『封神演義』 속 哪吒 형상 小考

‘Nezha(??)’ is a fictional character in Fengshenyanyi(封神演義), in which he plays an important role in accomplishing his task for Wuwangfazhou(武王伐紂) in quality of spearhead in Zhou(周) Army led by Jiangtaigong(姜太公). This study examined the origins and transfiguration of Nezha thoroughly and considered his part in Fengshenyanyi in regard to the thematic meaning of the whole novel, concerning the fact that he enriches the meaning of this novel and is worshiped as a god of Taoism among Chinese people until now. Initially, Nezha(Nalakuvara) was introduced into China from Indian Buddhism as a guardian of Buddhism. After that, he was gradually naturalized as a god of Taoism, being seated as a defeater of evil and a god of water. Because of the fact that his story includes the element of ‘dissecting his own flesh and blood and returning to his parents(析骨肉還父母)’, Nezha got the image that he was not in accordance with filial in China. At a certain moment, his father, Vaisravana(毘沙門天王), was combined with LiJing(李靖), historical general in China, which means he was fully naturalized as a Chinese character. Nezha based on the naturalized character plays a key role in constructing meaning of the whole Fengshenyanyi novel. In Fengshenyanyi, departing from the Confucianism order, the Symbolic law, Nezha entered the world of Taoism, the other subversive symbolic principle in China. At the same time, as a fictional character, he plotted to overthrow the rational logic of the real world fantastically by means of intervening in the real event, ‘Wuwangfazhou’. He is more than just a character in the same track with the themes of this novel. He additionally enriches the meaning of it by performing these things. That’s why the people in China still worship him as a god of Taoism, who has the powerful force and the rebellious mentality.