[Korea Route] 'Mountain Movement and Flying Rock Story'... The Strange Gangwon-do 'Burae Legend'

Many Folktales in Gangwon-do Feature 'Burae Legend' with Geumgangsan as Destination
Hope for Relief from Suffering Through Depictions of Oppressed People and the Appearance of a Boy

Seoraksan Ulsan Rock [Gangwon-do]

[Asia Economy Reporter La Youngcheol] In the beginning, the Creator gathered beautiful rocks from all over the country to create Geumgangsan Mountain.

The 'Ulsanbawi' rock, which was in Ulsan, also diligently walked the path to enter Geumgangsan. However, upon reaching Seoraksan, it heard that all 12,000 peaks of Geumgangsan had been completed, and disappointed, it stopped there and settled.

It is said that people from Ulsan came to Sokcho to collect taxes, but thanks to the wit of a boy (童子), the people of Sokcho did not have to pay taxes.

"People came from Ulsan to impose taxes on Ulsanbawi. A boy used his wisdom to avoid paying the taxes." - Gangwon Province Chronicles -

The 'Ulsanbawi Legend' is mainly passed down in areas such as Sokcho and Yangyang, where Ulsanbawi is located. However, it is also told that this rock originally moved from Ulsan, and the legend remains in some parts of Gyeongsang Province, including Ulsan.

The 'Ulsanbawi Legend' contains three key elements: the rock's movement, the process of stopping, and the dispute over tax imposition between the original and the new region, reflecting a typical 'mountain movement legend.'

Gangwon Province, which has a wide range of agricultural, fishing, and mountain villages as well as plains, rivers, and seas, is divided into Yeongdong and Yeongseo by the Taebaek Mountains, forming different cultural zones with various legends in each region.

Among these, the 'Burae (Floating Arrival) Legend,' related to natural creation, contains many interesting stories. The Burae legend refers to tales where natural objects such as mountains, rocks, or islands are said to have floated or flown into place due to floods or some divine power.

According to the Gangwon Province Chronicles, many Burae legends have Geumgangsan as their final destination. This reflects how the people of Gangwon have long regarded Geumgangsan as the most famous and revered mountain.

Although not all mountains and rocks in Gangwon Province became part of Geumgangsan, they are considered relatively outstanding compared to their surrounding landscapes.

Many Burae legends also involve tax payment issues, symbolizing the people's desire to resolve the real suffering of the exploited populace through the appearance of a clever boy.

According to the chronicles, Gangwon Province's Burae legends are classified into three types: 'rocks floating and flying in,' 'mountains moving and stopping,' and 'islands drifting in the sea and settling.'

Examples of 'rocks floating and flying in' include the 'Biraeam Legend (Hwacheon),' 'Maebawi Legend,' 'Gwaejongam Legend (Goseong),' and 'Ulsanbawi Legend (Sokcho).'

Examples of 'mountains moving and stopping' include the 'Gosan Legend (Chuncheon),' 'Yusildo Legend (Wonju),' 'Namsan Legend (Gangneung),' 'Samcheoksan Legend (Yeongwol),' 'Palbongsan Legend (Hongcheon),' 'Haemangsan Legend' and 'Deokbongsan Legend (Samcheok),' 'Ttansan Legend (Hwacheon),' 'Dorongbong Legend (Inje),' and 'Dodamsambong Legend (Jeongseon).'

The 'Maebawi Legend' of Goseong also tells that it moved to become part of Geumgangsan but stopped at the outskirts as Geumgangsan was already full.

The 'Palbongsan Legend' of Hongcheon tells of a strong man carrying a mountain to Geumgangsan who sat down to rest and was unable to continue due to suddenly rising waters, so the mountain stayed there.

The 'Haemangsan Legend' and 'Deokbongsan Legend' of Samcheok, and the 'Ttansan Legend' of Hwacheon also say that they tried to become part of Geumgangsan but stopped upon hearing that Geumgangsan was already full.

The 'Biraeam Legend' of Hwacheon tells that Birae Rock became a place of rock movement and a place of prayer for people.

The 'Gosan Legend' of Chuncheon says that a government official from Geumseong County excessively taxed the mountain area, causing great suffering to residents, so God caused a flood to move the mountain to Chuncheon.

The 'Yusildo Legend' of Wonju tells that a mountain originally in Hoengseong County was moved to Wonju by a flood, and people from Hoengseong came to collect taxes.

The 'Namsan Legend' of Gangneung says the mountain walked on its own but stopped when a girl saw it and shouted.

The 'Samcheoksan Legend' of Yeongwol has no mountain movement; it is called 'Samcheoksan' because a Mr. Kim from Samcheok moved there, bought the mountain, and people from Samcheok came to collect taxes.

The 'Dorongbong Legend' of Inje says it came from Gyeryongsan, and people from Chungcheong Province came to collect taxes, but thanks to a child's wisdom, they did not have to pay.

Conversely, the 'Dodamsambong Legend' of Jeongseon tells that due to a flood, the mountain drifted from Jeongseon to Danyang in Chungbuk, and although people from Jeongseon went to collect taxes in Danyang, a child's wisdom prevented the tax collection.

A common feature of the 'Burae Legends' is that the evidence of the folklore is recorded as something the local people regard as mysterious and sacred.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.