『三國遺事』에는 해양을 배경으로 한 다양한 설화가 들어있다. 이때 해양의 공간적 의미는 경전에서 숙지된 내용, 혹은 이국에서 전파된 불교설화, 혹은 이 땅에서 자생한 설화와 긴밀한 관련을 맺고 있다. 이들 설화들은 해양과 지상을 별개의 영역으로 나누어 보기보다는 언제라도 소통이 가능하며 먼 거리에 있는 사람과 용이 본래의 差別性을 벗어나 스스럼없이 섞이고 상호 부조하는 관계로 형상화된다. 이같이 현상은 불교적 종지로 내세운 바, 불성을 지닌 존재들 사이에는 어떤 차별성도 존재하지 않는다는 점을 환기시키는 각성의 효과를 지닌다. 공간의 혼효인 듯싶지만 『三國遺事』 소재 이야기들은 부처의 가르침이나 經典的 훈계를 직설적으로 전하기보다 他者와 구별짓고 我相을 내세우는데 익숙한 존재들의 편협성을 질타하듯, 공간적 경계를 퇴색시키는 일도 빈번하게 나타난다. 『三國遺事』의 해양설화는 지상의 확장이라고 해도 무방할 만큼 인간과 용과의 관계를 다채롭게 제시하고 있는데 인간과 용의 상호간 매개, 교화, 상생관계를 부각시키는 쪽으로 표징성을 부여하고 있다고 할 것이다.

Samgukyusa(Memoirs of the Three Kingdoms) is the narrative material that cherished a maritime tale more richly than any literature in medieval times. Exchange with India and China had been active historically and realistically. Thus, what the maritime narration was circulated and inserted relatively richly may be natural. By the way, the middle of the sea not only appears more frequently than the heavens, the grave, and hell, but also contains polyvalent symbolism. Thus, a separate discussion about this was regarded as necessary. The polyvalent symbolism in the seacoast within Samgukyusa(三國遺事) can be said to be closely related first to the contents known in the Sutras, to a Buddhist tale circulated in a foreign country, or to a tale grown wildly in this land. In tales with the materials of Samgukyusa, the seacoast and the earth are available for communication anytime rather than being divided into separate sphere. A person, who stays in the distant location, and a dragon are embodied with relationship of being mixed freely and helping each other, escaping from the original differentiation. In this way, the phenomenon is made stand as Buddhist principle, thereby being same as premising a point that any differentiation doesn't exist among existences of having the nature of Buddha. It is like the mixture of space. However, the stories with the materials of Samgukyusa are shown frequently even what discolors the spatial boundary as if scolding localism in existences, which are accustomed to distinguishing the other and making Asang(我相) stand, rather than plainly delivering Buddha's teaching or canonical admonition. The maritime tale in Samgukyusa is colorfully proposing relationship between human being and dragon enough to be permissible even if being said to be expansion of the earth. What the symbolism is being given to the side of emphasizing a human being & dragon, mutual medium, enlightenment, and win-win relationship can be tried to be confirmed through all the tales.