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Every culture has its own fairy tales and legends, often told to children at bedtime or taught in school to share the valuable lessons hidden inside the story. South Korea has its own share of culturally rich fairy tales that reflect Korean life and the values its people hold dear. Today we are exploring six popular Korean fairy tales and what they teach.
Heungbu and Nolbu
Heungbu and Nolbu is a story of two brothers that shows how greed can be one's undoing. Nolbu, the older and greedy brother, tricks his kind and empathetic brother out of their father's inheritance, leaving Nolbu rich and Heungbu poor. Heungbu is content with his simple life and one day saves a sparrow from being eaten by a snake. A year later, the sparrow rewards him with riches. Nolbu tries to recreate the situation for himself, but he ends up losing all of his wealth instead. The main lesson is that kindness and generosity bring true wealth and good fortune.
The Tale of Shim Chong
The Tale of Shim Chong is about the deep love a blind man's daughter has for her father. Her love is so strong that she offers herself as a sacrifice so that he can regain his eyesight. The Dragon King is moved by her devotion and resurrects her. She later becomes an empress, her father's eyes are healed, and they live happily together. The story reminds us that putting others before ourselves is a beautiful thing.
The Rabbit's Liver
The Rabbit's Liver tells of a Dragon King who has an ailment that can only be cured by a rabbit's liver. A loyal terrapin volunteers to fetch one. He catches a rabbit and brings it back to the palace, but the rabbit realizes the danger he is in and lies, saying his liver is hidden in the forest and he must return to get it. The rabbit escapes thanks to his quick thinking and never returns to the palace. Study well and think on your feet, and good things will follow.
Gyeonu and Jiknyeo
Gyeonu and Jiknyeo is the story of Jiknyeo, the heavenly king's daughter and a masterful weaver, who falls in love with Gyeonu, a cow herder, across the Milky Way. Her father allows them to marry, but the two become so devoted to each other that they neglect their work. As punishment, her father forbids them to meet except once a year. This tale is the lore behind Chilseok, a traditional Korean festival that celebrates the end of summer heat and the start of the rainy season.
The Fairy and the Woodcutter
The Fairy and the Woodcutter follows a woodcutter who saves a deer. The grateful deer tells him a secret: to catch and marry a fairy, one must steal her clothes that let her fly back to heaven. The woodcutter succeeds and they marry. Years pass and they have children, until one day he reveals that he stole her clothing. Hurt, the fairy returns to her home in the heavens with their children, leaving the woodcutter alone. It is a popular tragic love story that emphasizes honesty and respect for others.
The Gold Axe and the Silver Axe
The Gold Axe and the Silver Axe is also known as The Honest Woodcutter and is the Korean version of the Aesop fable of the same name. A woodcutter accidentally drops his axe into the river and begins to cry. The God of the Mountain dives in and pulls out a gold axe, then a silver one, both of which the woodcutter honestly says are not his. Because of his honesty, the god gives him all three axes, including the iron one he originally lost. Honesty earns the generosity of others.
Korean fairy tales carry the heart of Korean culture in just a few short stories. These six are some of the most beloved, but there are countless more to explore. What is your favorite fairy tale from your own childhood? Let us know in the comments below.
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