboo tales comprises of three parts, A. deficiency and settlement of deficiency, B. taboo and destruction of taboo and C. punishment and attempt to escape. In `Symbolic meaning of taboo tales`, I`ve traced and analyzed the symbolic meaning from aspects of religious ritual, psychological desire and societal system. A taboo from a ritual aspect is a symbolic expression of worldly human being`s desire to challenge the world to obtain sacredness across the board, aspiration and challenge in other words. From a psychological desire aspect, a taboo tale is a cultural phenomenon which reveals human`s old latent unconsciousness and has a function of restraining instinctive desire while taboos were created and settled in ethics and morality. From a societal system aspect, a taboo tale is perceived as a symbol of attempt to escape to a sacred world, away from the constraint of a worldly society.