Korean Mythology

Japanese: 朝鮮神話 - ちょうせんしんわ

Korean mythology can be divided into two types, documented mythology recorded in classics such as the Records of the Three Kingdoms and the Annals of the Three Kingdoms, and oral mythology. The latter includes shamanic mythology and mythical folk tales that are orally recited by shamans today. Korean mythology as a whole has the following characteristics: (1) it retains its original form, (2) it is closely related to religious rituals such as shamanism and agricultural rites, (3) there are many myths about ancestors and a strong sense of lineage, (4) myths about the origin of the universe were not recorded due to the rationalism of Confucian scholars who recorded the myths, so many of them are oral, and (5) historically, the three kingdoms of Goguryeo, Baekje, and Silla were in a long-lasting relationship, so myths are not unified and have taken on various forms of tradition.

Source: Heibonsha World Encyclopedia, 2nd Edition Information

Japanese:

朝鮮神話には伝承形態によって《三国史記》や《三国遺事》など古典に記録されている文献神話と，口伝神話の2種類がある。後者には現在シャーマンが口誦している巫歌神話と神話的昔話が含まれる。朝鮮神話全体の特徴は，(1)原初的形態を保持している，(2)巫俗や農耕儀礼など宗教儀礼との関係が密接である，(3)始祖神話の類が多く族譜意識が強い，(4)宇宙起源神話は神話記録者である儒学者の合理主義によって記録されなかったため，口伝のものが多い，(5)歴史的に高句麗･百済･新羅の三国鼎立が長く続いたため，神話が統一整序されず多様な伝承形態をとっている，などである。

出典　株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典第２版について　情報

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