A Research on the Guardian's Image in the Legend of Kristaps, Founder of Riga, Latvia

Abstract

The purpose of this research is to clarify the implications of Legend of Kristaps, Latvian tale, which has not been dealt with in Korea yet. Kristaps is the hero who founded Riga, the capital of Latvia, and his story of founding this city is also meaningful as a founding tale of Latvia. It is worth noting that the story's archetypical perception of the founder's qualifications is relatively clear and specific compared to general epic of the founding hero. The founder's qualifications presented in this narrative are condensed in the eidos of a unshakable guardian. It is the image of him who takes his own group on his shoulders and takes an unbearable step against the wildly tossing world with the intention of defending his own group. It is the image of the entrepreneur that the people want, and the mirror that will make them look back on themselves. It is also an example for us who act as a founder, member, protector and ward in various groups of reality to set the attitude and direction to stand as the subject of a group.