The purpose of this thesis lies in examining a characteristic of the family system of Cheju Island (濟州道: Cheju-do) through a comparison of Munjŏn Ponp’uri (문전본풀이) with Kamui-huchi Yaieyukar of the Ainu, both of which are narrative poems that recount the history of the Fire Goddess or the Kitchen Goddess (竈王神: Chinese Zaowang-shen; Korean Chowang-sin). In addition, these works have the same structure: from the birth of the family, they move toward crises in the family, resolution of the crises, and finally to the restoration of the family. A comparison with Kamui-huchi Yaieyukar of the Ainu and a close examination of the narrative structure of Munjŏn Ponp’uri reveal a characteristic of the family system that is unique to Cheju Island. In short, the family system of Kamui-huchi Yaieyukar, which centers on the married couple, may be said to be further expanded and modified in Munjŏn Ponp’uri, for the latter exhibits a family system that stresses the mother and the son as well as the married couple. This holds true as far as the text of the poems are concerned, without regard for the question of whether or not they are directly related and which work came into being first. The contest for the husband between his wife and newly gained concubine, which appears in Kamui-huchi Yaieyukar, likewise can be found in Munjŏn Ponp’uri. The latter work, however, adds a new dimension by having the concubine kill the wife, only to face intervention and competition from the wife’s children. An examination of their respective contents reveals the fact that, basically, both poems emphasize the relationship between the husband and the wife, which in turn is related to the unique family system of the Ainu and Cheju Island. Traditionally, the Ainu and the people of Cheju Island defined the family in terms of the married couple: i. e., it was seen as consisting of the husband, the wife, and their unmarried offsprings. It is precisely such a traditional view of the family system that can be seen in these works. Also noteworthy is the fact that, in Munjŏn Ponp’uri of Cheju Island, crises in the family are resolved by the mother and the son, which may signify the existence on the island of a family system that is oriented toward the mother and the son, or motherhood. Because its family life revolved around the married couple, Cheju Island is said to have allowed the wife considerable autonomy, higher social status, and increased participation in family matters. Along with the greater participation of women in household chores as well as in agricultural labor, this seems to have made possible the application of the expression “motherhood- oriented” to the family system of the island. In addition, Munjŏn Ponp’uri of Cheju Island reveals an emphasis on the youngest son: among the seven brothers, it is Noktiseng’in (녹디셍인), the youngest son, who comes to play a pivotal role in overcoming crises in the family. This stress on the youngest son may very well be called a phenomenon unique to Cheju Island because it is otherwise difficult to find in the patrilineal and patriarchal family system of mainland Korea. Such uniqueness reflects a social characteristic of Cheju Island, where the role of the eldest son is relatively smaller than it is on the mainland. The phenomenon is related also to the custom of having the youngest son continue to live with his parents, yet another unique feature of the island’s family system. Generally, the family system of Korea is classified into the southwestern type, the southeastern type, and the Cheju Island type, a fact that may be read as reflective of the differences between Cheju Island and mainland Korea in terms of their respective family system. The significance of this thesis then would lie in its ascertainment, through myth, of the uniqueness of the family system of the island, which hitherto has remained hidden because of its usual treatment together with the family system of the mainland. In order to strengthen and expand this discussion further, future studies need to view the family system of Cheju Island in conjunction with other myths and from a variety of standpoints. Moreover, because it combines both patrilineal and non-patrilineal features, the unique family system of Cheju Island must be examined through the island’s narrative poems in order to distinguish between native and adopted elements. This is possible also through a comparison with the narrative poems of other minority peoples of East Asia, a task that will be left for future research.