User:Sungbin Yoon 919/Seolmundae Halmang (Jeju Myth)

 

Sungbin Yoon 919/Seolmundae Halmang
Region	제주도
Ethnic group	제주인

Seolmundae Halmang is a goddess from Jeju mythology, believed to have created Jeju Island. She appears in various forms, depending on the region, such as Seonmundae Halmang, Seolmundae Halmang, Seomyeongdu Halmang, and Semyeongdwihalmang. In the "Tamnaji" (Records of Tamna) under the section "Freshwater Waters," she is also referred to as Seolmandugo (雪慢頭姑). Additionally, in the 18th-century work "Pyohaerok" (Drifting Records) written by Jang Han-cheol, there is a description of people praying for their lives while looking at Hallasan, and the words they uttered were Seonmaggo (詵麻姑). This is the origin of the term "Seonmaggo" written as "설문대할망" in Korean Hanja characters.

In Korean oral literature, myths and legends that have been passed down in Korea are classified into "Shinidam" (신이담), which includes categories such as Kiwon Dam (기원담 - origin myths), Byeonsin Dam (변신담 - transformation myths), Eungbo Dam (응보담 - retribution myths), and Choin Dam (초인담 - supernatural myths). The legend of Seolmundae Halmang falls under the category of Choin Dam. In Jeju, she is also associated with a tale known as "Maegohalmang," which means "buried old woman," and is compared to Maego (매고), representing a buried spirit.

Legend

In Jeju, there are two myths called "Seolmundae Halmang" and "O Baek Jang Gun." Seolmundae Halmang was an enormous giant who, when lying down, could stretch one foot to Seongsan Ilchulbong and the other foot to Geomunoreum, an islet off the coast of Jeju City. It is said that she would hang laundry on Geomunoreum and use her feet on top of Hallasan Mountain to scrub and wash the laundry.

The 360-plus small volcanic hills (oreums) in Jeju are believed to have been formed when Seolmundae Halmang gathered soil in the wide skirt of her dress, and it leaked through a torn hole in the skirt to create these hills. Finally, what she blew away became Hallasan Mountain.

Seolmundae Halmang had 500 sons. One day, while she was preparing a stew for her 500 sons, she accidentally stepped into the stew and died. When her sons returned in the evening, they ate the well-cooked stew and praised its delicious taste. However, the youngest son didn't eat the stew, as he couldn't see his mother. After finishing the stew, they discovered human bones at the bottom, and that's when they realized why the youngest son couldn't see their mother. He couldn't live with the brothers who had eaten their mother's flesh, so he went down to the sea in front of Seongsan Ilchulbong and turned into a rock called "Oedolgae." The rest of the sons lined up and cried endlessly until their bodies stiffened, becoming the stone statues known as "O Baek Jang Gun" or "O Baek Nah Han." People call this place "Yeongsil," and the rocks are referred to as "Yeongsilgi'am."

Apart from these stories, Seolmundae Halmang once promised the people of Jeju that if they gathered 100 dong (one dong is 50 units) of silk, she would build a bridge connecting Jeju to Mokpo.

Death

Seolmundae Halmang is a legendary giantess in Jeju Island, believed to have shaped the island's terrain in ancient times. According to the myths of Seolmundae Halmang and O Baek Jang Gun, there are different stories about her death. In one version, she died while preparing food (a porridge called "juk") for her 500 sons (O Baek Jang Gun myth) and accidentally fell into the pot of porridge. Another version tells that she boasted of her height and entered a deep pond called "Muljangori" on Hallasan Mountain, where she ended up falling into the abyss and perishing. Yet another version suggests that she fell into the sea and drowned.

In a radio broadcast (according to the legend of "Samcheolli" in the following manner), it was also mentioned that she fell into the deep and vast Baekrokdam, located at the summit of Hallasan, and died. [[Category:Oral literature]]