I hope these tales of Korean myths caught your interest.In the furor surrounding the capture and translation to Paris of Carlos Martinez Torres, nicknamed "Carlos the Jackal," I may appear to be one of the few singularly unimpressed by the man. Thus, it is believed that each time the Bul-Gae bit the sun and moon, a solar or lunar eclipse would occur. Not giving up, the King sent out more Bul-Gae to capture the sun and moon but they all failed each time.
In Korean myth, the cosmological tales and legends such as the “Ilsik, Wolsik” legend explains how the Bul-Gae caused the occurrences of eclipse.Īccording to the legend, the King of Gamangnara was concerned of the darkness that surrounded the kingdom, thus he sent out the Bul-Gae to capture the sun and moon.īut both the sun and moon were either too hot or cold for the dogs to handle, burning or freezing them when they tried to carry it with their mouths. If you’ve been curious and wondering how the eclipse occur, here’s a mythical explanation for it! The Bul-Gae, literally meaning Fire Dog when it’s translated, were creatures originated from the kingdom of darkness, Gamangnara. 불 개 Bul-Gae (Fire dogs) Image credit: David DePasquale Although it’s not mainstream in the Korean media, it was featured in one of the modern historic dramas in 2006, Jumong.Ĩ. Until now, the Samjoko still represents the Goguryeo Dynasty. The Samjoko was worshipped as Sun Gods and was considered to be mightier than the Dragons. Known as a three-legged crow, the Samjoko symbolised power in the Goguryeo ( 고구려) Dynasty, and was believed to live in the Sun. 삼족오 Samjoko (Three-legged crow) Murals of the Samjoko (Left from Han mural, right from Goguryeo mural If you’ve been to Korea, you’ve probably seen Haechi statues at historical landmarks, such as Gwanghwamun.ħ. The believe of the Haechi as a protector is particulary common in the Joseon era, which was why many Haechi statues were built around this time.
It also acts as a guardian in warding off natural disasters, especially fires. It looks like a lion but has horns on its forehead and scales on its body.Īccording to Korean myth, this creature symbolises justice, and punishes those who are wrong with its horns. The Haetae, also known as Haechi is probably something you’ll often see if you visit Seoul, and it’s been a symbol of Seoul since 2009. 해태 Haetae/Haechi (Lion with scales and a horn on its head) Haechi statue outside of Gwanghwamun Gate
They also wield an orb with them, called Yeouiju (여의주), which is a mythical wish fulfilling stone.īut only the four-clawed dragons are able to wield the Yeouiju because they have the power of creation, which makes them the most powerful dragons.Ħ. They look almost similar like the Chinese dragons, except the Yong has longer beard and four claws. Yong are Korean dragons that were believed to be wise creatures representing rain and agriculture, unlike the European dragons that are more vicious and breathe fire. There are also believes that if a Gumiho wishes to be human, she has to refrain from feeding on humans for a thousand days.ĥ. Unlike the ones that are portrayed in Korean dramas such as Grudge: The Revolt of Gumihoand My Girlfriend is a Gumiho, the Gumiho is known as an evil creature in the Korean myths and folktales.Ī Gumiho is known to have lived up to 1000 years and usually takes form of a beautiful girl who seduces men and feed on their hearts or livers. The Gumiho, known as a Nine-tailed fox is also one of the popular creatures in Korean myth. 구미호 Gumiho (Nine-tailed fox) Shin Min Ah in My Girlfriend is a Gumiho In modern days, Jeosung Saja is portrayed wearing long dark coats with a fedora, just like how Lee Dong Wook is portrayed in the drama Goblin. Han Jung Soo in the drama Arang and the Magistrate