Folktales & Legends
Saengbul-halmang-bonpuli: The Jeju Myth of the Birth-Goddesses
Discover Saengbul-halmang-bonpuli, the Jeju shamanic myth detailing how the birth-goddesses of this world and the underworld came to be enshrined.
Author: admin
Stories
The Blue Ox and the Mountain Shrine: The Legend of Taebaek Festival and Toe-u
Discover the roots of Gangwon Province’s Taebaek Festival, the ancient Silla-era Taebaeksan Cheonje ritual, and the traditional toe-u custom of leaving an ox at the mountain shrine.
Seasonal Customs
The Longest Night of Dongjitdal: A Bride, a Father-in-Law, and the Tradition of Beoseon
During the longest night of the eleventh lunar month, a newlywed bride struggles to sew traditional socks for her parents-in-law, discovering unexpected warmth and shared tradition along the way.
Folktales & Legends
Woncheongang Bonpuri: The Jeju Shamanic Epic of Oneuli’s Journey to the Realm of Four Seasons
Discover the treasured Jeju shamanic epic Woncheongang Bonpuri, following the young girl Oneuli on her mythical quest to a realm where all four seasons coexist.
Stories
The Yongdure: Saving Parched Fields with Traditional Korean Water Pumps and Songs
Discover the yongdure—a traditional swing-like Korean water-pumping tool—and the rhythmic work songs that saved drought-stricken fields in mountainous villages.
Seasonal Customs
Doenjang and Wandering Ghosts: Korean Folk Remedies and the Gaekgwi-Muligi Ritual
Discover how traditional Korean doenjang plays a vital role in folk healing and the gaekgwi-muligi ritual to banish wandering spirits.
Folktales & Legends
Pajajeom: The Korean Art of Reading Destiny by Splitting Chinese Characters
Discover pajajeom, the traditional Korean art of reading destiny by deconstructing Chinese characters, through the charming folk tale of a mischievous young man who tried to test a wise diviner.
Stories
The Yangban in Korean Mask Dances: Satire, Servants, and Shared Laughter
Discover the sharp humor and rich tradition of the Yangban in traditional Korean mask dance dramas, where servants cleverly satirized aristocratic pretense.
Seasonal Customs
Autumn Heat and an Old Person’s Health: A Korean Tale of Fleeting Vitality
Discover the traditional Korean proverb about autumn heat and elderly health, exploring seasonal transitions, fleeting vitality, and deep family bonds in late Joseon folklore.
Folktales & Legends
The Axe Without a Handle: Monastic Wisdom of Wonhyo in Silla
Discover how the revered Silla monk Wonhyo cast aside his robes to dance in the marketplace as 'Master Hoseong,' using a puzzling riddle of an axe without a handle to bridge divided hearts.