8 Interesting Myths And Legends Of Jeju Island

Introduction

Jeju Island is one of the most beautiful volcanic islands of South Korea and is famous not only for its beautiful sceneries but also for its legends and myths. These are the legends that have been told and retold, and while they may not give a clear picture of the culture of the island, they tell a lot about the imagination of the people.

These are the legends of Jeju: the creation myths, the stories of the giant grandmothers and the magical beings that tell the story of the island and its characteristics.

Let us now look at some of these fascinating narratives that have contributed to the construction of Jeju’s image and still entice people to the island.

1. The Myth of Three Family Names

 

The story of Jeju Island is an interesting one. There was a mystical event which occurred at the base of Mount Halla even before the appearance of mankind on the island. Three demi-gods named Ko Eulla, Yang Eulla, and Bu Eulla came out from the ground at the place which is now called Samseonghyeol.

One day, while taking a walk at the beach, the demi-gods came across an odd box. Within it there was a jade casket in the general form of a bird’s egg, and guarding it was a vigilant envoy. When they opened the jade box, they discovered an unusual mix of treasures: a baby cow, a baby horse, and seeds of five different grains.

The envoy said he came from a kingdom which was located in the East Sea. The king there was in a fix – “Our King has three daughters but he could not find husbands for them, even though they are of marriageable age,” said the envoy. Thus, when the King learnt of three legendary founders of Jeju, he decided to send his daughters to wed them as their wives.

After delivering this message, the envoy dramatically rode away on a white horse, disappearing into the sky. The demi-gods prepared for their marriages with a special ceremony in Heaven and by bathing in a pond called Honinji.

Once married, the three couples settled down on Jeju. They started farming with the five types of grain and raised cattle from the animals they received. Their hard work paid off, and soon their harvests were plentiful. This prosperity led to the founding of the Tamna State, the first civilization on Jeju Island.

And that, in a nutshell – with a tinge of magic and the creation myths of the Jeju people – is the story of how Jeju Island, one of the seven wonders in the world, was formed!

 

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2. Grandmother Seoulmundae 

 

Can you imagine a big and strong grandmother who can move mountains? Well, with just seven scoops from her enormous shovel, Grandmother Seoulmundae created Mount Halla, the towering volcano that’s at the heart of Jeju. In fact, when the mountain was created, the grandmother thought that the mountain had become too tall, so she cut off the tip of the mountain and threw it towards the sea, creating Sangangsan Mountain near the southwest coast of Jeju-do. 

The soil that passed through her torn skirt created every one of the over 360 distinct secondary parasitic cones called oreum.

Legend has it, that Grandmother Seolmundae had as many as five hundred sons and daughters in the family. It is a story of a woman who, one day, when all her sons were out hunting, accidentally fell into a huge pot of soup which she was preparing for them. Eventually, the sons came back home and hastily consumed the soup unaware of the fact that their mother was secretly included in the ‘menu’. 

When they knew the truth, they cried tears of bitterness and, out of the sorrow, turned into stones for their mother. The blood and tears that they spill every spring come back to life to adorn Mount Halla during the season of the royal azalea.

3. The Beginning of the world: Creation Myth

 

The world had been dark for a very long time now and people had gotten used to it. Then it was morning and the energy of the morning hung over the world that was shrouded with darkness and anarchy. 

The sky split apart at the first of the first day of the first month of the first year. The ground rupture at the second hour of the second day of the second month of the second year. The line that divided heaven from the earth was becoming more defined. The earth split, the ground rose and water fell. 

At this point, blue dew coming from the sky and black dew coming from the ground met and thus began the formation of everything. The stars were formed first: These are Altair in the east, Vega in the west, Canopus in the south, the constellation of the Big Dipper in the north and the Orion’s Belt in the middle. 

The stars were so many that the space in the sky was occupied. There was still no light in the horizon but there were blue clouds at the east, white clouds at the west, red clouds at the south, black clouds at the north and yellow clouds in the middle that were rising and falling. 

As if to say that at some point all the chickens are going to cackle and the only chicken which remained silent was the Cheonhwang chicken which lifted its neck as the light of the day began to come through. The Jihwang chicken moved its wings while on the other hand, the Inhwang chicken raised its tail. Then the King of Heaven and Earth sent two suns and two moons to the earth and completely opened the sky. 

That is the legend of how our world came to be.

4. Grandmother Yeongdeung

 

Jeju is an island in the sea and thus has strong winds blowing through the entire year. There are some typhoons in summer and autumn. Wind was also a significant factor that affected the health of the Jeju people, because fishing, maritime business and travel required good weather. 

The rains and the rough waves made diving, fishing and sailing a challenging and sometimes a hazardous task. Fishermen, farmers and the diving women of Jeju known as haenyeo perform a ritual on the first of every February to welcome Grandmother Yeongdeung (Yeongdeung Halmang: The goddess of wind), to Jeju.

She comes along with Grandfather Yeongdeung, and brings with her the seeds for the new year: the new growth of seaweed, barley, fish and other foods that are crucial for the survival of the islanders. 

Two weeks later, she is on her way back and passes through Udo, the easternmost islet of Jeju. At this time another ceremony is performed to say the farewell to the goddess.

5. Grandmother Samseung

 

Samseung Halmang: 삼승할망 is a deity who protects women in the aspect of fertility and childbirth. They also pray to Grandmother Samseung for the recovery of sick children and in Jeju island she is believed to cure smallpox and measles. 

Earlier on, every village had one or two midwives who helped women in childbirth. These midwives were shamans and in spite of the fact that they did not perform the major shamanistic ceremonies called gut (굿), being limited to the role of assisting in childbirth, they were still thought to be able to invoke the goddess Grandmother Samseung. 

These shamans were called josanmu (조산무: The term used for them was ‘Sosa’ which translated to childbirth shaman, but since they were believed to be the agents of the childbirth goddess, they were also known as Grandmother Samseung.

 

6. Sinseon: Immortal Celestial Beings

 

Sinseon (신선: Shenxian (神仙), which is pronounced sheen-sun, are supernatural beings in the Taoist pantheon; they are people who have left the human world and have become invulnerable to pain and disease.

The sinseon are said to control the winds and the clouds and this is why they are believed to be able to bring rains. The climate on Halla Mountain is unpredictable and the people of Jeju associated the sudden rain or fog with sinseon.

They are said to have ridden around on white deer, which drank from the pure waters of Baengnokdam, the lake in the crater at Halla’s summit. The name Baengnokdam means White Deer Lake, and was derived from the  legends regarding these beings.

7. Dokkaebi in Jeju Island

 

In the Korean mythology, Dokkaebi popularly referred to as the ‘Korean goblins’ are creatures endowed with supernatural powers and through these powers they can communicate with humans. They are said to be capable of manifesting themselves as spirits and can either come to deceive humans or to assist them. Despite the numerous versions of this popular folklore, the people of Jeju associate these goblins with infectious diseases.

In Jeju Island, the Durin-gut is a healing ceremony for illnesses, where they try to ‘expel’ a dokkaebi from a patient. In the context of Korean Shamanism, an illness is considered to be caused by an evil spirit that invades a person’s body. The Durin-gut seeks to cure the sickness through the expulsion of this spirit, which is most of the time recognized as a yeonggam, a kind of fairy.

The yeonggam are said to be seven brothers, who were born in Seoul and then sent to live on Mount Halla in Jeju. The youngest, who is considered to be a monster, often has his sights set on human women, and makes them go mad. The rest are somewhat more benevolent characters, and a shaman summons through an incantation to get the youngest sibling of a patient.

8. The Goblin Road

 

Comparing the folkloric goblins, the Mysterious Road may be only one of the many tricks which the goblins can play with the people. Also known as the ‘Goblin Road’, the Mysterious Road is located on a hill at the base of a mountain and links two roads of Jeju. It is well known for the peculiar design that creates the impression that it is inclined upward while in actual sense, it descends.

The fame of the Mysterious Road began in the ‘80s, when a newlywed couple saw a car in neutral moving up the hill on its own. Since then, many tourists have come to this area of the island to view the road for themselves.

 

Conclusion

The myths of Jeju Island are not mere bedtime stories; they are a way of understanding the essence of this island. These stories portray the islanders’ consciousness of the environment, their understanding of forces that are beyond them, and their creative culture.

As we learn more about these myths, we learn about the history of the island as well as the history of its inhabitants and their values and traditions. Jeju Island continues to preserve and spread these legends, keeping the cultural identity alive and welcoming every new generation and each guest to look at the island through the eyes of wonder and creativity.

 

Image Sources:

https://www.ijto.or.kr/english/index.php?cid=18#:~:text=Long%20ago%2C%20before%20Jeju%20Island,a%20beach%20and%20opened%20it.

https://www.ijto.or.kr/english/index.php?cid=17

https://www.ijto.or.kr/english/index.php?cid=16

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=968408204667068&id=100044936931890&set=a.274610250713537

https://jeju.guru/http-jeju-guru-gods-and-goddesses/

https://medium.com/@shikangchi/teh-lonely-and-great-god-dokkaebi-65e404e48d63

https://jejutourism.wordpress.com/2012/07/28/mysterious-road-goblin-road/

 

Author: Aaliyah