satay_goreng | Korean mythology & creatures

Deities

Sang-je (Heavenly Emperor)

Supreme ruler of the Heavens, alt: Hanuelnim, Hwanin,
Cheonwang, Cheonjiwang (all meaning 'Heavenly Ruler')
Often compared with the Jade Emperor (similar roles)
Oversees humans and deities, elects humans to become new deities.

Haemosu

Heavenly Emperor's first son and Sun Deity.
depicted as a youth wearing crow-feathered headdress
crows, especially three-legged crows, symbolize the sun
carry the sword Yonggwanggeom (Sword of Dragon's Light)
rides Oryeonggeo, chariot pulled by five dragons.
Founder of Buyeo Kingdom
Fathered Go-Jumong, who founded the Goguryeo Kingdom (which eventually conquered Buyeo).

Samshin-Halmang: Deity of Life.

Once human girl, after winning the flower-blooming contest (flowers = life ) between her and the Yongwang's daughter, became the Deity of Life (and fertility)
tasked with pregnancy and delivering of babies.
- Yongwang's daughter became the deity of the underworld
  - takes care of the spirits of dead infants.
  - protects babies and mothers from harm, patron of midwives.
  - It is said that after midwives die, they become spirits called 'Samshin' and help Samshin-halmang.

Sanshinryeong: Gods of the mountains

typically depicted as an old man with a white beard, accompanied by a tiger.
usually live deep inside the mountain, but sometimes appear in Sadangs (shrines) at the base of the mountain
listens to people's wishes and pleas for help
mostly male, there are female examples like Mago-halmi, Sanshinryeong of the Mount Jiri.

Chilsungshin: Seven gods of the Great Dipper.

blesses people with good luck and longevity,
most commonly worshipped deities
usually depicted as seven brothers
wearing government uniform or monk's attire (sometimes referred as Seven Buddhas).
Alt depiction: three brothers and four sisters, or seven sisters.

Gataekshin: Guardians of the house.

bless people with good luck, offered small food in return.
Supposedly one's family, killed in ways associated with various household materials and rooms
became guardians of the place where they're killed. (e.g. someone died in restroom/toilet → becomes a Cheukshin - guardian of the toilet).
protect the house's inhabitants from ghosts, diseases and premature death
will leave when the inhabitants become too wicked or disrespect them.

Yeomra-Daewang ('King Yeomra the Great')

Supreme ruler and fifth of the ten Kings of the underworld (Shi-wang)
judge the sins of the deceased and decide their punishment
first person to have faced death (as in the story of Yama in Hindu Mythology. Yeom-ra is Korean pronounciation of Yama).
has many powers, including shapeshifting, reviving dead people, etc.

Yongwang (Dragon Lord)

Dragons living in lakes, rivers and seas.
rulers of the aquatic animals
tasked with controlling the weather (important to farmers).
can take human forms and mate with humans.
- it's thought that Wang Geon, the warlord who founded the Goryeo dynasty, was the grandson of the Western sea's Yongwang.

Mireuk and Bucheo: Maitreya and Buddha.

worshipped by Mudangs and common people.

Creatures:Yogwe (Monsters) and Gwishin (ghosts)

Gumiho (구미호)

literal nine-tailed fox (Korean version of the Kitsune)
often depicted as female/shapeshift into a beautiful woman.
often portrayed as seductive and cunning
devour human liver to gain power
if able to stay away from eating human flesh for a thousand days, can stay human.
common depiction - beautiful girl cursed to become this creature, unable to find love without entrapment

Bulgasari (불가사리)

legendary creature that feeds on nightmare.
has body of a bear, buffalo's eyes, elephant's nose and tiger's claws.
name meaning - 'can't be killed'
the monster's metal hide renders any metal weapon useless.
toughness and hard-to-kill nature have prompted Koreans to call starfish 'Bulgasari'
- regeneration and hard-to-kill nature resembles that of the mythical monster
eats metal and turn it into its hide.
weakness = fire

Samjoko (삼족오)

three-legged crow
symbol of the sun and power
believed to live within the sun - assist in its daily journey.

Haechi/Haetae (해태/해태)

A lion-dog with a horn, covered in armor-like scales
known for ability to distinguish between good and evil
considered a guardian against fire and disasters/evil omen.

Gwishin (귀신)

Korean ghosts
almost always female (long black hair, white funeral clothes)
often depicted as those died with unfinished business, unable to pass on to the afterlife.
- virgin ghost (처녀귀신 - cheonyeo gwisin).
  - legend maybe created to strongly encourage young women to get married.
- water ghost (물귀신 | mulgwisin).
  - people who died a lonely death by drowning in large bodies

Chollima (천리마)

A supernatural white horse capable of great speed and flight, first mentioned during the Koryo period.

Moon Rabbit/Daltokki (달토끼)

Also known as the jade rabbit
adopted from Chinese myth.
legend - found by looking at the formations of the moon’s craters.
important symbol of Chuseok, supposedly pounding its pestle to get rice cake

Dokkaebi (도깨비)

known for playful or sometimes mischievous interactions with humans.
often depicted as goblins or trolls with supernatural abilities
created from objects discarded after stained with human blood
may carry magical object (방마기 - bangmagi)

Jeosung Saja (저승사자)

is Korean grim reaper.
guide those who passed away into the afterlife.
Traditional appearance - a black hanbok coupled with a black hat.

Inmyeonjo (인면조):

A sacred bird that connects the sky and the land
often depicted in ancient tomb murals.

Dragon - Yong/Ryong/Mireu (용/룡/미르)

largely influenced by Chinese dragon
sport long beard and carry an orb/pearl called 여의주 (yeouiju).
seen as a good-natured creature related to farming and especially water.
often also referred as imugi if they didn't have heir pearl
- Gyeryong (계룡) alt: Korean cockatrice or chicken dragon.
  - chariot-pulling beasts for important legendary figures in Korea or for parents of legendary heroes

Imugi/Giant (sea) serpents (이무기)

live in water
become dragons (which have the ability to fly and control the weather).
sometimes cause harm to people.
alt names: ishimi (이시미), miri (미리), yeongno (영노), gangcheori (강철이), kkwangcheori (꽝철이), kkangcheori (깡철이), bari (바리), hweryong (훼룡), or iryong (이룡)
- Gangcheori (억년)
  - associated with bringing drought and storms (cause disasters)

Extra notes/reference:

Korean Mythology
90 Day Korean

Useful for:

Stories set in Korean mythology
Gu Family Book
The Haunted Palace
Korean Odyssey
Goblin
Lovers of the Red Sky