The Korean Myths: A Guide to the Gods, Heroes and Legends

by Heinz Insu Fenkl, Bella Myong-wol Dalton-Fenkl

A fascinating introduction to the world of Korean myth and legend.


The myths of Korea may seem a complex and intriguing mix of ghosts, spirits, and superstition, but they form the bedrock of one of the most vibrant global cultures today. In the past few decades, South Korea has experienced a rapid rise to prominence on the world stage as the Hallyu, the "Korean wave" of popular culture, drives newfound interest in the country. This swift transformation has also generated paradoxes within contemporary South Korea, where cutting-edge technology now coexists with centuries-old shamanistic legends and Buddhist rituals.


Korean myths are a living and evolving part of society, in both the North and South. With the export of Korean film across the globe, K-pop, fashion, K-dramas, literature, and comics there is a growing desire to understand the folklore and mythical underpinnings of contemporary Korean culture. Authors Heinz Insu Fenkl and Bella Dalton-Fenkl bring together a wealth of knowledge of both the new and the old, the traditional and the modern, to guide readers through this fascinating history and help them understand the culture and traditions of the Korean people. From the Changsega ("Song of Creation") sung by shamans to the gods, goddesses, and monsters who inhabit the cosmos—including the god Mireuk, creator of the world, and the giant Grandma Mago, who was able to create mountains from the mud on her skirt—these myths have been disseminated for centuries and continue to resonate in popular culture today.

Genres: Nonfiction, Mythology, History, Folklore, Historical, Religion

283 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 8, 2024

About the author

Heinz Insu Fenkl, born in 1960 in Bupyeong, Korea, is a novelist, translator, and editor. Fenkl is a professor of English and the director of the Interstitial Studies Institute at SUNY New Paltz.

His autobiographical novel, Memories of My Ghost Brother, was named a Barnes & Noble "Discover Great New Writers" selection in 1996 and a PEN/Hemingway Award finalist in 1997, and his prose translation, Yi Mun-yol's short story, "An Anonymous Island," was published in the The New Yorker—the first Korean fiction to appear in that publication. Fenkl was guest editor for the special section on North Korea in the journal AZALEA, published by Harvard's Korea Institute. His translation of the classic 17th-century Korean Buddhist novel The Nine Cloud Dream by Kim Man-jung (Penguin Classics) was published in 2019.

Reviews

[CivilWar · Rating 2 out of 5]

Deeply disappointing mythography and by far the most disappointing one in this series, because it is a mythography in name only: The Korean Myths spends shockingly little time, as in almost none at all, discussing what little there is of ethnic Korean capital-M Mythology proper, namely the legendary pseudo-histories centered around Hwanung, Dangun, Dongmyeong/Chumong, etc, which are curiously very Indo-European in character (alongside some other "Altaic" elements) and it dedicates literally zero time whatsoever to analyzing what little it presents. I'm not even joking when I say that I'm fairly certain that the time spent talking about very common talking points related to Korea in the popular consciousness of the The Now, such as the issues with beauty standards and plastic surgery in the country, its internationally renowned (and with good reason) cinema and ffffucking K-Pop of all things. Everything also is mind-numbingly superficial - stuff on the mythological character of a lot of the Kim dynasty propaganda in North Korea, the consequences of the Korean War in Korean politics and life, the influence of Confucianism in Korea, now "the most Confucian nation in the world", and some very shallow overview of common themes in folk-tales - very little folk tales, and none in an actual "narrative" format, with only summaries. It doesn't even feel like something put together by either an expert, a native or an academic of mythology and folklore, even though I'm fairly certain that the author is all of those things at once.

Basically, I'm not saying that if you know nothing about Korea or East Asian folklore, this can be a fun if insubstantial little read if nothing else, but if you know literally anything about these topics, and even about Korean mythology itself, there's very little that you don't likely already know here.

I was looking forward to this book in the series, if only because Korea's pseudo-historical legendary mythology is fascinating in its similarities with Japanese and Indo-European mythologies, and illustrates many elements of very ancient Korean civilization, and there are few books on the matter in English, but quite literally all of them are preferable to this one: these would be Korean Myths and Folk Legends by Hwang Pae-Gang, An Illustrated Guide to Korean Mythology Won-oh Choi and Myths and Legends from Korea - an Annotated Compendium of Ancient and Modern Materials by James H. Grayson. There are others of course, detailing with more specific folkloric matters, like the excellent The Korean Singer of Tales by Marshal R. Pihl, which includes some proper translations of shamans songs and the like, not featured here as previously mentioned. As it stands, this is a very weak book, and perhaps the weakest offering among all the ones previously available on Korean myth.

[India (IndiaReadsALot) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This started super strong. I loved the discussions on how history has informed and changed myths and legends as time goes by and how different religions have informed mythology. Near the end, the book took a shift to talk about the modern history of both South and North Korea and while it was interesting I wasn't sure how it related to the myths and legends.

[Justin Montovio · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is as much about Korean mythology as it is about K-Pop, plastic surgery and the Kim family. It’s by no means bad, but it provides a basic and superficial account of the peninsula’s religious and historical context before moving on to completely unrelated topics that it attempts to shoehorn in as modern “myths”.

It’s as if the author was given a checklist of things that have to be covered in every book ever written on the subject of Korea. If you’re unfamiliar with Korea and its history, then this might be an alright introduction. If not, best to look elsewhere.

[Shey Saints · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Korean Myths: A Guide to the Gods, Heroes and Legends is a collaborative work of Korean history, foklore, and myths by Heinz Insu Fenkl and Bella Dalton-Fenkl. As a BTS ARMY and a K-drama fanatic, I am highly influenced by anything Korean. I have already been introduced to Korean culture, myths, entertainment, and a lot more but there are also many things I learned from this book that I didn’t know before. I like the fact that while Koreans are heavy on preserving their origins & traditions, they also embrace change and are partially accepting of the modern society in today's era. “Partially” because there are still many, many things that their culture and some parts of society aren’t completely amenable with. Proud to say that I have watched practically all the widely known and successful films and K-dramas that were mentioned in this book. Although the title says Korean Myths, this book is definitely way much more than that.

Overall, I am giving this book 5 out of 5 stars for documenting the essence of Korean culture, history, myths, legends, and the entertainment industry. I do, however, wish there was more mention of BTS impact other than their economic contribution and the fact that they are the most awarded Korean artists in the history of modern era. There is definitely more to BTS that I was waiting to be mentioned but of course, this book isn't just about them. Hence, I gave this book a perfect rating for making sure all the significant parts of history and today’s modern era were mentioned. This book is the perfect book for anyone who loves anything Korean, so I highly recommend it to all enthusiasts.

[Sophie · Rating 3 out of 5]

*takes a deep breath*
Look. It's fine. The first 4 chapters are fine. They're about the actual history of Korea, the myths, legends, and folk tales. They look at the themes in those tales. The structure is sometimes wonky, but it's decent. It's fine.

Then, it decides to talk about North Korea and South Korea. And it's fine.

HOWEVER. If you're going to have a section on Kpop, for the love of God, why do you not actually try to link it to the topic of your book?
Now, I get it. You can't actually do that for the majority of K-pop groups.

HOWEVER why, WHY, would you spend 3 pages talking about payola babies and then only give 5 backhanded sentences to BTS when they're the ones who actually have content that relate to the topic of your fucking book? WHY.

Wanna talk about myths and folklore ? THERE'S A WHOLE FUCKING MV CALLED IDOL ABOUT IT. And don't get me started on Ddaeng.

Wanna talk about the impact of accelerated industrialization and capitalism on people (which you've done when talking about the movies, the dramas, and the books)? THERE'S A WHOLE ALBUM TRILOGY ABOUT IT. it's called HYYH.

Wanna talk about the concept of persona (which you somehow mention)? THERE'S A WHOLE DUOLOGY ABOUT IT. It's called MAP OF THE SOUL. The first part is Persona, and the second part is 7.

When I say BTS is underrated. This is what I mean. Some dumbass will reluctantly mention them, but somehow will manage to completely ignore their relevancy to the actual subject discussed.

This is so dumb.

And I don't know why we have ARMYs leaving positive reviews on here just because BTS was mentioned. Why do y'all always settle for the bare minimum. Have some decency, will you.

💆‍♀️

[vakilo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ich bin mit dem Gedanken in dieses Buch eingestiegen, dass es wirklich mythologisch angehaucht ist.

Das Buch hat mir gut gefallen, aber die Mythologie ist hier eher gering und oberflächlich vorhanden.

Man bekommt hier einen Crash-Kurs über die koreanische Geschichte, auch Mythen und Legenden werden kurz angerissen, oder z.B. woher einige Redewendungen kommen. Es gibt oft Beispiele, welche K-Dramas man sich dazu anschauen kann.

Einen Großteil wird jedoch von der koreanischen Popkultur und den aktuellen Medien eingenommen. Hier ist im Fokus wieder K-Dramas, Musik, Comics.

Ein Kapitel ist z.B. sehr lang und ausführlich über Comics in Nordkorea und welche Bedeutung diese haben.

Mehrfach verteilt wird K-Wave erwähnt und wie sie sich weltweit immer weiter ausbreitet und jeden, ob jung/alt oder ganz egal aus welchem Teil der Welt man kommt, einen nur mitreißen kann.

Insgesamt ist das Buch interessant und ich habe paar neue Dinge gelernt. Einen Abzug gibt's leider, dass die Bilder schwarz/weiß sind. Bei einem Hardcover Buch hätte ich mir wirklich farbliche Bilder gewünscht.

Ich werde mir aus der Reihe jedenfalls noch weitere Bücher anschauen, um zu sehen, wie diese strukturiert sind.

[Bulletproof Girl · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a BTS ARMY, I was ecstatic by the mere mention of BTS, especially because they were mentioned first during the introduction before anyone else. I didn't know anything about Hallyu and K-Pop in general and did not find anyone else as interesting and lovable as BTS, so I only stuck with them for years. Reading this book made me a bit proud to be more knowledgeable of the culture and myths where BTS considers home. Of course, there is so much more to this book and it’s so informative that it can actually be a part of the school’s curriculum. What with all the historical events, political upheavals, mythical stories, legendary icons, and all the important people who made history. Two thumbs up for this book and highly recommended!

[Greg Wright · Rating 4 out of 5]

A genuinely fantastic read except for the last chapter. Definitely an introduction with a strong overview and some absolutely fascinating side notes and deep dives. I do not have a favorite chapter because but the last are just fantastic intros. The last... I think I get what they were going for with pop culture as modern mythology (and history for context) but I fail to see what Twice, North Korean kaiju films, and manhwa have to do as is (specific examples like Save This Green Earth I do get). Also felt anticlimactic because the thesis of the last chapter would be so much stronger if it had come out six months later and included a postscript on KPop Demon Hunters, which is the exact reason I got this book. Highly suggest this one.

[Harmonia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm glad that at least, South & North Korea share the same culture and myths. Imagine if even on those areas, they are divided. I learned so much more than the things I already know from watching K-dramas and other forms of Korean entertainment such as K-Pop and variety shows. This was an awesome read! So rich in information and so fascinating to read because I have been a fan of the Korean entertainment for years. I won't be able to remember everything I read because this book is loaded with so much history and many facts and figures, but I won't ever forget that story about why Korean noses are flat and why Caucasians have long noses.

[Siri Olsen · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Korean Myths is the eighth installment in The Myths-series. Following a similar format to its predecessors, it offers a broad, general introduction to the world of Korean mythology, covering both the content of central beliefs as well as the history of religion on the Korean peninsula and even the mythology underlying the North Korean regime in recent decades. The book adheres to the high standards of previous volumes, providing a comprehensive guide which manages to simultaneously situate Korea's mythological landscape within a broader East Asian context and draw attention to uniquely Korean aspects of broader religious ideas. Highly recommended.

[Nabil Hourani · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting information and explanation of most Korean Gods, Religions & Philosophy, Legend & Folklore, as well as a short presentation of North Korea's leaders and issues, and of the new wave of culture (shows, films, bands, etc.). The authors show knowledge of the subject with all Korean's words, themes, using relevant photos and sidebars. It would enhance the book if paintings and other shown art objects were photographed in colors.

[Mary Armstrong · Rating 3 out of 5]

as a guide to myths this was very disappointing, as it made only superficial reference to mythical characters, in the context of history and culture. The test is quite superficial and reads like a newspaper article, and the chapters on k pop and plastic surgery will I suspect date quickly,. I did however learn some interesting facts about the history of Korea, and the various influences on its culture, so do not regret reading it.

[Daniel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the first half of this book which introduced us to Korean myth and folklore, but the second half (roughly) devolved into something else, a consideration of contemporary Korean culture. That is fine in an of itself. And at times, interesting, but not the fields which drew me to the book when I chanced upon it in a local bookstore.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book offers a great overview of Korean history and culture, but it always stays surface-level - which is exactly as intended, I guess, but it left me hungry for a deeper understanding of all the mentioned history and myths.

[Megan Martinek · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was really interesting!! As a k-pop & k-drama lover it was very cool to see how the war & the splitting of the nation has affected everything in the mythology and culture of Korea.
Also shoutouts to my friend Megan who gave this to me!! 💗

[CöCö · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bon moyen de découvrir les mythes coréens ainsi qu'un peu d'histoire de la péninsule.
Certains sujets comme les mythes méritaient un peu plus de développement tandis que les chapitres sur "les temps modernes" l'était peut être un peu trop....🤷‍♀️

[Hengyu · Rating 3 out of 5]

一本有趣的朝鮮神話傳說百科，朝鮮的許多創世神話還挺臟的，這個世界是從屎尿屁中誕生的！比如濟州傳統中的雪門台婆婆「在睡覺時放了屁，排出的氣體造成一連串爆炸，宇宙因而誕生。她撈起海底的泥巴澆熄海上冒出的火，造出了火山地形的濟州島。島的一小部分被她的尿冲裂，成了濟州島東側的牛島。她的身體是沃壤，頭髮是草木。她的尿滋養了海床，帶來濟州海女採集的豐富海產。」「北方傳統中，巨人麻姑婆婆用裙子盛裝泥土，倒下泥土的地方便形成山岳和島嶼。她蹲下大小便，糞便成為丘陵，尿液成為河流。」

[Mike van Holsteijn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Er bestaat in de Koreaanse mythologie iets als de bezemgeest: een bezem die een geest wordt als hij in aanraking komt menstruatiebloed 👍🏻

[Jelle Van 'T Ooster · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice prep for a trip to the peninsula! First part (on religion, myths and legends) more interesting than the second (k-wave, film and politics).

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Emille Bell story is going to haunt me.

[Isabel Davenport]

too much pop culture

[Claire · Rating 4 out of 5]

An easy and educational read but heavily orientated to understanding modern Korea rather than purely its mythology.

[R. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Korean/Korea 在英文容易有歧義，繁中譯本的審定和譯者做的很好，幫忙修正或註解原版的錯誤。個人認為，這本書只適合當休閒讀物，民間傳說、神話、虛實交錯的部分佔比很大，太認真去試著理解或記會頭很痛。