KOREAN FOLK TALES - 53 stories from the Korean Penninsula E-Book

Anon E. Mouse

• Herausgeber: Abela Publishing
• Kategorie: Für Kinder und Jugendliche
• Sprache: Englisch

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2017

Beschreibung

In this volume of Korean Folk Tales, you will find 53 stories from the ancient Korean kingdoms of Silla and Balhae. Herein you will find stories like Charan, The Story Of Chang To-Ryong, A Story Of The Fox, Cheung Puk-Chang, The Seer, Yun Se-Pyong, The Wizard, The Wild-Cat Woman and many, many more.These stories have their roots in the equally ancient eastern religions of Taoism, Buddhism and Confucianism and have been translated from an old manuscript of Korean Folklore and translated by James S. Gale in 1912.Some are what many call the Absurdities of Asia, some are gruesome and unlovely. The thirteen short stories by Yi Ryuk are taken from a reprint of old Korean writings issued in 1911. Three anonymous stories are also added, “The Geomancer,” “Im, the Hunter,” and “The Man who lost his Legs,” Korea’s very own Sinbad.So sit back and relax with a cup of something hot and enjoy these very unique tales from the Korean Peninsula.33% of the profit from this book will be donated to charities. 

Leseprobe

KOREAN FOLK TALES

Stories of Korean

Imps, Ghosts and Fairies

TRANSLATED FROM THE KOREAN OF

IM BANG AND YI RYUK

BY

JAMES S. GALE

Originally Published by

J. M. DENT& SONS, Ltd, London

[1913]

Resurrected by

ABELA PUBLISHING, London

[2017]

Korean Folk Tales

Typographical arrangement of this edition

© Abela Publishing 2017

This book may not be reproduced in its current format in any

manner in any media, or transmitted by any means whatsoever,

electronic, electrostatic, magnetic tape, or mechanical ( including

photocopy, file or video recording, internet web sites, blogs,

wikis, or any other information storage and retrieval system)

except as permitted by law without the prior written permission

of the publisher.

Abela Publishing

London

United Kingdom

2017

ISBN-13: 978-8-822813-63-3

email: [email protected]

Website: www.AbelaPublishing.com

Acknowledgements

The Publisher acknowledges the work that

James S. Gale

did

in translating

Korean Folk Tales

in a time well before any electronic media was in use.

Dedication

TOMY LITTLE SONGEORGE JAMES MORLEYTHE DAYS OF WHOSE YEARS ARETWO EASTERN SPRINGS AND AUTUMNS

PREFACE

To anyone who would like to look somewhat into the inner soul of the Oriental, and see the peculiar spiritual existences among which he lives, the following stories will serve as true interpreters, born as they are of the three great religions of the Far East, Taoism, Buddhism and Confucianism.

An old manuscript copy of Im Bang’s stories came into the hands of the translator a year ago, and he gives them now to the Western world that they may serve as introductory essays to the mysteries, and, what many call, absurdities of Asia. Very gruesome indeed, and unlovely, some of them are, but they picture faithfully the conditions under which Im Bang himself, and many past generations of Koreans, have lived.

The thirteen short stories by Yi Ryuk are taken from a reprint of old Korean writings issued last year (1911), by a Japanese publishing company. Three anonymous stories are also added, “The Geomancer,” to show how Mother Earth has given anxiety to her chicks of children; “Im, the Hunter,” to tell of the actualities that exist in the upper air; and “The Man who lost his Legs,” as a sample of Korea’s Sinbad.

The biographical notes that accompany the stories are taken very largely from the Kuk-cho In-mul-chi, “Korea’s Record of Famous Men.”

JSGale

CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

DEDICATION

PREFACE

CONTENTS

BIOGRAPHICAL

I CHARAN

II THE STORY OF CHANG TO-RYONG

III A STORY OF THE FOX

IV CHEUNG PUK-CHANG, THE SEER

V YUN SE-PYONG, THE WIZARD

VI THE WILD-CAT WOMAN

VII THE ILL-FATED PRIEST

VIII THE VISION OF THE HOLY MAN

IX THE VISIT OF THE MAN OF GOD

X THE LITERARY MAN OF IMSIL

XI THE SOLDIER OF KANG-WHA

XII CURSED BY THE SNAKE

XIII THE MAN ON THE ROAD

XIV THE OLD MAN WHO BECAME A FISH

XV THE GEOMANCER

XVI THE MAN WHO BECAME A PIG

XVII THE OLD WOMAN WHO BECAME A GOBLIN

XVIII THE GRATEFUL GHOST

XIX THE PLUCKY MAIDEN

XX THE RESOURCEFUL WIFE

XXI THE BOXED-UP GOVERNOR

XXII THE MAN WHO LOST HIS LEGS

XXIII TEN THOUSAND DEVILS

XXIV THE HOME OF THE FAIRIES

XXV THE HONEST WITCH

XXVI WHOM THE KING HONOURS

XXVII THE FORTUNES OF YOO

XXVIII AN ENCOUNTER WITH A HOBGOBLIN

XXIX THE SNAKE’S REVENGE

XXX THE BRAVE MAGISTRATE

XXXI THE TEMPLE TO THE GOD OF WAR

XXXII A VISIT FROM THE SHADES

XXXIII THE FEARLESS CAPTAIN

XXXIV THE KING OF YOM-NA (HELL)

XXXV HONG’S EXPERIENCES IN HADES

XXXVI HAUNTED HOUSES

XXXVII IM, THE HUNTER

XXXVIII THE MAGIC INVASION OF SEOUL

XXXIX THE AWFUL LITTLE GOBLIN

XL GOD’S WAY

XLI THE OLD MAN IN THE DREAM

XLII THE PERFECT PRIEST

XLIII THE PROPITIOUS MAGPIE

XLIV THE “OLD BUDDHA”

XLV A WONDERFUL MEDICINE

XLVI FAITHFUL MO

XLVII THE RENOWNED MAING

XLVIII THE SENSES

XLIX WHO DECIDES, GOD OR THE KING?

L THREE THINGS MASTERED

LI STRANGELY STRICKEN DEAD

LII THE MYSTERIOUS HOI TREE

LIII TA-HONG

BIOGRAPHICAL

Im Bang was born in 1640, the son of a provincial governor. He was very bright as a boy and from earliest years fond of study, becoming a great scholar. He matriculated first in his class in 1660, and graduated in 1663. He was a disciple of Song Si-yol, one of Korea’s first writers. In 1719, when he was in his eightieth year, he became governor of Seoul, and held as well the office of secretary of the Cabinet. In the year 1721 he got into difficulties over the choice of the Heir Apparent, and in 1722, on account of a part he played in a disturbance in the government, he was exiled to North Korea, where he died.

(From Kuk-cho In-mul-chi, “Korea’s Record of Famous Men.”)

Yi Ryuk lived in the reign of King Se-jo, matriculated in 1459, and graduated first in his class in 1564. He was a man of many offices and many distinctions in the way of literary excellence.

“Korea’s Record of Famous Men.”

KOREAN

IMPS, GHOSTS AND FAIRIES

I

CHARAN

[Some think that love, strong, true, and self-sacrificing, is not to be found in the Orient; but the story of Charan, which comes down four hundred years and more, proves the contrary, for it still has the fresh, sweet flavour of a romance of yesterday; albeit the setting of the East provides an odd and interesting background.]

In the days of King Sung-jong (A.D. 1488–1495) one of Korea’s noted men became governor of Pyong-an Province. Now Pyong-an stands first of all the eight provinces in the attainments of erudition and polite society. Many of her literati are good musicians, and show ability in the affairs of State.

At the time of this story there was a famous dancing girl in Pyong-an whose name was Charan. She was very beautiful, and sang and danced to the delight of all beholders. Her ability, too, was specially marked, for she understood the classics and was acquainted with history. The brightest of all the was she, famous and far-renowned.