The Grandma ‘Seolmundae’

KCCNY x JFAC
<A Walk Through My Hometown: JEJU Ep 1>


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▲ The Grandma ‘Seolmundae’ 

Performing Arts Group: Hana Art (www.youtube.com/channel/UC0EBa4fe-nqahTuCs48j7Fw)

The Grandma ‘Seolmundae’ is a musical piece created by Hana Art based on a myth of the Grandma ‘Seolmundae’ of Jeju Island.

The Grandma ‘Seolmundae’ is a goddess who creates Jeju Island in Korea.

She is known to be a giant goddess. No one knows where she is from but is known as the youngest daughter of God of Earth, though this characteristic differs by regions.   

This is a myth of the birth of Jeju Island.

One day, Grandma ‘Seolmundae’ was bored seeing the same scenes everyday. Suddenly, she came up with an idea that she should make a new place she could enjoy.

She dug soil from the earth where she stood up. Next, she put the soil in her skirts and moved it to the center of the sea. While moving the soil, a bit of soil fell and scattered constantly through the holes in the skirt. Eventually, she made a huge mountain. The mountain was so high that people could touch the milky way. And so, she called that mountain “Halla.” Then, the scattered soil through the holes in her skirt became the “Oreum (Volcanic Cone).” 

Mt. Halla was too high, so she broke away a peak of Mt. Halla. Due to this, the concave peak was formed. Nowadays, we call this unique peak, “Baeknokdam.”

▲ Jeju Foundation for Arts & Culture (JFAC)

Jeju Foundation for Arts & Culture produced videos of selected artists based in Jeju to promote the traditions and identity of Jeju Island in Korea. 

*This video was produced by the Jeju Foundation for Arts & Culture.