A Research on the Introductory Function of "Blind, Deaf, and Cripple" Korean Folklore

Abstract

In this paper, I attempted to shed light on the meaning of "Blind, Deaf, and Cripple," which was not considered as an important aspect in Korean folklore research, compared to the Turkish "Blind, Deaf, and Naked." Korean tales on "Blind, Deaf, and Cripple” are easily considered as simple stories that cause humorous people to laugh by showing obvious falsehoods and bluffs to cover their deficiencies. Therefore, it was difficult to find the starting point for the study on this narrative. However, when compared with the similar type of the Turkish "Blind, Deaf, and Naked," recognized as a narrative of introduction in the academic filed of Turkey's oral literature that leads its audience to the world of stories by condensing the nature of the folklore, we can find unusual literary significance which shows almost the same character setting and narrative structure. Rethinking the "Blind, Deaf, and Cripple" from such a point of view, the image of the deprived people in the story could be understood as a symbolization of the extreme deficiencies that afflict human beings in reality and of the possibility that the infinite desires can be obtained by accessing the world of stories. In the end, the "Blind, Deaf, and Cripple" of Korea could also confirm the possibility of functioning as an introduction narrative to guide visitors into the world of stories with infinite possibilities.