紀要論文

『海東諸国紀』の「琉球国之図」の地名と『おもろさうし』

A comparison of the place names on the map of the Ryūkyū kingdom in Haedong jegukgi and those in the songs of Omoro sōshi

jpn

18838596

https://doi.org/10.15002/00022605

法政大学国際日本学研究所

6

63

108

2009-03-31

Version of Record

The topographical source Haedong jegukgi 海東諸国紀, published in Li-dynasty Korea in 1471, gives a map of the Ryukyu kingdom. The main subject of this article is to compare the place names given on it with those in the omoro songs in the collection Omoro sōshi of 1623, the earliest written source of the Ryukyu kingdom. The place names discussed include those of gusuku （castle towns） on Okinawa Island such as Kunigami, Ikegusuku, Katsuren, Goeku, Nakagusuku, Onigusuku, Ōgusuku, Tamagusuku, Shimaogusuku, Urasoe, Kuraha, Nago, and Nakajin, as well as other place names like Ōnishisaki and Kumominotomari. Omoro songs of outer islands such as Kouri island, Tsuken Island, Iheya Island, Izena Island, Ie Island, and the Kerama Islands are also considered. The map of the Ryukyu kingdom in Haedong jegukgi provides us with information about Ryukyu in the latter half of the fifteenth century. It is postulated here that the place names and the relative sizes given to the various islands on the map are proportional to the strength of the traders who were based on each of them. The names of most of the gusuku on the map appear in Omoro sōshi. We know from the omoro songs that many powerful men ruled in the areas that were later united to form the Ryukyu kingdom. A comparison of the place names in the Haedong jegukgi map and the omoro songs confirms that the songs do indeed convey important, if fragmentary, information about the pre-unification past. The degree of importance of each of the islands that make up the kingdom, as shown proportionally in the Haedong jegukgi map, also relates to various matters that have previously attracted little attention in studies of the omoro songs, such as their command of the surrounding seas, their suitability as havens from typhoons and pirates, and their vicinity to specific sea routes. The article concludes with a discussion of the possibilities for future research in the comparative study of omoro place names and those to be found on the Haedong jegukgi map and in other historical and topographical source materials.

Article

AA11914954