『서유기』내 「당태종입명고사」와 고소설 『당태종전』의 비교 고찰: 등장인물과 구성을 중심으로

Abstract

The story going to the world after death of Emperor Taizong of Tang (唐太宗入冥故事) in the novel Journey to the West (西遊記) and the Korean Classical Novel The biography of Emperor Taejong of Dang (唐太宗傳) spatially consist of multi-dimensions: the world of mortals, the world of the dead, the heavens, and the water world. The story begins when a yaksa, who is a patrolman in the water world, hears talk between a woodcutter and a fisherman in the world of mortals. The yaksa tells the talk to the Dragon King. The story forms a huge fantasy narration with the appearance of the Great Jade Emperor of the heavens and Ten Great Kings of the world of the dead. The story going to the world after death of Emperor Taizong of Tang is a short story written as the 10SUPth/SUP-12SUPth/SUP episode of The novel Journey to the West written in 100SUPth/SUP episode. The biography of Emperor Taejong of Dang is a Korean classical short novel that written by adapting the novel Journey to the West. This paper considered the two short stories focusing on the character and plot. Regarding the character, major characters were listed and examined separately in the two short stories, based on if characters are different, identical or appear in only one of the stories. In the case of plot, events of the two short stories were syntagmatically written in five parts, which form the core of the stories. Four motifs applied to the story of the world after death were examined. These two short stories deliver instructive content and message, the recommendation of doing good in this world and the propagation of Buddhism.