| Wonju City circa 1910s-1920s Courtesy of Jan Downing Collection |
By Robert Neff
Dragons have dwelt on the Korean Peninsula since the beginning of time ― at least according to the legends and folklore. These mystical creatures or entities were also popular subjects to grace the pages of Westerners' letters home or to the editors of their local newspapers.
Dr. Albin Garfield Anderson (1882-1971), an American medical missionary, claimed Koreans believed gods were responsible for the weather and that if these gods were properly approached or beseeched, the weather patterns could be changed for the better or worse ― depending on the whims of these divine beings. According to Anderson, residents of Wonju where he spent his first few years in Korea would write prayers for rain on pieces of paper and hang them from branches of trees on the surrounding mountains or paste them to stones. However, there was an easier method than trekking up the steep mountain: all one had to do was go to the market:
"Two dragons lie between the market stalls, each about 100 feet long and two feet high at the head, tapering off gradually to the tail. A sorceress in time of dry weather will come out and dance before these dragons to bring rain."
Of course, Wonju was not the only city with dragons. Seoul was infamously the home of a great dragon; it lived beneath the city and was a particularly light sleeper. The introduction of streetcars and electricity in the late 1890s troubled it greatly and, in retaliation, it deprived the kingdom of rain. This was not the first time it punished the mortals living within its domain by depriving them of rain. In the summer of 1882, the dragon was annoyed by the increased presence of foreign nationals ― Japanese ― and the country was plagued with a drought. On July 23, unrest broke out in Seoul and the Japanese Legation was attacked. Apparently this pleased the dragon as evidenced by the heavy rain that began at about the same time.
On Nov. 4, 1897, a horrific hail storm ― accompanied by a terrific wind ― struck parts of South Chungcheong Province causing widespread damage to the fields and knocking down or blowing away over 100 houses. One woman claimed to have been picked up by the wind and deposited nearly 100 meters away; she suffered severe injuries to her legs. While a storm of this magnitude was certainly newsworthy, it was not the destruction it wrought that gained the reader's attention but rather its origin.
According to the governor ― who relied upon eyewitness accounts ― a great dragon ascended to heaven during the storm. Albeit, no one actually saw the complete dragon. Its body was wrapped up in a black cloud ― but many saw its tail.
The editor of The Independent ― a newspaper published in Korean and English in Seoul ― didn't question the veracity of the storm or its damage, but he was rather skeptical of the dragon. He suggested alcohol may have been to blame.
"When one is under the complete control of the influence of whiskey he occasionally sees snakes, but the physical properties of Korean [makgeolli] may magnify the field of vision to such a degree as to transform serpentine objects into dragonic dimensions."
Perhaps this might have explained the earlier dragon sighting in Seoul. On Aug. 8, 1897, a Korean official named Won Sai-sun ― a former palace recorder ― claimed to have seen a great dragon ascend towards the heavens from the peaks of Mount Bukhan. Apparently, Won was the only one to witness this mystical flight. He did, however, have an answer as to why no one else witnessed it: it happened at night and everyone was asleep except for him!
The official explained the significance of the dragon's flight. When King Taejo (the founder of the Joseon Dynasty) ascended the throne in August 1392, a great dragon was seen flying above the city of Hamhung in present-day North Korea. That dragon symbolized the start of the kingdom which was expected to last for about 500 years. The dragon that suddenly flew above Seoul in 1897 indicated that Joseon had been given an additional 500 years of existence ― provided that reforms were carried out. What became of Won and his suggested reforms is unclear but his interpretation of the dragon's appearance was seemingly wrong as Joseon lasted barely another decade.
Robert Neff has authored and co-authored several books, including Letters from Joseon, Korea Through Western Eyes and Brief Encounters.