한겨레신문 한겨레21 씨네21

Indigenous peoples play an important role in managing and protecting natural spaces and ecosystems. Indigenous perspectives are essential to formulating, designing, and implementing solutions for ecosystems. Ancient knowledge and heritage are passed down amongst the aboriginals, orally and through cultural practices and rituals, and they contribute to environmental assessment and sustainable ecosystem management.ﾠ

Those who come from abroad to experience Korean culture recognize the Jeju Stone Park not only as a cultural asset representing Jeju but also Korea. No other region in Korea has the same indigenous culture as Jeju Island. The reason is that, historically, Tamra (the ancient name of Jeju Island) had created and maintained its own unique culture, rich in volcanic stones and sea winds, as an island country far away from the mainland of the Korean Peninsula.

My personal story

For eighteen years before and after the Korean War, every summer mother took the four of us to spend our entire vacation time in our maternal grandmother's house in Yonjam Ulsan. She then ran back to Seoul to work at a little company that she and her hydraulic engineer husband created. Yongjam was a little town with a view of the sea in the front and a mountain behind. It was located at the tip of the southeastern part of the Korean peninsula where warm water meets cold water that gathers a rich underwater life. I have a precious memory of interacting with a woman diver who rented a small unit on my grandmother's property. I still remember her fondly as smiling brightly, with tanned skin and wrinkles in the shape of a sunflower. Whenever she returned from the water, she would bring fun moist pink corals, turban shells, and conches to hand to us.

Our family emigrated from Korea in 1964 and moved to the west. Forty-six years later, when the four of us were settled down and my father had gone to heaven, our widowed mother decided to return to Korea. Her hometown in Ulsan had been wiped out; it was transformed into a modern complex Hyundai Heavy Industries. She then carefully chose Jeju, which gave her a home-like ambiance with sea and mountain. When I made yearly visits by flying across the Pacific Ocean, I discovered the Jeju Stone Park. Each time I went there I became nostalgic as I was touched by the surreal beauty of that place which struck a deep chord in my soul. The quiet spaces in between those old rock formations in human shapes and the story of Seolmundae Halmang (Grandmother) transported me into a space that had the ancient Korean flavor. I had missed it dearly while living abroad for decades.ﾠ

In my childhood memories, there was a 'haenyeo' (a woman diver) who took a dip in the sea and collected seafood that fed us in the village, all bartered, with no money transaction involved. So, when I heard the story of Seolmundae Halmang who fed her sons with her own flesh during bad years, the image of the Seolmundae Halmang goddess overlapped with the haenyeo from my memories. Then I heard that there is a man who designed the Jeju Stone Park based on the legend about Seolmundae Halmang, the Grandmother Goddess. My curiosity kicked in and soon Jeju Stone Park found a place in my heart.

The haenyeo in my childhood memory was a woman who bravely entered the sea to bring her catch to us and the villagers. She came home with fresh seawater still flowing over her. When the memory of my haenyeo was intermingled with the Seolmundae Grandmother in my imagination, I felt as if I had regained my lost childhood home, as if I had regained a piece of myself. All my childhood longings resurfaced that had been buried during our long immigration life.ﾠ

Where does Seolmundae Halmang exist?

Seolmundae Halmang exists in the imaginary world of people who have a special life experience in the wondrous natural environment of Jeju Island and elsewhere. Their vivid senses are related to the wind of the sea and the stones that turn into poetry and songs. They fuse with legends from this region and are expressed in autobiographical essays. This is how the story of Seolmundae Halmang spread out with wings widespread. Their imaginary world is noble and lifesaving. The existential experiences, no matter what form they take, are mysterious and intense. Those who have had such a spiritual experience accompanied by irresistible attractions to objects, places, and people, are destined to a supernatural fate. They end up devoting their lives to fostering the myth that had infinitely enriched their souls. Their devotion sometimes leads them to take a life of a devotee, like a religious person without a religious denomination. Although ordinary people do not quite understand such an intense state of mind, they are often struck with awe by the deep vibrations that they feel. Those who quietly preserve the myths in their hearts and imagination become like social treasures, as they help others connect with the transcendent world.ﾠ

JAWON Paek Uncheol, Jeju Indigenous Artist

There are many unusual things in Jeju Stone Park, and at the center of it is a man by the name of 'Jawon.' Jawon Paek Uncheol fell in love with tree stumps and stones from his youthful age and collected them on a large scale with a help of his mother, He created Tamra Mokseokwon and exhibited them, attracting large crowds. In December 2008, he made an agreement with Governor Shin Cheol-Ju, to donate 20,000 items to the Jeju Stone Park in three installments, and then he created the present Jeju Stone Park. Among the donations, there are about 20 Jorok (Witch-Hazel) tree roots that have been registered as Jeju Cultural Heritage No. 25 in recognition of their rarity and uniqueness.ﾠ

Jawon has had an extraordinary love for the primordial beauty of nature in Jeju from an early age, and he lived with a sense of mission to preserve it so that it is not lost in the process of the development of the island. He was determined to pass it on, unscathed. to the future generations. But he also had an artistic genius. (As a youth, he was interested in theater and majored in directing at the Seoul Institute of the Arts.) And he had in him a streak of a shaman with a strong sense of piety. Once he fell ill from overworking and a shaman told his mother to hold a mountain god ceremony. The place his mother chose to do the ritual was Yeongsil of Mt. Halla, at the heart of Jeju Island. And there Jawon saw the silhouette of Five Hundred General rocks, the mythical sons turned into stones. He looked at the rocks illuminated by the moonlight and seemed to see five hundred sons incarnate. He thought to himself if you put a stone in the shape of a human on the rock and hold a ritual to relieve their hunger, it seemed that their true form would be restored. Thus Baek Un-Cheol's wild theatrical thinking served as the starting point for planning a grand-scale architectural performance art called Seolmundae Halmang at Jeju Stone Park.ﾠ

His collection has been viewed by countless visitors from within Korea and from abroad. Jawon is a true indigenous visionary artist of Jeju, who has dedicated his life to lifting the story of Seolmundae Halmang to the level of a living myth.ﾠ

Indigenous peoples in the world

In North America, the white conquistadors took away and devastated the ecological culture of the indigenous peoples who had lived in harmony with nature for tens of thousands of years. The modern society created at the hands of certain segments of white people disrupted the ecological balance in many parts of the world and has erased to a large degree the sensibility of mysticism and has made people forgetful of the sacred.ﾠ

However, there have always been those who were awake to the spiritual and ecological issues of the planet. One group is The International Council of the 13 Indigenous Grandmothers, which was formed in October 2004. They have dedicated their lives to the cause of saving the earth on behalf of their own people and humanity at large. Throughout their lives, these people have proclaimed the importance of maternal spirituality, which is the placenta of mankind.

I once had a dream where women from the East and the West who honor Divine Feminine gathered in front of the altar of Seolmundae Halmang (Grandmother). I had wished to invite the 13 International Indigenous Grandmothers to Jeju Stone Park to hold the Seolmundae Halmang Festival together.

Why is it important to preserve the indigenous culture?

The answer is contained in the messages from the 13 Indigenous Grandmothers.

1. Our salvation lies in opening our hearts to the truth of the Spirit World.

2. Women are carrying the ancient knowledge of the Divine Feminine deep within.


3. It will be women with their wisdom who will save the world.

4. Slow down.

5. Nature is our guide.

(from "5 Soul-Nourishing Messages from the 13 Indigenous Grandmothers" by Chris Maddox, May 1, 2017, WILD WOMAN)ﾠ

The 13 International Indigenous Grandmothers urged that maternal spirituality and root spirituality will illuminate the future of the earth and mankind. The planet earth and the female body itself contain the answers to major issues of global life.ﾠ

The Importance of Mythology Education

What is the point of contact between the indigenous peoples and the Jeju Stone Park? It is about 'Saving the Myths'. Indigenous peoples of the earth continue to face genocide.. Among them, the elder natives dedicate their lives, on behalf of surviving descendants, for the sake of the seventh generation. On this side of the planet, there are people living with the obsession to preserve the body of ecological spirituality in Jeju Island from systematic destruction. They are risking everything to save the Jeju Stone Park from being turned into a tourist attraction in the hands of some public officials who do not understand the importance of myths and spirituality.ﾠ

Myths provide context for our world, our literature, and the beliefs in which we live. Myths also provide insight into the impact of antiquity on modern society. It allows us to step back and reconsider the absolute impact of massive events, such as massacres, earthquakes, and floods, on our lives. The meaning of life can be found in the awe-striking experience and the inspiration that comes with it.ﾠ

In order to revive the myth, we must first ask the question "What is a myth?". One answer is: "Myth is a dialogue between the two selves, the creator-self, and the creature-self; the creature was born into this world because the creator wanted to feel what it is like to be born and live as a finite being."ﾠ

I propose that the education that mankind needs in the present world is a mythical education that points in the direction of spiritual co-habitants and co-creation. Practical myth education is closely related to the living conditions that participants experience daily. As such, it is subjective and proceeds to activate initiative and creativity. In this respect, myth education is distinguished from religious education, which teaches the doctrine of religion.ﾠ

'Saving myths' can revive and transform the forgotten spiritual legacies and bring them back to life. Reciting old myths handed down through oral narratives and turns them into a 'participatory myths', myths that become our lifeline. A person who carries on a myth is a person who has "the intention to live a mythical life". People who live with such an intention do not act as a hindrance to the lives of others. This is because the saving myth basically works on harmonizing and embracing the disparate elements of life in accordance with the universal principles of life.ﾠ

Why are myths important?

Myths connect us to our ancestors and history and serve to teach us perennial wisdom and moral truths accumulated over time. The term myth is often misused in modern society to mean "a story that is not true," but on a spiritual level, no myth is untrue. In fact, a myth reflects the story in which everyone who is born and lives in this world participates in. The story of a god or hero in mythology only plays a dramatized role in passing on lessons to future generations. Within all cultures with long histories, there are myths, legends, and folklore, which reveal the world view of the people of that culture and how they perceive life that needs cooperation as the fundamental web.

Myths are handed down to us through oral and other forms of tradition. Myths preserve and communicate customs and values, provide channels for shaping behavior and provide sources of poetry, literature, and art. Myths reflect the intense emotions of people who lived in ancient times in a unique environment related to the land they were born in; they contain answers to fundamental questions about their lives at their time. The younger generations who live in close contact with the myths of their own culture discover their values, beliefs, and the qualities the world looks for in heroes and ways to explain their world. Myths and legends serve as decisive educational tools for the younger generation to understand the culture and deepen and broaden their character. Young people who grow up in a culture and system that is cut off from the myths of their ancestors may experience various mental problems.ﾠ

Mythological tales provide a relaxed, cozy, and flexible mental vessel like a mother's womb, in which spiritually fragile creatures can safely play and grow. (In a large and complex country like the United States, where there is no myth of their own, such as 'Seolmundae Halmang' and 'Hongik Ingan,' people suffer the lack of a womb substance. They have Christianity, but the Christian dogma overrules the maternal substance, in favor of worshiping the father god. The myths of other cultures are borrowed and reconstructed in a way that a multi-cultural, multi-racial society can digest, however, apparently, that was not enough. Constant mass shootings happen all around the country and no solution is found. That is, even more, a reason why the necessity of a myth is absolute in a country like Korea that is less complex but swiftly follows the footsteps of the United States. Therefore, those who dedicate their lives to preserving and re-creating myths are so precious and highly appreciated.)ﾠ

The surest way to understand a society is to study its foundational mythology. The value of preserving the identity, locality, and artistry of Jeju through their myth is not limited to the benefit of Jeju. It should be seen in terms of contributing to a more spiritually prosperous global village and humanity.ﾠ

In Korea, Jeju Island is often regarded as a convenient location to go on a vacation, especially when one could not go abroad during the pandemic. However, from a macro perspective, Jeju Island is the gateway to the area where the Korean Peninsula extends to maritime power. There are those who insist on maintaining the 1062 acres of land as an ecological and cultural park, while others without understanding the mythical and ecological significance want to create convenient facilities for tourists, including electric cars. Their points are both valid. However, from a larger perspective, how can the complex treasure of indigenous culture, mythology and the ‘sacred feminine’ be preserved with an eye for a hundred years?

Seolmundae Halmang myth on the international stage

There are many 'creative goddesses' in the world besides Seolmundae Halmang. In English Wikipedia, the names of 47 goddesses of creation are listed, but the name Seolmundae Halmang is not on the list. Mythologists around the world will be grateful for the fact that the myth of Seolmundae Halmang, the goddess of creation, has been passed down without drying out in the patriarchal tradition of Korea. Another noteworthy point is that the mythological significance of Seolmundae Halmang is based on divine motherhood who sacrifices herself for the sake of her children. This is, above all else, the spiritual heritage that characterizes Jeju Island and historical Korea.

The pure maternal instinct largely includes a sacrifice, in contrast to abusing the power. However, not all modern Korean women wholeheartedly accept the sacrificial aspect of motherhood that is taken for granted by their female ancestors. More serious adjustments are required if we are to overcome the long history of the wounding of the feminine. The masculine is also wounded, since all men are mothered by the female that had been victimized in the toxic male centered society. That was one long course of pandemic caused by 'mother viruses.' But it is good to know that we are now at a new juncture to open a new horizon for the new human species.ﾠ

The lesson of the myth of Seolmundae Halmang is that the mother prepares food for the five hundred sons who went to work in a bad year. For sure, they will return home very hungry. Mother made the porridge for the sons. The sons ate it with gusto, without noticing their mother's absence. The youngest son who came home late saw bones on the bottom of the pot. He instantly realized that they were the remnants of the mother. He ran out crying and outraged and turned into a stone. The other brothers also ran out after him crying and turning into stones. This is a story of Korean parents who sacrifice their lives for their children and lead them on the right path no matter what hardships come. This is the power of parental maternal spirituality.ﾠ

Seolmundae Meditation Culture Center

We hope that the Seolmundae Meditation Culture Center (in the Jeju Stone Park) will become the vessel that will churn out innovative spiritual content for the coming new era. Under the umbrella of the 'Seolmundae Halmang Creation Story', we can visualize running the following kind of activities: (1) Creating a tradition of selecting and honoring an annual Seolmundae Grandmother based on the recommendations. (2) Offering creative workshops for teenagers: Write "Our Grandmother/Grandfather". (3) Providing creative workshops for college graduates and older: Write "My Hero's Journey". (4) Developing creative workshops for Peace Activists in heart: Write on any topic of "Hongik Ingan resurrects." ('Hongik Ingan' is the official educational motto of South Korea. The phrase can be translated to English as "To broadly benefit the human world".

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Vana Kim, Ed.D. (Educational Philosophy, Harvard University)

Columnist / Director of Maternal Spirituality Research Center /  Human Spirit Activist

* <한겨레:온>에는 영문 편집자가 없습니다. 본 글은 문단 배열과 글꼴, 동영상 삽입 등만 도와드렸음을 밝힙니다. / 편집장 김미경 

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