방적과정을 통해 본 조선시대 여성의 길쌈노동 (Weaving Labor of Women in the Joseon Dynasty through Spinning Process)

서지정보

· 발행기관 : 한국사학회
· 수록지 정보 : 사학연구 / 133호 / 293 ~ 326페이지
· 저자명 : 남미혜

초록

예로부터 국가에서는 ‘男耕女織’을 지속적으로 권장하였으며 이러한 생산활동 모델은 아주 오래전부터 국가의 세금제도 속에 내재되어 있었다. 직물생산이 여성들의 일이었으므로 조선시대 여성들은 어려서부터 길쌈을 배워야 했으며 길쌈을 잘하는 것이 婦德으로 간주되었다.
조선시대 여성들에게 길쌈이 부덕으로 권장되었지만 신분에 따라 권장된 길쌈의 종류는 달랐다. 여성의 길쌈으로 생산되는 직물은 명주․무명․삼베․모시 네 가지이다. 직물의 생산과정은 매우 힘든 노동이었고 특히 방적과정에서의 노동강도는 각 직물마다 차이가 있었다. 누에고치는 長絲로 방적과정이 비교적 쉽고 시간이 많이 걸리지 않는다. 목화의 경우에도 물레를 이용하여 실을 길게 잇는 작업을 하므로 방적과정이 그다지 어렵지 않다.
반면에 靭皮纖維인 대마․저마는 방적과정에 여성의 손톱과 치아, 무릎이 작업도구로 이용되었다. 신체 노출이 필요하고 치아, 손톱 등 신체 손상을 수반하는 삼베․모시 방적은 조선시대 상층신분의 여성들에게 권장되었던 노동은 아니었다. 조선시대 사족 여성들이 주로 참여했던 길쌈은 명주․무명 정도였다.
여성들은 힘이 많이 들고 시간이 많이 소요되는 삼베나 모시 방적작업에 단체노동인 길쌈두레를 이용하였다. 길쌈두레에는 무명 두레․모시 두레․삼 두레가 있었으며, 양잠은 길쌈두레가 운영되지 않고 각 농가에서 개별적으로 작업이 진행되었다.
삼베․모시 길쌈이 여성의 신체 손상을 수반하는 매우 힘든 노동이었지만, 여성들은 이를 자신의 직업으로 自負하며 능동적으로 삶을 개척해 나갔다. 조선후기에는 길쌈을 통해 자산가로 성장하는 여성도 나타났다. 고달픈 삶을 굳은 의지로 개척해 나가는 한국여성의 강인한 모습을 길쌈을 통해서도 확인할 수 있다.

영어초록

Since ancient times, the country had consistently encouraged the “male farming, ploughing, and female weaving” and this model of production activity had been embedded in the nation’s tax system for a long time. Since textile production was the work of women, the women of the Joseon Dynasty had to learn the weaving from an early age, and it was regarded as a virtue for women to be good at weaving.
Weaving was recommended as a virtue for women during the Joseon Dynasty, but the recommended types of weaving were different depending on their social status. There were four types of fabrics produced by women’s weaving: hemp, ramie, cotton and silk. The production process of textiles was very hard labor, and especially in the spinning process, the intensity of labor was different for each fabric. Silk yarn was lengthy products, so the spinning process was relatively easy and not time-consuming. Also in the case of cotton yarn, the spinning process was not too difficult, because the connection work to make the lengthy yarn was done by using a spinning wheel.
On the other hand, for the bast fiber, hemp and ramie, women’s teeth, nails, and knees were used as a working tool for the spinning process. Thus, the hemp and ramie spinning process required the physical exposure of women and frequently involved their physical damage. Through the Joseon Dynasty, the hemp and ramie spinning, which caused women’s physical injuries, were not the recommended work for the noble women. The spinning, which was mostly participated by the noble women during the Joseon Dynasty, was mostly silk and cotton work.
For the work of hemp and ramie spinning, which was very difficult and time-consuming, women used to utilize Gilssam Dure, a group laborer. In the Gilssam Dure, there were cotton dure, ramie dure, and hemp dure, but the sericulture was not included, instead it was carried out separately at each farmhouse.
Although the weaving work was a very hard labor involving the injuries of women’s bodies, women actively explored their lives by taking it as their job. In the late Joseon Dynasty, several women who grew into an asset were also seen through the weaving. Through the Joseon Dynasty, we can see the strength of Korean women with a firm will, who tried to pioneer their hard life through the weaving.

참고자료

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