구비문학은 지역의 언어와 문학 유산으로서 지역문화의 중요한 영역을 차지하고 있을 뿐 아니라, 지역 현장에서 다른 지역문화의 여러 현상들을 의미있게 해주고 바로잡아 주며 되살려 주는 구실을 하고 있어 주목된다. 1. 풍속전설은 관련 민속놀이의 잃어버린 유래를 찾아주고 그 본디 의미를 일깨워줌으로써 한갓 박제화된 문화재가 아니라 현실적인 삶 속에 생생하게 살아 있는 문화답게 만들어 준다. 2. 유물전설은 완전히 사라져버린 고대의 역사 유적을 찾아내고 발굴하여 연구하는 데 결정적인 증거물 구실을 한다. 3. 민요는 일노래와 놀이노래, 신앙노래에 따라 지역문화에 관한 귀중한 정보를 제공해 준다. 이처럼 구비문학은 지역 문화재의 훌륭한 현장 안내자이자 문화유산 해설자이며, 지역문화 발굴자이자 연구자 구실을 함께 한다. 그러므로 구비문학은 스스로 지역문화 유산 구실을 하면서 다른 지역문화 유산들을 지역문화답게 역동적으로 살아나게 하는 메타지역문화로서 상생적 기능을 적극적으로 발휘한다고 할 수 있다.

The oral literature as the inheritance of language and literature of an area, not only occupies an important position in the area culture, but also is mutually related with the area culture, while being put into shape and transmitted with various phenomena of the area culture in the very field of the area. As the existence of temples in the area produces the legends related with them, and the development of the hemp-weaving culture creates the folk songs related with the hemp-weaving culture, so the variety of the area culture leads to the creation and tradition of the oral literature related with that culture. In a different way, as the existence of relic legends allows us to grasp the historical meaning of cultural relics in the area, and the tradition of folk songs helps us elucidate the ritual functions of the folk games played in the community, so the data of oral literature allows us to make clear the forgotten historical origin and meaning of the area culture. In this study, I paid attention to the functions of oral literature which makes an area culture alive, especially in mutual relation of the oral literature with the area culture. I could come to the following conclusions, after making clear the mutual relation of various genres in the object of oral literature and area culture in Andong. First, the custom legends enable us to trace the forgotten historical origin of the folk games related with those legends, and make us aware of the original meaning of those folk games. Therefore, the custom legends make the folk game a real culture vividly alive in an actual life, not a stuffed cultural property. And these legends lead the folk game with weak tradition force to be transmitted continually, and provide a basis for preserving the folk game, which is designated as an important cultural property. Second, the relic legends serve as conclusive evidences in searching, excavating and studying the lost historic relics of ancient times. The legend telling the origin of the name of a temple in an area gives much information about the founder and historical genealogy of the temple, and explains the cultural values of the temple. The legend that tells the name of a place revives a dying cultural property and, what is more, puts the finishing touch on the historical consciousness of the folk in those days. Third, the folk songs inform us of some features of the labor culture related to an indigenous product, and where the sacred ground of folk belief is. These songs give us much valuable information, according as they are labor songs, game songs, or belief songs. By comparing labor songs, we can grasp the relative characteristics of main occupation and folk games. In this way, the oral literature transmitted in an area not only helps us to excavate the lost area culture and to correct the original meaning of it, but also tells us the forgotten origin of the area culture and serves to explain easily the meaning of the cultural property difficult to understand. Consequently, it can be claimed that the oral literature serves both as a good guide and explainer of the cultural property in the area, and as a skilled excavator and investigator at the same time. What is more, the inheritance of the oral literature is capable of functioning as an important resource of cultural industry from which any new area culture can be produced. Therefore, we can insist that the oral literature itself serves as an inheritance of area culture and carries out actively its mutual function as the meta-area culture which makes other area culture come to life dynamically.