무사 영웅의 영광과 오욕 - 뒤메질의 헤라클레스 신화분석을 중심으로 - (Honors and Disgraces of a martial Hero : from Dumézil's Analysis on some myths of Heracles)

서지정보

· 발행기관 : 서울대학교 종교문제연구소
· 수록지 정보 : 종교와 문화 / 28호 / 27 ~ 52페이지
· 저자명 : 김현자

초록

In this article, I attempt to reflect on the raison d’être of the martial hero in ancient Greek mythology by examining Georges Dumézil's analysis of some myths on Heracles. His analytic framework in the study of Indo-European mythologies is the trifunctional ideology, which implies that magical and juridical sovereignty/physical strength/wealth are three functions, whose harmonious and cooperative relationship assures the peace and security of a given society. Heracles is a man of strong physical power inherited from Zeus. According to Greek mythology, he was born human and reborn as a divine being after death. So eventually the ancient Greeks came to venerate him as a god.
But the life of Heracles was filled with hardships and shame unbefitting for one of the greatest among Greek heroes, but also full of glory. Dumézil's analysis, presented in his works Mythe et Epopée Ⅱ ; Heure et Malheur du Guerrier ; L'oublie de l'homme et l'honneur des dieux, helps us to comprehend the reasons behind this. The task of a martial hero was not only to defend his country against exterior menaces but also to preserve the inner order of society by accomplishing what is commanded by those who assume the first function. But it happened that the type of hero of enormous physical power had threatened sovereignty and/or had forced women into his family. Considering the woman was a symbol of fecundity and fertility, the abduction of a woman by a warrior in myths can be interpreted as the invasion of the second function on the realm of the third function.
According to Dumézil, the delicate tension between Hera and Athena in the birth myth of Heracles represents the tension between the two functions of sovereignty and physical power in a society. The behaviors of the two goddesses towards Heracles, in consequence, appear in a different way. While Hera, wife of the supreme god Zeus, tried to keep the hero away from kingship before and after his birth in spite of Zeus' intention, Athena, goddess of war and wisdom, in secret protected the baby from Hera’s exposed hostility. Moreover, the whole life of Heracles can also be divided into three periods related to three functional sins and punishments. 1. As he hesitated to carry out the order of Eurystheus, king of Argos, Hera, being enraged by this disloyalty, infused madness into him. Heracles in his frenzy killed all his children by shooting arrows. 2. He had fallen sick by killing Iphitus without notice, a behavior of bringing dishonor on the warrior, so as to be sold to Omphale of Lydia, where he spent 12 years as a slave. 3. After abducting Iole, Heracles sent a servant to his wife Deianira to bring him a ceremonial dress for his marriage with Iole. As soon as putting on the dress which Deianira had soaked in, without intention, the poison of the Hydra, he fell in agony. After all, receiving the oracle of Zeus, he ended his life by burning himself on the log fire.

영어초록

In this article, I attempt to reflect on the raison d’être of the martial hero in ancient Greek mythology by examining Georges Dumézil's analysis of some myths on Heracles. His analytic framework in the study of Indo-European mythologies is the trifunctional ideology, which implies that magical and juridical sovereignty/physical strength/wealth are three functions, whose harmonious and cooperative relationship assures the peace and security of a given society. Heracles is a man of strong physical power inherited from Zeus. According to Greek mythology, he was born human and reborn as a divine being after death. So eventually the ancient Greeks came to venerate him as a god.
But the life of Heracles was filled with hardships and shame unbefitting for one of the greatest among Greek heroes, but also full of glory. Dumézil's analysis, presented in his works Mythe et Epopée Ⅱ ; Heure et Malheur du Guerrier ; L'oublie de l'homme et l'honneur des dieux, helps us to comprehend the reasons behind this. The task of a martial hero was not only to defend his country against exterior menaces but also to preserve the inner order of society by accomplishing what is commanded by those who assume the first function. But it happened that the type of hero of enormous physical power had threatened sovereignty and/or had forced women into his family. Considering the woman was a symbol of fecundity and fertility, the abduction of a woman by a warrior in myths can be interpreted as the invasion of the second function on the realm of the third function.
According to Dumézil, the delicate tension between Hera and Athena in the birth myth of Heracles represents the tension between the two functions of sovereignty and physical power in a society. The behaviors of the two goddesses towards Heracles, in consequence, appear in a different way. While Hera, wife of the supreme god Zeus, tried to keep the hero away from kingship before and after his birth in spite of Zeus' intention, Athena, goddess of war and wisdom, in secret protected the baby from Hera’s exposed hostility. Moreover, the whole life of Heracles can also be divided into three periods related to three functional sins and punishments. 1. As he hesitated to carry out the order of Eurystheus, king of Argos, Hera, being enraged by this disloyalty, infused madness into him. Heracles in his frenzy killed all his children by shooting arrows. 2. He had fallen sick by killing Iphitus without notice, a behavior of bringing dishonor on the warrior, so as to be sold to Omphale of Lydia, where he spent 12 years as a slave. 3. After abducting Iole, Heracles sent a servant to his wife Deianira to bring him a ceremonial dress for his marriage with Iole. As soon as putting on the dress which Deianira had soaked in, without intention, the poison of the Hydra, he fell in agony. After all, receiving the oracle of Zeus, he ended his life by burning himself on the log fire.

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