Was Dried Pollack a Talisman against Evil or for Good Luck
An Examination of the Socio-economic Origins of the Magical Symbolism of Dried Pollack
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 21756127 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Hyoung-june Shim (corresponding author) |
| Year | 2024 |
| Volume | 49 |
| Pages | 229-263 |
| Publication date | 2024-06-30 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | The Journal of Daesoon Academy of Sciences (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1598-3439 • E-ISSN: 2671-6313 |
| Publisher | The Daesoon Academy of Sciences (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.25050/jdaos.2024.49.0.229 |
| OpenAlex | W4401143451 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 6 |
The purpose of this article is to elucidate the origins of the symbolic significance of traditional Korean talismanic ornaments such as dried pollack, bokjori (luck-bringing strainer), silk threads, and sokotture (a nose-block). Previous studies have primarily interpreted the magical meanings of these ornaments based on their shapes or functions, but such approaches are limited due to this likely being an ex-post-facto interpretation. This study argues that the symbolic meanings of these ornaments originated from the socio-economic characteristics of the time. These items were food resources or products closely related to the economic activities of the people of the time, and therefore, could be considered symbols of abundance and fortune. In particular, dried pollack served as an important food resource and commodity during the Late Joseon Dynasty, even functioning as a quasi-currency, and considering that fish are seen as symbols of abundance and fertility in various cultures around the world, its symbolic significance becomes clearer. Bokjori and sokotture acquired the meaning of abundance by being associated with major goods or properties of the time such as rice and cattle, and silk thread was linked to sericulture, a significant source of income for farmers of the time. These economic characteristics form the basis of the symbolism of these ornaments, and the function of these talismans can be seen as a secondary symbolism added in the process of social justification of these customs. This study reveals that economic motives underlie magical-religious customs and suggests that a broad consideration of the cultural and ecological environment of the time is necessary to understand the origins and transformations of cultural phenomena
Art · Biology · Bombyx mori · Literature · Luck · Ornaments · Sericulture · Theology · Chinese history and philosophy · Culinary Culture and Tourism · History · Philosophy
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |