본고에서는 강증산(姜甑山) 사상을 서사와 상상력을 포괄하는 문학의 관점에서 구명해보고자 하였다. 이에 따라 대순진리회(大順眞理會)의 『전경(典經)』을 텍스트로 삼아 강증산의 중국 신화 수용을 고찰하였다. 강증산의 탄생 신화에는 감생(感生) 신화의 요소가 농후하며 강증산 활동의 공간적 배경을 분석해 본 결과 그가 조선 단학파(丹學派)와 긴밀한 관련이 있음을 알 수 있었다. 강증산은 염제(炎帝) 신농(神農) 신화를 적극 수용하였는데 신농은 부여, 고구려 등 동이계(東夷系) 종족과 친연관계에 있으며 그 계열의 신들은 대륙 신계(神界)의 패배자이고 포한(抱恨)의 존재들이다. 강증산이 신농의 후예를 자임(自任)했다는 사실은 그가 은(殷) 및 동이계 종족 등 포한의 계층을 대표한 것을 의미한다. 그러나 강증산은 포한 곧 르상티망(ressentiment)을 종족적 차원에서의 설원(雪怨)을 넘어 해원(解怨)으로 승화시켰다는 점에서 종교적 획을 긋는다. 강증산은 선양(禪讓) 신화를 비판적으로 수용하였다. 강증산은 예리하게 상고 중국의 현실을 포착하여 패배자인 단주(丹朱)의 존재를 부각시키고 해원의 필요성을 역설하였다. 그의 이러한 문화인식은 체계적이고 정합적인 정통의 중국문명사관에 대해 회의의 눈길을 보내는 반존화적(反尊華的) 조선 단학파의 수정주의적 관점과 깊은 상관이 있는 것으로 보인다. 결론적으로 강증산의 중국 신화 수용은 주체적이고 선별적인 입장에서 기존의 관점에 얽매이지 않고 자기화 하는 전유(專有)의 과정을 통해 고유한 종교적 의미를 산출하는 창조적 재해석의 작업이었다고 말할 수 있다.

This paper took Jeonkyeong(典經) of Daesunjinrihoe(大巡眞理會) as the basic text and studied how Kangjeungsan(姜甑山), the Sangje(上帝), had embraced Chinese myth in process of formation of his religious thought focusing on Yan Emperor(炎帝) Shennong(神農) myth and Shanrang(禪讓) myth (namely Danchu myth).
First when we examine the myth surrounding Kangjeungsan’s birth, it deeply emraced a feeling-birth myth(感生神話), we could realize that this is a universe motif through myth of hero birth in East Asia. Further judging from the analysis of geographic space of Kangjeungsan’s activity, it included a variety of mythical and Daoist related place names. I think this is because of the fact that birth place of Kangjeungsan and the surrounding area is the locality of Xian(仙) tradition where major characters of Danhak sect(丹學派) have been turned out, and that Korean way of Xian suppressed by the regulatory system has been widely rooted in the public. Especially it’s interesting that Jeungsan, the pen name of Kangjeungsan, ambiguously connotes Siru mountain(甑山), a place of his training, and the spiritual realm of the『Zhouyicantongqi(周易參同契)』.
Then I examined the God of fire Shennong myth which has been actively admitted and embraced by Kangjeungsan. Kangjeungsan put the root of his pedigree on Shennong and there is a close affinity between Shennong and Dongyi(東夷) such as Buyeo(夫餘), Goguryeo (高句麗), etc. These Dongyi spirits are losers against the Chinese major myth and beings of ressentiment. At the same time the predecessor of Jiutianyingyuanleishengpuhuatianzun(九天 應元雷聲普化天尊) who shares mythical characteristics with the God of fire Shennong was a formerly Taishi(太師) Wenzhong(聞仲) of Yin(殷) dynasty. He was defeated and died by Zhou (周) dynasty, and was deified. The fact that Kangjeungsan regarded himself as a descendent of Shennong and possessed divinity of Jiutianyingyuanleishengpuhuatianzun connotes that he represents all beings of ressentiment such as family of Yin and Dongyi. However, Kangjeungsan set a religious milestone by turning revenge for such ressentiment at tribe level into religious sublimation.
At the end Shanrang myth which has been critically embraced by Kangjeungsan was reviewed. According to the existing Shanrang myth, Danchu(丹朱) was unworthy and not succeeded in the succession to the throne. Then good natured Emperor Shun(舜) succeeded to the throne from Emperor Yao(堯). However, the reality of Shanrang myth was a violent change of sovereign power and Danchu was a victim in the process of such violent change. Kangjeungsan shrewdly grasped the reality of ancient China and cast light on presence of Danchu. And he emphasized the need of religious sublimation of revenge, Haewon(解怨). His such awareness of culture had a close relation with revisionist standpoint of independent Danhak sect expressing a skeptical glance at systematic, commensurate and authentic historical view of Chinese civilization. And further Kangjeungsan cosmologically and causationally reinterpreted revenge of Danchu. He established a universal salvation theology which has a corresponsive connotation in regard to embracement of Shennong myth.
In conclusion, embracement of Chinese myth by Kangjeungsan was a creative work of reinterpretation resulting in an inherent religious connotation through a process of appropriation, that is independent and selective introjection.

1. 서언(序言)
 2. 강증산(姜甑山) 탄생의 신화적 아우라
 3. 염제(炎帝) 신농(神農) 신화의 적극적 수용
 4. 선양(禪讓) 신화의 비판적 수용
 5. 결어(結語)
 【참고문헌】
 【논문초록】

• 정재서(이화여자대학교 중어중문학과) | Jung, Jae-Seo