Types and Features of Flute Stories: Focusing on Korea and Japan

Abstract

In this paper, we looked at how the flute is used by paying attention to classical literature, especially the narrative. In the most famous tale, Manpasik, the flute was used as a tool to strengthen the royal authority or prevent foreign enemies. However, the flute was often the story’s center when analyzing flute-related stories. The sound of the flute changes the situation rapidly. It can be seen that the happy ending of the protagonist getting out of the crisis of death by the sound of the flute, becoming wealthy by playing the flute well, or solving the case with the sound of the flute and marrying the daughter of a wealthy family is taking advantage of the novelty of the flute. The mystique of the flute could be described more beautifully. Famous worldwide, the “Pied Piper of Hamelin” had successfully eradicated rats. Until now, it was a positive case resolution with the flute’s power, but ultimately, he used the flute to kidnap children to show fear of the flute. It showed the powerful side of the flute, such as being killed by playing a banned flute or killing a boy by the sound of the flute. This means that the flow of the story changes depending on how you use the flute. The characteristics of the flute in folktales have influenced modern times. In particular, the myth that snakes appear when playing the flute at night is very famous and still tends to be taboo. This story likely spread because simply making a sound at night damages neighbors, but it can be seen that the mighty power of the flute is being transmitted. Although the content is limited to “Manpahsik”, in the movie “Jeon Woo-chi” and the drama “The King: The Prince of Eternal”, the power of the flute is so intense that there are cases where the elements of conflict to compete are realistically expressed. The types and characteristics of the flute that have appeared in the narrative so far are meaningful in that they have provided a stepping stone to understanding the use of the flute that has become a springboard for later research and continues to the modern day.