Sample Translations
Haewang Jeong Yeono and Seo E ng l i s h
Book Information
Yeono and Seo (연오랑 세오녀) Hyeonamsa Publishing corp. / 2012 / 7p. / ISBN 9788932372600 74810, 9788932372617 (set) For further information, please visit: http://library.klti.or.kr/node/772 This sample translation was produced with support from LTI Korea. Please contact the LTI Korea Library for further information. library@klti.or.kr
Yeono and Seo Written by Jeong Haewang, Illustrated by Kim Jiyeon
A long, long time ago there lived a young couple in a small fisherman’s village on the East coast of Silla. The husband’s name was Yeono, while the wife was called Se-o. Yeono went out to the sea to catch fish while Se-o stayed at home weaving and homemaking. They were not rich but they were in love and content with what they had.
“Se-o, I will go out to the ocean to collect kelp. Let us have kelp soup for dinner.” “Good idea Yeono. Please be careful.” Yeono waved his wife goodbye on his way to the sea as always. He perched up on a flat rock to collect kelp. Suddenly the rock began to tremble. “What’s going on? Is it an earthquake?” Yeono lost his balance and fell on his bottom.
He looked around and noticed the rock was floating across the sea. “How could this be? What’s happening!?” Startled, Yeono looked around him for clues. The rock was quickly moving away from the shore. Yeono thought to himself, ‘Such a heavy rock cannot float on water on its own. There must be some god-like power at work.’ The rock continued across the dark blue sea with Yeono on it.
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The rock came to the shore of an unfamiliar village. There were many fishermen working where Yeono had arrived. “How could a man come all the way here on a rock?” “This man must be one of the gods!” The people bowed down before Yeono. He noticed the clothes and hair of the people were not like anything he had seen before. In fact, he had come all the way across the sea to Japan on that rock.
They brought Yeono a fancy carriage that took him to a grand house. “We don’t have a king yet. We know you have been sent by the gods. Please rule over us and bring prosperity.” Yeono nodded his head. “I believe this to be the will of Heaven. Yes, I will become your king.” So from that day Yeono became king of the people of his new home. But deep in his heart he could not stop worrying what may have happened to his wife, Se-o.
Se-o was worried about her husband just the same. Every day from sunrise to sunset, Se-o wandered up and down the coast, looking for Yeono. “My dear husband, where have you gone without me? What will I do now that I’m alone?” The flow of tears from Se-o’s eyes never stopped. Many days had passed before a rock came floating over to Se-o’s village.
There was a pair of shoes neatly placed on the rock. “Why, these shoes!”
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Se-o recognized her husband’s shoes the instant she saw them. She grabbed hold of Yeono’s shoes and climbed up on the rock. “Yeono, I will follow you wherever you go.” As if the rock understood her words, it began to drift towards the open sea.
After a long voyage, the rock stopped at the seashore where Yeono had come ashore. “Look over there. A woman has arrived on a rock!” “Yes this is true. Her clothes look like the robes our king was wearing when he had arrived. She must be the king’s new queen sent by the gods!” The seaside village people bowed their heads to Se-o and took her to the palace where Yeono the king was staying.
Yeono was so happy to see Se-o that he ran over to her and gave her a big hug. “Se-o, you have finally come. Please tell me this is not a dream.” The two cried and cried. Hot tears trickled down their cheeks. Yeono explained to Se-o what had happened to him while they were apart. Se-o soon became Yeono’s queen. Yeono became the generous ruler of the people, while Se-o taught the woman how to weave hemp.
Meanwhile the Kingdom of Silla, where Yeono and Se-o used to live, was in trouble. The sun dimmed and so did the moon. “This is a bad sign!” “How will we grow grain and harvest without the sun?” “Bandits are running rampant in the streets. What will become of this kingdom?”
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The people suffered. Everyone was worried the end may be near.
Silla’s king assembled his vassals for a meeting. “The sun and moon has lost its light. What shall we do now?” One vassal stepped forward and said, “It seems we had among us the sun god and moon goddess. Our great kingdom lost the sun and moon when they moved to the neighboring islands.” The king picked his cleverest vassal and sent him over to Japan.
The king’s men went all the way to Japan, where they searched high and wide for Yeono. They learned that a man and woman who came from the far seas had become king and queen. “Dear king and queen! Please come back to Silla.” Yeono shook his head and said, “It was Heaven’s will that brought us here. How dare we go against the will of Heaven? Now, take this roll of silk and dedicate it to the gods. Only then will everything go back to normal.” Yeono gave the man from Silla a roll of silk. It was silk hand woven by Queen Se-o herself.
The king’s vassal could do no more than return with the one roll of silk. The vassal was in doubt, even as he stood in the ship back to Silla. ‘Is the king telling me the truth? All we have to do is dedicate this silk to the gods? What if nothing happens afterwards?”
The vassal came back to the king of Silla with the role of silk. Upon hearing the explanation, the king and his vassals went to the east coast. They went to the point where the sun first hits when it rises in the morning.
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The king made an altar from a pile of stones and placed the roll of silk on top. The king and his vassals all bowed before the altar and shouted out, “Heavens, dear heavens, please return our sun and moon!” And before they knew it, the sun started to shine again. The sun was shining, the land was warm, and all was well once more. 5 Silla’s king was pleased. “Take this roll of silk and place it within the palace. The room where the silk is kept will be called Guibigo.” Guibigo means ‘the storage place of the precious queen.’ The king of Silla wanted to thank Queen Se-o for weaving a roll of silk for the people. Silla’s king also said, “The place where we held the ceremony today will be called Yeong-il-hyeon.” Yeong-il-hyeon means ‘village that greeted the sun.’ People come together to celebrate the sunrise at the same place to this very day.
Treasure hunting with Mom and Dad
Passing down advanced technology to Japan In the ancient times Korea was far more technologically advanced than Japan. Ancient Koreans went over to Japan to teach the locals better ways to do things such as bake pottery, build homes, and how to make weapons and tools with metal. Even in this story Se-o teaches the Japanese people how to weave cloth. Later on in history the Japanese became strong enough to invade Korea with their advanced weaponry.
Who were Yeono and Se-o? There used to be a small kingdom called Geun-giguk at Yeong-il-hyeon (now Pohang), where Yeono and Se-o once lived. Historians believe Yeono and Se-o were important priests responsible for sacred ceremonies in the kingdom. It is said that when Silla overpowered Geun-giguk to become a powerful state with its capital based in Gyeongju not far from Yeong-il-hyeon, the priests fled to Japan across the sea. Yeono and Se-o’s story was remembered by their descendants in the form of a legend.
Crows, Symbols of the Sun Yeono is written ‘延烏’ in Chinese characters, while Se-o is ‘細烏.’ Notice how both names end with the same Chinese character. This letter represents the crow. Ancient Koreans believed a sacred crow lived in the burning sun. It is said that this crow had three feet, hence its name ‘三足烏 (samjok-o)’ or ‘three-legged crow.’ The three-legged crow was considered a sacred animal, along with the dragon and the phoenix. They are often depicted in tomb paintings of Goguryeo, another kingdom that thrived in the era of Silla.
(map) Japan and Korea Republic of Korea Gyeongju Homigot Point, Pohang Yeono and Se-o’s statue at Homigot Point in Pohang Izumo-si, Simane-ken Japan
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Yeono and Se-o’s Memorial Ceremony If you look closely at the map of Korea, you will notice a pointy tip along the east coast. This is Homigot Point in Pohang-si, Gyeongsangbuk Province. People flock to this point to watch the sunrise every New Year’s Day. This is where Yeono and Se-o’s feats are celebrated every year. Pohang city organizes an event to commemorate Yeono and Se-o’s voyage to Japan to teach their advanced skills. As you can see, these legendary figures hold an important place in Korean history.
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