Overview of Myths and Legends — “436: Korean folklore: Feet First”
This episode explores five interconnected stories from 15th-century Korean folklore, set in the Joseon era around Seoul. Across the tales, Jason Weiser highlights a recurring theme: people are often very different on the inside than they appear on the outside, and the choices to hide, reveal, trust, or misunderstand that inner self shape their fate. The episode blends humor, tragedy, and moral lessons about empathy, humility, and honest connection.
Main Stories
1) The poor mourner, the “nun,” and the disguised king
- A traveler notices a strange scene in a poor household: an elderly father weeping, a bald “nun” dancing, and a mourner singing.
- He learns the family is desperately poor:
- The “nun” is actually the daughter, who has been cutting and selling her hair to buy bean porridge.
- The mourner is the son, still wearing funeral clothes because it’s the only outfit he has.
- The father keeps forgetting the daughter is not a nun and cries again each time he remembers.
- The traveler admires a poem in the house and quietly leaves money.
- Later, the son enters an impromptu royal exam and wins.
- The traveler is revealed to be King Sejong, who explains that he had left the money, recognized the student’s talent, and wanted to reward genuine merit.
- The king also tells the story of creating Hangul, Korea’s writing system, so ordinary people could learn to read and write more easily.
Takeaway: Hidden virtue and talent deserve recognition, and systems should help people rather than exclude them.
2) Shin, the stolen horse, and the shaman’s advice
- Shin, a tired stable hand, is sent on a trip with a horse, but the horse is stolen while he sleeps.
- He tries making offerings and talking to spirits, but that gets him nowhere.
- A blind shaman gives him practical advice: buy salt, put it before the sad animal, and do not give it water.
- The horse becomes thirsty, heads back to its home, and Shin follows it to the thief’s place.
- Shin recovers the horse by outmaneuvering the thief.
Takeaway: Folklore magic here works like clever problem-solving—sometimes the “spell” is just a smart way to reveal the truth.
3) Old Timbertop is turned into an ox
- Old Timbertop is a wealthy, ruthless lumber merchant who monopolizes wood, exploits others, and becomes increasingly selfish.
- The dokebi, Korean goblin-like spirits, punish him by turning him into an ox.
- As an ox, he experiences powerlessness, hunger, and exploitation firsthand.
- He eventually eats some mushrooms, changes back into a human, and begins to understand the harm he caused.
- He later returns to his family, becomes a doctor, and is implied to live with more empathy and purpose.
Takeaway: The story is a transformation tale about empathy—being forced into vulnerability changes him more than wealth ever could.
4) Chu and his wife, the hidden centipede demon
- Chu hears his dead father’s voice on a bridge warning him that his wife is actually a demon in human form.
- He is told he must kill her before 15 days pass, but he refuses out of love and trust.
- His wife then reveals the truth:
- She was once a centipede cursed long ago for angering the Jade Emperor.
- Over many lives, a white rooster has hunted her.
- She had become human years earlier, but the rooster’s torment continued.
- She needed someone stronger to kill her while she was vulnerable.
- Chu’s refusal breaks the cycle; his trust helps end the curse instead.
Takeaway: Love and trust can defeat deception and ancient curses—refusing violence becomes the real act of courage.
5) Longbody the worm and Miss Thousand Feet
- Longbody the worm and Miss Thousand Feet the millipede genuinely love each other.
- But both become trapped by assumptions and social pressure:
- He worries he can’t provide for her.
- She fears he’ll expect too much and resent her.
- Neither says what they truly feel.
- They part ways and remain alone, each regretting what might have been.
Takeaway: This is the tragic inverse of Chu’s story—lack of communication, not malice, destroys a possible love story.
Big Themes and Takeaways
Hidden selves and outward appearances
The episode repeatedly contrasts what characters seem to be with what they actually are:
- A “nun” is really a daughter sacrificing for her family.
- A mourner is a brilliant student.
- A rich man is spiritually impoverished.
- A wife is hiding a centuries-old curse.
- A worm and millipede are emotionally compatible but socially paralyzed.
Vulnerability as a turning point
Jason frames vulnerability as both dangerous and necessary:
- Some characters survive because they open up.
- Others lose what they want because they don’t.
Compassion over status
The stories push against social hierarchy and vanity:
- King Sejong values talent over wealth.
- Timbertop learns that wealth without empathy is empty.
- The poor family’s dignity matters more than appearances.
Creature of the Week: The Durgar
- The episode closes with the Durgar, mythological dwarves from the Simonside Hills in England.
- They’re associated with eerie lights in the woods and tricking travelers.
- One story involves a man who deliberately challenges them, follows their lights into the dark, and ends up badly beaten and lost.
- Another traveler encounters a Durgar by a fire; by refusing to escalate, he survives an encounter that could have led him off a cliff.
- A practical warning from the folklore: don’t follow strange lights in the woods, and if you do encounter these beings, carry holly for protection.
Final Impression
This episode is less about isolated myths and more about a shared message: people are deepest when they are honest, careful, and compassionate. The stories reward trust, expose selfishness, and show that transformation—whether magical or moral—often begins with seeing clearly what someone really is.