List of Korean Myths That Attracts People Towards Culture
Along with Korean culture and the pop industry, there are several Korean myths that keep attracting people towards the country and its culture.
Introduction
Culture consists of several traditions and rituals that frame the structure of society and play an important part in an individual’s life. It also has a psychological and behavioral impact on humans. How we behave and react to situations naturally shows where we belong and what kind of society created us. Generally, these cultural rituals and traditions are also associated with some myths that not only seem incredible but also fascinating.
Currently, Korea is considered to be a great country that consists of several artists, diversified traditions, and a very fine culture. Out of these, Korea is also associated with some myths that seem weird, and even scientifically, they are unable to be proven. Let’s see some of them that are very popular there.
Top 10 Korean Myths
Fan Death
Sleeping in a closed room with a fan can cause death.
This myth is very popular and weird in general. This myth was raised by the deaths of some people who died in a closed room under the air of a fan. According to native peoples, fans suck oxygen and suffocate people, which causes death. Now the question is: Is it possible that a fan can lead to death in a closed room? The answer is no; actually, this myth is considered a misinterpretation of death that was caused by other reasons.
Whistling at Night
According to this folk story, whistling at night can attract snakes, especially in rural areas. This weird belief of Korean people has its roots in the time when snakes used to be prevalent and dangerous. But now that snakes are not commonly found in human areas, they try to avoid humans. If we look at the scientific explanation, snakes can only detect vibrations. Snakes can only detect sound between 50 and 1000 Hz, while whistles sound frequency lies between 2000 and 20000 Hz. So, whistling will hardly attract snakes, as they can’t hear their sound.
Gumiho
In Korean culture, Gumiho is said to be a nine-tailed fox with cunning and dangerous behavior that eats human liver. But the story of Gumiho is naturally a myth, as there is no evidence that can prove the existence of Gumiho in real life. Even, according to science, foxes are omnivores; they primarily eat insects, fruits, etc., and for digesting human liver, they need specialized enzymes and teeth, which they generally lack. So, it is hard to believe that in the animal kingdom, someone like Gimho can exist.
Dream of Falling Teeth
In Korea, it has been defined that while sleeping, you dream of falling teeth; this is an indication of the death of your loved one. It can be predicted that teeth are a symbol of strength and vitality; shedding them in a dream can give a feeling of loss, but connecting them with death is completely different. On the contrary, there is no scientific explanation regarding this; even according to science, dreams don’t possess predictive power, and connecting them with real life doesn’t make any sense.
Dokkaebi
Apart from the popular K-drama, Korean culture defines Goblin as a mischievous and powerful personality that plays a prank on humans. And for some people, goblins are harmless, while others think of them as bad creatures. On the other hand, science has not specified the stories, concepts, and existence of goblins in real life. So, it can be possible that they are just characters that were created to add spice to stories.
Samjoko
The mythological tales of Korea define Samjoko as a crow-like creature with three legs that live on the sun and also bring light and warmth to the world. But science totally refuses this folklore of Samjoko, as the sun is a fiery, extremely hot, massive plasma ball that is not suitable for any feathered creature habitat. But we cannot deny that a creature like Samjoko with such great power and a beautiful nature is incredible.
Read Also: How would be First Mourning without Science and Technology?
Shoes as Gifts
According to Korean culture, gifting shoes is not an appropriate thing, as it is a sign of bad luck. Even people believe that if you give shoes to your close one, this will encourage them to leave or walk away from your life. Science has nothing to do with defining this belief of people in Korea, but it can be predicted that while going somewhere, people wear shoes and walk away, which creates a sense of loss. Due to this activity, this myth evolved. This general perception of people in Korea shows respect and love in culture towards every relationship.
49 Days After Death
After death, humans souls live on Earth for 49 days, during which Korean people perform several rituals to help the soul transition into the afterlife. Not only in Korea, but other countries in Asia also have the same kind of tradition of performing rituals after the death of humans. This tradition and belief have their roots in ancient times and vary from region to region according to culture. There is no scientific explanation to solve the mystery of the afterlife. But these traditions of the afterlife show the responsibility and concern of people or family members towards those who left the world. Also, this cultural diversification shows how deeply ancient people have written culture and rituals.
Gwishin
The stories of Gwishin (the ghost), not only among Korean people but also in almost every culture, are famous. A ghost is the soul of a dead person that lives with humans without a body. But science supports the existence of Gwishin and ghosts in general. But there are several videos and reports in which people claim that ghosts really exist. On the contrary, there is no solid proof of ghosts in reality.
Dream of Pig Poop
Dreams play a very important part in humans lives, as they help with restful and peaceful sleep. In Korean culture, dreaming of pig poop is a sign of good luck, wealth, and prosperity. As already mentioned above, dreams have no predicting powers, and there is no connection with real life. But this kind of belief can help people stay positive and happy in their daily lives.
Conclusion
Culture and tradition help a human in their development and framing a general perception of human behavior. Along with these traditions and rituals, culture also consists of myths and facts that are far from scientific theories and explanations. Like we saw above, Korean culture, along with its unique language, pop industry, and food, also contains various myths that don’t touch the door of science. But these weird sayings add spice to tales of mythology and culture.
