Korean Myths and Folk Legends by Hwang Pae-gang

Author:Hwang Pae-gang
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Jain Publishing Company
Published: 2017-03-15T00:00:00+00:00

References

1. Samguk Yusa, Volumes 1 and 2, King T’alhae, Karakkukki.

2. Samguk Sagi, Vol. 1, Lagi, Namhae Ch’ach’aung, Yuri Nisagŭm, T’alhae Nisagŭm.

3. SHIN Lae-Hyŏn, Myths and Legends of Chosŏn, Tokyo, 1972.

13. Kim Alji and Kyerim

It was the night of August 4, the 4th year of the reign of King Sŏk T’alhae (the fourth King of Shilla). The cry of a rooster was unexpectedly heard from the west of Kŭmsŏng (a geographical designation around the present Kyŏngju). The king looked at the place where the odd sound was heard. It was coming from the Shirim woods not far away from Wŏlsŏng. Along with the strange sound, an extraordinary light continued to rise up toward the sky from the center of the Shirim woods.

‘What’s the matter? What seems to be occurring in the Shirim woods?’ The king had a burning curiosity to know what was going on. The Shirim woods were a forest just visible from Wŏlsŏng. It was dark even in the daytime; the sun’s rays couldn’t penetrate the woods, because they were packed with pine trees. The people of Shilla restrained themselves from going in and out at random or wielding an ax except on special days.

Mysterious clouds and mists always covered the Shirim woods. Many kinds of winged animals romped about in the forest, as if it were a paradise. Sunset and moonrise made respective animals settle in their nests and sleep there. Only eared owls, which can see clearly even at night, fluttered their wings and hooted; otherwise, the night in the forest was silent.

But what did the cries of roosters mean on the day of all days? Obviously, it was something unusual. The resounding cries of roosters were heard breaking the silence of the forest. . . .

‘It is certain that something auspicious is about to happen!’ King T’alhae with holy capacity guessed at once that a happy event would take place in the Shirim woods, judging from the luster and cries of roosters. He couldn’t tell, however, what the impressive happy event would be.

King T’alhae was so nervous that he couldn’t go to bed. He couldn’t get a wink of sleep until dawn. As soon as day broke, he sent his most trusted subject—that is, Taebo Hogong—to the Shirim woods to find out what happened there.

Hogong, who received the orders from the king, went to the Shirim woods immediately. Indeed, there was a splendour passing through the sky over the forest.

Hogong suddenly stopped walking and looked steadily at the luster from the center of the woods. It was really astonishing. In Ho-gong’s mind ‘such a thing had never existed before.’ He stepped carefully toward the forest with modesty. The heart of the forest was unusually bright because of a strange splendor.

There was an unoccupied ground at the forest’s center. Clouds dyed a claret color hung down from the sky to the land, and after taking a good look he saw a brilliant golden box hanging from a thick branch of a clouded pine tree. The strange splendor which had been stretching over the Shirim woods came from this very box.

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