Hallasan: Holy Mountain

(YouTube) Ascending South Korea’s Most Respected Mountain (4:34)

• Halla Mountain is a holy mountain based on folklore: 

• Halla Mountain functions as the Mother Nature of Jeju Island

• To climb the mountain one needs humility and respect, not just strength and perseverance, because even the spirits who visit her are captivated by her grandeur.

• Halla Mountain is South Korea's most spiritually divine mountain. Known also as Yeongjusan, "mountain high enough to pull the galaxy," which means it is high enough to draw the aura of the whole universe.

• Jeju Island was created by Seoulmoondae Halmani, a goddess who gathered clumps of earth in her skirt and then flung them into the sea creating Jeju Island and the largest flung clump became Halla Mountain, the holy mountain where 500 of her sons were placed. A group of rocks known as the 500 Generals on the Yeongsil Trail (on the southwestern part of the mountain) are the sons of Seoulmoondae Halmani. And according to legend, with the death of the goddess her sons turned to stone to eternally mourn the passing of their mother.

• The white deep on the mountain is the symbol of fortune on Jeju Island. On the deer the spirits descend to play on its back. 

• The mountain rewards those who respect her, and the traveler who climbs to the top of the mountain on a dark night and calls to the stars with heartfelt gratitude for their long journey, as legend has it, the person will be blessed with health and longevity.

The Many Names of Hallasan

Halla Mountain is a mountain steeped in folklore, and has a variety of names stemming from legends and circumstances:

Hallasan —  Han represents the universe, and la means "pull". Both words mean that the mountain is high enough to pull the universe. According to the old legend, if anyone were to climb up the mountain, see a star and call out noinseong (노인성), they could live a longer life.

Jinan —  The name represents a mountain that is located at the back side of a town and protects the town's residents. Jeju people called Hallasan Jinan because Hallasan blocked winds that were blowing from the Pacific Ocean and also protected the residents.

Dumuak — Dumuak is another name for Hallasan. The name represents the bold head mountain. According to a legend, a hunter accidentally ripped God's belly button. God expressed his anger by ripping off the peak of Hallasan. The remaining part of the mountain became Baengnokdam (백록담) and the ripped part of the mountain became Sanbangsan (산방산).

Wonsan — Wonsan became the name of Hallasan because the center of the mountain is the highest point and the mountain looks like a circular cone. On a very clear day, Hallasan is visible from the mainland.

Yeongjusan — Yeongjusan was believed to be a habitat for a plant species that made people immortal. According to a legend, immortal wizards of Korea used to live in Hallasan. They were immortal because of this special plant. Qinshi Huang wanted the plant to live forever and ordered his men to get the plant (200 AD).

Buak — Buak became the name of Hallasan, because of the peak of the mountain. The crater of the mountain looks like a big pond. According to a legend, a white deer used to drink the water here.

Jeju, Island of Samshinsan or "Islands of the Blest"

The extinct volcano (5850 feet of 1950 meters) which last erupted in AD 1007 dominates Jeju Island. Ancestry on Jeju is unknown, but a mix of indigenous Koreans, Chinese from the north, Malayans from the south, and perhaps Japanese from the east is likely. During Neolithic times a unique culture developed on the island, and legends speak of the great mountain being the dwelling place of a race of giants and various mountain spirits.

But what really made Jeju "known" to the world is based on a legend of mythical discovery. By the end of the first millennium BC, Jeju-do had entered the realm of Chinese mythology as one of the islands of Samshinsan, or Islands of the Blest, also called the Three Holy Mountains. These legendary isles were said to have the sacred fungus of immortality growing in great abundance. 

This sacred fungus was probably the Amanita muscaria mushroom, also called Fly Agaric, which figures prominently in the shamanic and religious mythologies of lands from far eastern China, India, and Siberia all the way to the Celts of Europe and the Laplanders of Scandinavia. Known as Soma in ancient India, this brilliant red mushroom with white spots is familiar to people of European descent because of its association with children's fairy tales, magical dwarfs, and the cape of Santa Claus.

Anthropological studies of the mythology and sacramental use of this potent psychotropic (vision-inducing) mushroom have shown its extensive associations with the emergence of proto-religious traditions throughout the world. (Readers interested in this fascinating subject should consult the writings of ethnobotanist Terence McKenna.) 

These hallucinogenic mushrooms were once found growing in the forests of Halla San, in the Yeong-shil or "Spirit Place" wilderness that is the ritual gateway to the sacred peak. One of the three Samshinsan holy islands was known as Yeongju, which is the first of several historical names of Jeju-do. Yeongju San, meaning "Mountain of the Blessed Isle," was believed by the ancient Chinese to form a sort of bridge between heaven and earth. At a later date, when the Milky Way galaxy was believed by Neo-Confucian societies to form the connecting link between the heavens and the earth, Yeongju San became Halla San, "The Peak That Pulls Down the Milky Way." This image of heavenly energy flowing down upon Jeju-do offers one explanation for the supernatural phenomena mentioned in the ancient myths of the island.

In the middle of the volcanic crater atop Halla San lies a small lake called Baengnok-dam, or White Deer Lake. Legends mention this lake as the abode of angelic presences and the site where benevolent wizards would descend to ride on white deer along the shores of the lake.

And some pictures of Hallasan taken at the National Museum of Korea, Hallasan Branch:

Jeju Island in painted glass in the domed ceiling of the National Museum of Korea, Jeju Branch

A collection of attractions and memories posted in the National Museum of Korea, Jeju Branch

Olle trail experience - the biking/hiking/touring trail that circumnavigates Jeju Island, National Museum of Korea, Jeju Branch

Map of the rocks of Jeju Island [Korea has quite the igneous record around the country, with Jeju, Ulleungdo, and southern coastal jagged shorelines attracting the most interest.]

Distribution map of the dang (shamanic shrines) of Jeju Island, National Museum of Korea, Jeju Branch

Some pictures at the peak of Hallasan with its crater quite full because of heavy rains the previous day. How lucky we were to see the water in a seasonally dry crater!

Coming out of the tree line and approaching the peak!

Looking back .... we're even above the clouds! What a feeling of space and surrealness!

Looking back as the clouds rise and what appears to be people keeping strides just ahead of the billows.

The crater of Hallasan!

A closer look :)

The descent .... wish we could have taken pictures of the three roe deer we saw! We probably wouldn't have stopped to look for them if we hadn't heard their barking which sounded like loud, terrified injured dogs!

The onmipresent beggars at the peak and at the rest stations.

Crows will eat anything. I fed these guys walnuts, the only thing I hadn't yet eaten on the trip up. These guys seemed quite happy ... a bunch of beggars, and demanding ones at that!

Candid shot of a greedy sucker!

24 Solar Terms

Traditionally, Korea has had 24 "jeolgi" seasons, like many East Asian countries. These 24 seasons were based on the lunar calendar. While the west used the solar calendar which is based on the earth's rotation around the sun and a solar year division of 4, the east used the lunar calendar based on the phases of the moon and from moon phases calculated the seasons and dates within them. [This system took into account that some years actually had 13 months and could still effectively plan agricultural and fishing success!] With this kind of calculation, time was divided into segments of four based on the vernal and autumnal equinoxes and the summer and winter solstices. And exactly between these four were the beginning of spring, summer, fall and winter, and between those divisions were the waxing and the waning periods ... totalling 24 seasons.

Sounds complicated, but the "seasons" were efficiently and scientifically calculated to harmonize the predominantly agricultural and fishing society with the subtle climactic changes in the year -- for example, frosts, cold snaps, the warm spring rains, the periods of extreme heat. Following the 24 seasons insured success in both the planting and harvesting and in maritime work.

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Every semester I get truly insightful presentations from my Public Speaking students. While Korea has a history of using the 24 seasons, instead of the typical 4 used by westerners, in the present day and age with a radical drop in agriculture and fishing, the 24-season concept is no longer needed and so for several decades has not been taught. To my huge delight, two Chinese and one Mexican students explored Chinese seasonality for their culture-related presentation. This cyclical clock apparently developed in China but of course was also used in Korea. Thank you Michelle, Xiaohui and Jiayin for providing me with information I've heard about but struggle to find in present-day literature!

This PPT largely represented Chinese culture. While Korea also used a 24-season calendar and there were some cultural foods shared between cultures, e.g. moon cakes / rice cakes on harvest moon day, the majority of seasonal foods are unique to their own specific cultures. For more on Korean "cheolgi" food, GastroTourSeoul gives a "taste" of specific foods and how that food fits on the cheolgi cycle.