루마니아의 민담(Basme culte) 속 여성 입사(入社, Iniţiere)의 통과의례(通過儀禮, Rituri de trecere) 양상 = Spacial Discourse on Ritual of Passage of Initiation for Women in Romanian Folk Tales

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

Initiation is the process by which an immature individual becomes a member of society through mental maturation, while rites of passage are rituals that formalize status changes throughout the life cycle. Joseph Campbell viewed initiation as the dissolution of the self and social reunification, while Mircea Eliade defined it as a resurrection into a divine being through trials. Arnold van Gennep systematized rites of passage into three processes: separation (isolation), transition (boundary), and integration. Emphasizing social function, rites of passage confer new status and responsibilities upon the individual and play a role in strengthening community bonds through collective experiences. Based on this model, this study reconstructs the narratives of Romanian folktales into three stages. The preparatory rite is the stage where passive and active separation occur; the threshold rite is the stage where one undergoes trials, completes a mission, and reveals one's true nature; and the post-meal rite is the stage of re-entry into society through resurrection.
Romanian folktales are literature embodying the nation's traditional thought and way of life, and in particular, the initiation and rites of passage of women form the core of their narrative structure. The story is set in forests, rivers, and villages that reflect Romania's unique pastoral culture and geographical characteristics. The ritual begins as an ordinary or immature female novice becomes isolated and separated from the community, whether by her own will or by external forces. In the preliminary ritual, the initiate's passive separation manifests as being driven out of the community due to the machinations or misunderstandings of others while in a state of inner immaturity, whereas active separation appears as her concealing her identity and escaping familiar spaces to save her family or confront an unjust fate. For the novice, the threshold ritual is a transitional stage where she sheds the shell of the past to reveal her inherent wisdom and abilities. In the forest, which symbolizes both the womb and death, the initiate endures a journey as harsh as that of a man, bearing even biological pains such as pregnancy and childbirth, and experiences symbolic death and resurrection. In this process, the newcomer proactively resolves the given gateways, earns the trust of a helper, and carves out their own destiny. The novice returns to the space prior to the threshold ritual, reconciles or is resurrected, and successfully re-enters. In Romanian folktales, the novice who overcomes trials acquires a new identity and returns to their original society. Ultimately, Romanian folktales symbolically depict the process of resurrection and integration in which women achieve inner maturity through hardship, embrace changes in social status, and return to the community. Woman who must undergo the novice process completes the three stages of the rite of passage and succeeds in true initiation.