<봉산탈춤>에 반영된 불교용어와 언어표현의 언어인류학적 연구

초록

This paper investigates various cultural components embedded in Buddhistic terms and language expressions found in the < Bongsan Mask Dance >. Buddhist culture is one of the most significant elements of Korean culture. Some folk plays like < Bongsan Mask Dance > therefore provide a variety of Buddhistic terms. Traditionally the folk play < Bongsan Mask Dance > was performed among grassroots people and thus theatrical lines often showed criticism against the hypocritical elite and depraved monks. Yet criticism of inappropriate behaviors of monks indirectly also reflects ideal images of monks and show general daily practices of Buddhists in former traditional Korean society. In that sense Buddhistic terms found in the folk play < Bongsan Mask Dance > contain quite a number of everyday life descriptions of Buddhists as well. From the linguistic anthropological point of view the major themes of Buddhistic terms inside < Bongsan Mask Dance > can be divided into the themes Buddhist monks, Buddhist rituals and music, Buddhist temples and statues, Buddhist gods and holy words, world view of Buddhism, etc. In particular, Buddhistic terms with the theme of Buddhist monks consist of several semantic components, such as their status, role in Buddhist temples, competence, appearance, gender, disrespectful manner to name a few. Some language expressions concerning Buddhism inside < Bongsan Mask Dance > provide witticism. For instance, Beopgo Drum, a kind of musical instrument in Buddhism is used for pun and ridicule. Furthermore the folk play < Bongsan Mask Dance > has been transmitted and kept its importance till today, especially since it was designated as the National Intangible Cultural Property in 1967. Also 18 Korean Mask Dances including < Bongsan Mask Dance > were listed as the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2022. Hence it is very important to look into unique as well as subtle Korean culture inside < Bongsan Mask Dance >, particularly Buddhistic terms.

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