[Korean CSI] Letters before Hangeul, Songs before tales : Male cinderella and The disease shielder

[ Korean CSI : Korean Culture, Sightseeing, and Illustration ]

Letters before Hangeul, Songs before tales
- Male cinderella and The disease shielder -

  



Drama Seodongyo
: Image from Daum movie

 

Drama Chuyong season 1, 2 : Image from Google page

  How many images can you recognize? These are posters from separate K-dramas.  First one is a poster from the drama 'Seodong-yo' - The song of Seodong. (SBS channel, 2005-2006) Other two posters are from the drama 'Chuyong, the detector who sees ghosts'. (OCN channel, 2014(Season 1), 2015(Season 2))

 You might know one or both of the dramas or neither of them. Thus, if you had watched at least one of them, you will agree with me that these are quite 'watchable' dramas. The actual numbers, ratings, also shows that they are. Average ratings for each drama are around 15-20%, which is not bad grade in Korea. Especially the second drama, 'Chuyong' was quite a hit on cables with two seasons and fans are now waiting for the third.

  These two dramas have one thing in common. The main idea, Seodong and Chuyong, of two dramas are based on the 'old songs' that were made around 7-9c. These two songs also have some interesting 'tales' that came along with them. These are the dramas that might not even 'existed', if there are no songs nor tales that these dramas can 'imitate'. Thus, if we think differently, these dramas won't be even made in the first place if those songs and tales are not interesting enough to get people's attention. So, how did they, the tales, had persuaded people to 'transform' themselves into dramas? What kind of unique characteristics the stories have that draw so many people's attention?

1) The song of Seodong(서동요) : A smart way to be a 'male cinderella'. 



Drama Seodongyo
: Image from the site link

  Did you know that 'cinderella story' was not just the cliche that was used in modern dramas? The well-known story of cinderella is and was another 'cliche' that is commonly used in K-dramas; in any other 'romcom' genre. However, it didn't gain its fame in modern society. The song of Seodong and the tale behind it is the proof. However, the tale of 'Seodong' is slightly different from the 'modern' cinderella. Because he is 'male' and not the 'female' like the cinderella from the Diseny movies. Not only that, he didn't need any fairy or genie to help him to elevate his class. In his story, a 'song' did all the work to let him become a 'king' from a not-very-special 'yam seller'.

  Let's first see how 'great' the song was.  

The song of Seodong : Image made by Teacher Havina

  Can you feel the smell, or maybe an 'odor', of the gossip leaking from the song? If you do, you are correct. This song was made 'on purpose' to leak those 'odor' that you are smelling right now.
  Story begins with Seodong, the 'yam seller', living with his single mother in the country called 'Baekjae'. Though he seemed normal, he was not 'purely' normal. Because he was a son between a human woman and a dragon from the pond - remember, this is a 'tale'. - near to his house. So he was clever and brilliant from the very young age.




Seodongyo Theme park ( Drama set )
: Image from the site link

  One day, Seodong heard that there is a gorgeous princess Seonhwa - the youngest, the third, daughter of the king Jinpyeong - had no person to marry. She was a princess from a neighboring country, Shilla. He traveled all the way to that country to meet her. However, she was a princess, there was no way for him, a normal young man, to meet her. Thus, he wasn't disappointed. He thought night and day to think of a way to meet her. Then he made a song - that you just read - and start to sing it on the road. It must be a song with a good rhythm and beat, because all of the kids start to sing along with him. If this didn't work to some of the kids, he gave away the 'yam' to them to teach this song and encourage them to sing the song on the road.




Seodongyo Theme park ( Drama set)
: Image from the blog link

Seodongyo Theme park ( Drama set)
: Image from the blog link

  You know how powerful the kids are, right? They are like the 'trend-makers'. It was not so different in the past. Soon, the people in the country know about this song, and of course, the king as well. King was furious about this rumor and exile the princess out of the castle. It seems like he believed this song too much too soon, but this was nothing but the benefit for Seodong. While the princess was heading to the place for her exile, Seodong intercepted her. She oddly attracted to him and fell in love with him in short term and married him eventually. Seodong became rich and famous after coming back to his hometown; became a king of Baekjae. Happy ending like all other Cinderella story, even the male one.

  More interesting fact is, the main character, Seodong is based on a real-life character. This is a story of the king 'Mu', one of the most powerful and clever king, from Baekjae, this country was existed from B.C 1 to 7c. The story itself is considered as a 'fake', but recently there was several proof, the bones of a woman and the pottery from Shilla from one of the king's tomb of Baekjae. This shows this story might be, and can be 'true'.



Seodongyo Theme park ( Drama set )
: Image from the blog link

  There is even a 'Seodongyo Theme park (On set : Seodongyo)' in Korea, since this romance story was so famous in Korea. This theme park was once used as a drama set of the drama Seodongyo, but now it is preserved and opened to the public as a theme park. It is about 33,000 square meters large, and has buildings that reproduced the old villages, houses, markets and castles of Bakjae and Shilla. You can see, feel and experience 'The old days of Korea' while walking around the park. Not only the drama Seodongyo but also the drama 'The Legend (Taewangsashingi), Daepungsu, Gyebaek (General Gyebaek), The slave hunters (Chuno) , Dong-e' was taken on this theme park. If you want to know more about the theme park, you can visit THIS SITE LINK(Visitkorea.or.kr) to know more about the theme park.

2) The song of Chuyong(처용가) : My wife is cheating, but I'm cool with that.



The mask of Chuyong
: Image from the blog link

  I have a short question to the male readers : how will you react when you find your wife is cheating on you? Some of you might get furious and some of you will choose divorce. But here is a guy who is extraordinarily 'cool' with this situation.

  One day, a man named Chuyong came back from a party. When he arrived at his house, he realized there are one more pair of 'shoes' that he had never seen before. He opened the door, and voila. Under the blanket, there were more than two legs he can see.

  He came out from the room. He clearly saw the 'four legs' but he just stepped out of the room. Instead of being furious and start to express the anger, he start to sing a impromptu song. Here is a 8 line song that he had made on that very spot.

The song of Chuyong : Image made by Teacher Havina

  Name anything : cool, pitiful, ridiculous, absurd, literally anything. But he did. He literally made his situation into a 'song', just like some of our pop stars do - this is not so 'new' trend, right? A trend of making the song about the singer's current status had already begin from 9c, the time that this song has first made.

  Though, unlike the pop starts cannot get their lovers back or any apologize from the ones they got hurt from, Chuyong had win both of them just with his song. After he finished singing the song, the cheater had ran out from the room, begged for the forgiveness and promised him never to come back to his house. Chuyong, this generous and peaceful guy, had forgiven the cheater and won his wife back again.

  This must be quite abnormal, and weird love story you've ever read. Thus, there is a reason for it. I bet most of you had thought this 'cheater' was just another 'person'. However, what if the cheater is not a 'person'? This story has a deeper explanation than just another 'love-triangle'.

   Chuyong was not a normal person; he was a seventh son of 'Sea king' - again, this is a 'tale'. The cheater was also not a person; he was a 'God of disease'. Therefore, to look at the story once again, basically the wife of Chuyong wasn't 'cheating', she was 'ill'. Chuyong sang the song to drive him out and the disease finally disappeared. Now, this version of commentary makes a lot more sense, doesn't it?

The face of Chuyong
: Image from the blog link

  There is also an interesting custom in Korea, based on this story. The god of disease, cheater, had promised Chuyong not to come back to his house. Therefore, in the past, people attached the picture of Chuyong's face on their gate, to make the god of disease to mistaken the house as the Chuyong's house and not to let him come into their house. This was a 'talisman' that Korean people had used in the past to prevent their family members to get disease.

  How about putting his face on your door too? Who knows? The picture might work and protect you from having any kinds of disease. :P

 P.S. ( Plus Story ) 

 Letters before Hangeul : Idu (이두), Gugyeol (구결), Hyangchal (향찰)

  Some of you might wonder why the 'Original song' for both songs are written in Hanja. Some of you might 'misunderstand' that these songs are the ones that are originate from China, which is NOT. So, to prevent this kind of misunderstanding, I will briefly explain about the writing system that was used in the past, even before Hangeul.

  Hangeul, the current Korean alphabet, was not the first letter that Korean people had used. It hadn't became a 'national' letter until 1913. The name of the letter, Hangeul, was also first named in 1913 by the Korean scholar 'Si-gyeong Joo'. Before then, the name of the letter was not even Hangeul, it was Hunminjungeum.

  Then what kind of 'other' letters that Koreans had used before using Hangeul?

  Just like any other asian countries that are near to China, Koreans also used Hanja as their letters. However, this Hanja was read and written in 'Korean' way. The pronunciation and the usage of hanja are different from China. The results of these differences are Idu, Gugyeol and Hyangchal. However, I won't explain the detail rules of the system. Because it will only cause a headache to show you the sentences like :

本矣吾下是如馬於奪叱良乙何如爲理古

and explain about the differences has been made in sentence structure to use Chinese Hanja in 'Korean way'. Instead, I just want to 'mention' and 'introduce' to you that there were different kind of letter system before Hangeul was made.

  Idu was made around 7c by the monk named 'Seolchong'. It was mostly used for documents that are used in real-life such as official documents for government. It has also been used for written messages for communication like letters and literary writings, but mostly it was used for official documents. It was quite popular among people so it was used until 19c even after the Hangeul was made and used by people.

  Gugyeol is is the form that has evolved from 'Idu'; become more similar to Korean than Chinese. The basic rule of Gugyeol and modern Korean is just the same. So this method of writing that is still used modern Korean. The form of Gugyeol can be seen in newspapers or scholar writings or other writings that both use Hanja and Korean even until now.

  Hyangchal is mostly used to write down the lyrics of the songs called 'Hyang-ga'. Hyang-ga was one of the genre of the song that was widely sang around the public. So basically, it was the 'folk song'. Hyangchal is a letter to record these songs into a written form.

  The songs that you've read and I've explained were 'Hyang-ga', the folk songs. It was why the 'original song' was written in 'Hyangchal', one of the three 'Korean style' of using Hanja.

  Thanks to this recording system 'Hyangchal', the songs and stories that I introduced above had survived until now and was able to give us joy by transforming themselves into dramas.

- More Links -

1. Want to know more about Hangeul, the Korean alphabet?

2. Want to know how Hangeul is formed?

3. Want to learn about the Korean alphabet?

Check out THIS PAGE!

  Video and pdf file will be provided about Hangeul, the Korean alphabet.