According to the Chinese zodiac, 2023 is the Year of the Rabbit. Korean culture has a close connection with many animals, but rabbits have a special place within this, having been depicted in Korean paintings, on mirrors, and in pottery from days of yore. This close connection has led to the formation of various beguiling rabbit-related myths and stereotypes within Korea's rich folklore.

1. A Rabbit Living in the Moon

Since ancient times, Koreans believed that the pattern of the moon looked like a rabbit grinding powder in a large stone mortar. The intrigue around this led to a myth that a rabbit living on the moon uses this mortar to make medicine that gives people eternal youth. This myth about a "moon rabbit" has spread to other East Asian countries such as China and Japan, forging the perception of the rabbit as an icon of the moon, simultaneously mysterious, yet friendly.





 

2. Korean Folk Tale about a Rabbit

One of Korea's most popular folk tales is "The Rabbit Tale," in which the main character, a rabbit, encounters a soft-shelled turtle and a King. The plot is outlined below:

The Rabbit Tale

A long time ago, the King of an underwater palace contracted a serious disease. His health got worse day by day and no medicine would help him. One day, all of a sudden, a hermit from the sky came to the King and told him that only a rabbit's liver could cure him. Amongst the servants who were listening to the hermit, a softshelled turtle came forward and said that he would go up to the land and bring a rabbit's liver back for the King.

After setting out on his journey, the turtle roamed the land searching for a rabbit. He eventually came across a rabbit deep in a forest. The turtle noticed that the rabbit was hunted by predators on the land, and he convinced the rabbit to join him in the underwater palace, saying the rabbit would live in comfort and wealth there. The rabbit, having been persuaded, got on the turtle's shell to make the trip to the underwater palace. When they arrived at the palace, the King asked his servants to split open the rabbit's stomach and take his liver. The rabbit was frightened and claimed that he had left his liver up on the land. The King trusted the rabbit and commanded the turtle to take the rabbit to the land so that they could return with the liver. However, when the pair reached the land, the rabbit escaped, saving his life.

Versions of this tale have been told for centuries all over Korea with about 120 different endings, and have even been used for Pansori (Korean traditional storytelling musical). The tale indicates how Koreans saw the rabbit: as a poor, weak citizen who was victimized by predators and the King. At the same time, the rabbit was described as clever and wise, able to save himself from danger.

 

In addition to these two examples, rabbits were also shown up as a symbol of fecundity and longevity in traditional Korean artworks. To celebrate the Year of the Rabbit, there was a special exhibition "Here Comes a Rabbit" held in the National Folk Museum of Korea until March 6. This exhibition was a good opportunity to see the variety of ways in which rabbits are depicted in Korean art work, enabling us to get to know more about the cultural significance of rabbits in Korea.



 

Reporter,

Eunkyeul Kim kyeul@g.seoultech.ac.kr

Reporter 김은결

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• e-mail : kyeul@g.seoultech.ac.kr