북유럽 신화를 통해 본 신화 윤색의 정치사상

Abstract

이 논문의 목적은 첫째, 북유럽 신화의 윤색 과정과 윤색된 내용에 대한 이해를 통해서 신화 윤색의 동기와 윤색된 내용에 담긴 정치적 함의를 파악하는 것이며, 둘째, 북유럽 신화의 윤색 과정과 내용이 기독교의 확산과 어떤 관계가 있으며, 나아가 유럽의 근대 정치사상과 어떻게 연결되는 지를 파악하는 것이다. 우선 기독교의 확산이 원시신화의 내용과 그 위상을 변화시키는 과정을 살펴보고 이것이 정치사상의 중요한 쟁점인 권력관계의 문제와 어떻게 연결되는지를 살펴본다. 그리고 그 예로서 북유럽 신화가 담고 있었던 중요한 요소들 즉 여신, 영웅, 감성적인 요소들이 기독교의 영향으로 그 자리를 잃어 가고, 기독교 사상이 중요한 정치사상으로서 근대사상의 뿌리에 가부장적 권력관계의 틀과 함께 자리잡는 과정이 분석된다. 이 안에서 여신을 중심으로 했던 자연에 대한 숭배로 나타나는 모권 중심적인 권력구도가 부권 중심적인 권력구도로 변하는 과정이 드러난다. 또한 신화 속의 바이킹 영웅들이 그 위엄을 잃고 기독교의 정치적 헤게모니 속에 동화되거나 그 과정에서 소멸되어 가는데, 이 과정은 근대적 성격의 가부장적 정치사상의 토대를 형성해 가는 과정이기도 하다. 감성적이던 인간의 믿음은 기독교적 이성 그리고 나아가 개인주의적인 과학적 이성으로 대체된다. 그리고 이것은 근대성의 주요 특정이 되면서 서구 근대 정치사상, 특히 자유주의 정치사상의 동력으로 자리잡는다.

The main purpose of this study is to find political implications embedded in motives and in changed contents of the ancient myths by examining the process and the contents of embellishment of the Norse myths as sample cases. It also explores the relationship between the expansion of the Christianity and the embellishment of the myths. The results of the study also reveals that transformation of the myths and the patriarchal tradition of the modern political thoughts in Europe are vety closely connected. The myths, religions, and political thoughts are intertwined one another throughout the history of knowledge. And often times the dominating power revealed by its own religious faith twisted the local legends or myths. While the Christianity expanded in allover medieval Europe, it also affected and changed the contents and the way of understanding local myths. It seems that the embellishment of the myths was not occurred naturally in the process of shifting the power relationships but was intended toward certain direction meant by the dominant political power. This study shows that there were lots of conflicts, such as dominations, resistances, assimilations, and transformations between the ancient myths and invading values, the Christianity in the development of European history. Therefore changes in the myths is not only the results of religious challenges and domination but also the results of political struggle and domination. This is the case study of the Norse myths. The image of their goddesses tell us that men and women were equal at the time, and sometimes women were more determined in their important roles. Their heros and gods were peaceful unless they were attacked. However, it appears that the Christianity supplied the patriarchal perception, developed by its monotheist faith, to the original forms. One result of it was the paradigm shift in understanding social relations: from maternal power relationship to paternal power relationship. Another is changing the image of the Viking heros: from the ever most exciting and influential figures in Europe to those whom without their authority, and often described as mere barbarians and sometimes evil figures, and eventually been faded away into the Bible and the fairy tales in Northern European countries. In addition, a rather sensitive and emotional nature of the reason in the ancient myths has been replaced by Christian reason, and then individualist scientific reason. The patriarchy has become representing the mainstream of modernity and modern political thoughts, particularly liberalism, as many feminists have argued.