한강은 북한강과 남한강이 합쳐서 흐르는 강으로서 상류의 민속, 문화, 전통, 삶 등도 함께 흐른다. 이를 문화적 프리즘을 통해서 천착했다.
우선, 북한강 시원지인 금강산의 설화 중, 바로 아래 화천으로 이어지는 설화는 대략 용설화와 나무꾼과 선녀설화다. 이들 설화는 금강산, 화천, 그리고 춘천, 강촌, 가평 및 청평으로 이어지고 있다. 특히 용설화나, 문학작품에서의 용은 남성적인 특성을 지니고 있거나, 남자아이(龍子)로 나타난다. 또한 유속도 빠르고 유량도 풍부해서 댐 건설에는 용이하지만 농토 조성에는 적합하지 않다. 이러한 점에서 북한강은 남성적인 아니무스적 특성을 함유한다. 반면, 남한강은 산세가 완만하고 평야가 발달해서 논농사가 발달했고 비옥하다. 이러한 점이 설화나 민속, 문학, 그림에도 잘 반영되고 있다. 아니마적 특징을 함유하는 것이다. 북한강이 용설화로 시작해서 龍變成魚, 魚變成龍의 양태를 보이며 한강으로 흐르는 반면, 남한강은 북한강과 동일한 용설화로 시작하지만 중하류로 갈수록 여신설화나 이미지(풍요의 표상)로 대체되고 있다. 한강의 설화나 민속, 작품 등을 보면 시원지와 거리가 있느니만큼 북한강과 남한강이 지니는 특성이 그대로 드러나지는 않지만 한강 물에 용왕이 살고 있다는 인식은 지배적이고, 마고할미 편린이 남아있으며, 또한 잉어를 龍子를 보는 시각도 남아 있다. 북한강 유역에서 행해지던 ‘어부식’도 행해졌다. 특히 한강유역의 용화사는 예전에 뱃사공들이 이용했던 절로서 이는 용(전통신앙)과 불교(외래종교)의 결합을 상징한다. 한강의 始原地 설화인 금강산 유점사 설화와 연맥되기 때문이다. 이렇듯이 한강은 시원지의 전통, 문화, 역사, 삶 등이 융합되어 어우러지는 곳으로서 암물(남한강)과 숫물(북한강)의 상징성을 함유하고 있는 완성된 강이다. 복된 공간인 것이다.
The geopolitically, ecologically and economically important Han River is a huge one which is formed at Dumulmeori by joining the Bukhan River rising in the Kuemgang River at Mt. Kuemgang and the Namhan River rising in Teobaek Geomloungso. The waterway from each source goes downstream, but not only does the water go downstream. But also does the water carry the culture of upper region of the river. There are some continuity and variations with things to hand down orally, folklores, and cultures along the river. Keeping this in view, the purpose of this study is to understand the identification, characteristics, and nature of the Han River, extracting from folklore and culture of upper regions of river, the Bukhan River and the Namhan River.
As a result, there are dragon tale and the woodcutter and fairy tale among the tales of narrative which are connected Mt. Keumgang, the origin of Bukhan River, similar to the tales of Hwacheon, immediately below the mountain. These tales are stretched out from Mt. Keumgang to Hwacheon, Chuncheon, Gangchun, Gapyeong, and Chungpyeong. Especally, the dragon has masculine characteristics(dragon of Keomloungso, dragon of Hwacheon and Chuncheon), or young boy(dragonet) is strongly reflected with masculine imagery. There is no rice farming because the flow of water is speedy, wild. Stream flow is so abundant that it is usseful to construct the dam, but not to construct the farmland. From every aspect, the Bukhan River could be expected that it reflects masculine, that is, animus characteristics strongly. Comparded with that, the Namhan River(specially midstream and downstream areas) has fertile land with gentle shape of mountains, development of field, and development of rice farming that is reflected in folk story and folklore. The the subject of fertility, goddess tale (Mago Grandma tale) takes a central place in the Namhan River area. And also the flow of river runs gently and silently. In this respect, the Namhan River reflects the feminine, that is, Amina characteristics. The Bukhan River flowing to the Han River shows the form which is from dragon tale to tales of dragon changing fish and fish changing dragon. On the other hand, the Namhan River is replaced by goddess tale (the symbol of fertility) flowing to midstream and downstream despite starting from dragon tale. Like this, a folk tale is another narrative method of history involving aspects of social, economy, and culture at the area of origin.
After all, the Han River joins the masculine, that is, animus Bukhan River and the feminine, that is, Amina Namhan River. It is complete river which is compounded of male water and female water. The folk tale and folklore of the Han River are not directly reflected by the characteristics of the Bukhan River and Namhan River due to a long distance of origin of the river. But there are predominant views that the dragon king has lived in the Han River, there is a fragment of tale of Mago Grandma, and a carp is a dragonet. A part of Fisherman’s Ceremony which is performed for the dragon in the water at the region of Bukhan River has been maintained in the Han River. Especially Yongwha Temple in the region of the Han River was used by sailors, which is a symbol of merging of dragon(traditional belief) and Buddhism(foreign religion). In this respect, it is connected with falk tales of Keumgang Temple and Youjeom Temple, the tales of Han River’s origin. At the time of foundation of Youjeom Temple, a dragon expelled did not perish forever and permeated and combined Buddhism eventually embedding in Yongwha Temple on the lower Han River. Like this, the Han River runs merging the male stream (Bukhan River) and female stream (Namhan River) which fuse tradition, culture, history, life to get together with oneness that is our country’s symbolic and ecogeographic lifeline. Also the Han River is a blessed space having benefits of the Bukhan River and the Namhan River both.
