觀音化身說話는 관음보살이 33應身으로 변신하여 중생이 있는 곳이면 어느 곳에라도 나타나 빠짐없이 구제해준다는 佛菩薩의 이야기를 말한다. 관음화신설화 가운데 海岸漂着形說話가 있다. 해안표착형설화는 먼 바다에서 진귀한 문물과 보물을 실은 배가 표류해와 해안에 당도한다는 이야기인데, 배에 실린 문물은 불상, 불경, 보살상, 보석 등 불교의 전래와 관련되어 있다. 그런데 대부분의 해안표착설화는 배에 관음상을 싣고서 오는 경우가 많으며, 바다에서 표류하는 것은 인연의 땅을 찾아가기 위함이다. 因緣이 있는 땅의 해안에 표착한 후에 노구나 승려에 의하여 영접의식이 이루어진 뒤에 관음상과 불상은 사찰이나 가람터에 안치되는 형식을 취한다. 이러한 설화는 주로 한반도 서남해안에 주로 분포하고 있으며, 해안에 상주하는 老嫗와 승려가 배를 인도하는 역할을 수행하고 있다. 觀音船은 한반도 서남해안과 바닷길이 연결된 항로를 따라 올라오는 것으로 볼 수 있는데, 한반도 서남해안과 연결된 사단항로는 중국 주산군도 영파와 보타산이다. 주산군도의 보타산은 동아시아 최대의 관음성지로 알려졌는데 보타산에도 해안표착형 관음화신설화가 존재한다. 普陀山의 紫竹林에 상주하는 노파가 해안에 접안하는 배를 위하여 부두를 만들고 참배객들을 돕는 역할을 수행하는데, 그 노파는 관음보살의 화신이다. 보타산에서 관음보살의 화신은 섬과 섬 사이로 뛰어다니는 거인으로도 現身하고 있다. 보타산은 해양지리적으로 남해에서 동해로 전환되는 분기점이어서 남해는 동남아시아와 연결되어 있고, 동해는 동북아시아와 연결될 정도로 해상교통의 요충지이다. 보타산에서 일컬는 남해 관음보살은 남인도의 보타락가산에서 해양실크로드를 통해서 전파해온 힌두신앙과 결합된 관음신앙이며, 이 관음신앙이 보타산에서 중국화되고 다시 동해를 이용하여 한반도 서남해안으로 쿠로시오를 타고 북상해온 것으로 보인다. 주산군도의 보타산에서 전승되던 노구설화와 관음화신설화가 한반도로 건너와 서남해안에 퍼트려진 것으로 보인다. 중국 보타산의 관음화신설화는 해상 교역과 교통이 활발하던 통일신라 이후 고려시대에 한반도 해안에 사신과 해상들이 의해서 확산된 것으로 보이며, 해양신앙과 더불어 해안표착설화가 서남해안 곳곳에 남아서 구전되어 오고 있는 것이다. 해양지리적으로 보타산이 관음성지로 조성되기 이전부터 해상교통의 요충지였지만, 관음성지로 조성된 唐宋代 이후에 해안표착형 관음선이 한반도 서남해안으로 들어오면서 관음화신설화가 확산되어 간 것으로 보인다.

The myth of the goddess incarnate (Gwanum Bosal) is a story on the Buddhist Goddess of Mercy who changes into 33 Ungsin (goddess) and relives people from the pain of life. There is a myth of the goddess incarnate cast away on the coast. It means a ship with valuable things was drifted away on the coast and the valuable things were Buddhist statues, Buddhist scriptures, statues of Buddhist Goddess, and jewels. Most of the myths of the goddess incarnate cast away on the coast are related with a ship with statues of Buddhist Goddess of Mercy and its drifting on the sea was to find a place to land. After it landed on the coast which it was supposed to, Buddhist statues, statues of Buddhist Goddess were welcomed by people including monks, and finally placed at a temple. The myths are mostly distributed on the South East coast and a monk lived on the coast leaded the ship. The ship, Gwanumseon, is assumed to come through a sea route connected between the South East coast and Youngpa and mountain Bota in Jusan archipelagoes in China. The mountain Bota in Jusan archipelagoes is a well known place as the biggest holy place of Gwanum and there is a myth of the goddess incarnate cast away on the coast. An old woman lived in Jajukrim in the mountain Bota made a quay and help worshipers and she was one of the incarnates of Buddhist Goddess of Mercy. The incarnate of Buddhist Goddess of Mercy was also known as a giant jumping from one island to another. The mountain Bota is a diverging point of the East Sea and the South Sea. The diverging point is an important place as the South Sea is connected with South East Asia and the East Sea is connected to North East Asia. The Buddhist Goddess of Mercy from the South Sea in the mountain Bota is a combination of Hindu belief which was from the mountain Botarakga in South India through the Silk Road of the sea and it became chinese in the mountain Bota and came to South East coast of Korean Peninsula through East Sea and Kuroshio current. It is assumed that the myth of the Buddhist Goddess of Mercy in the mountain Bota came to the South East coast. It was distributed by diplomatic representatives and merchants during Corea period when sea trades were active. The mountain Bota was an important place even before it became a holy place of Gwanum but after the periods of Tang and Song when it became a holy place, the ship, Gwanumseon came to the South East coast and the myth of the Buddhist Goddess of Mercy was spreaded.

The myth of the goddess incarnate (Gwanum Bosal) is a story on the Buddhist Goddess of Mercy who changes into 33 Ungsin (goddess) and relives people from the pain of life. There is a myth of the goddess incarnate cast away on the coast. It means a ship with valuable things was drifted away on the coast and the valuable things were Buddhist statues, Buddhist scriptures, statues of Buddhist Goddess, and jewels. Most of the myths of the goddess incarnate cast away on the coast are related with a ship with statues of Buddhist Goddess of Mercy and its drifting on the sea was to find a place to land. After it landed on the coast which it was supposed to, Buddhist statues, statues of Buddhist Goddess were welcomed by people including monks, and finally placed at a temple. The myths are mostly distributed on the South East coast and a monk lived on the coast leaded the ship. The ship, Gwanumseon, is assumed to come through a sea route connected between the South East coast and Youngpa and mountain Bota in Jusan archipelagoes in China. The mountain Bota in Jusan archipelagoes is a well known place as the biggest holy place of Gwanum and there is a myth of the goddess incarnate cast away on the coast. An old woman lived in Jajukrim in the mountain Bota made a quay and help worshipers and she was one of the incarnates of Buddhist Goddess of Mercy. The incarnate of Buddhist Goddess of Mercy was also known as a giant jumping from one island to another. The mountain Bota is a diverging point of the East Sea and the South Sea. The diverging point is an important place as the South Sea is connected with South East Asia and the East Sea is connected to North East Asia. The Buddhist Goddess of Mercy from the South Sea in the mountain Bota is a combination of Hindu belief which was from the mountain Botarakga in South India through the Silk Road of the sea and it became chinese in the mountain Bota and came to South East coast of Korean Peninsula through East Sea and Kuroshio current. It is assumed that the myth of the Buddhist Goddess of Mercy in the mountain Bota came to the South East coast. It was distributed by diplomatic representatives and merchants during Corea period when sea trades were active. The mountain Bota was an important place even before it became a holy place of Gwanum but after the periods of Tang and Song when it became a holy place, the ship, Gwanumseon came to the South East coast and the myth of the Buddhist Goddess of Mercy was spreaded.

The Buddhist Goddess of Mercy cast away on the coast, incarnate, Bota moutain, Jajukrim (Bamboo forest), a ship (Gwanumseon)