Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Ya-ta Boy]

I was just out on the roof (smoke break) and the sun is shining and it is raining. That is a 'tiger's wedding day', one of my favorite Korean expressions.

I never got an understandable explanation of the derivation. Anyone know?

[SweetBear]

The Mountain Spirit

In ancient times (and probably even now) the tiger was the messenger of the mountain spirit, San Shin. In paintings at Buddhist temples San Shin has a shrine behind the main buildings, up on the mountainside. The tiger always lies quietly at the side of the old mountain god, waiting to do his bidding, as in the following story:

named Ok-bun. Her beauty was often compared to the rising moon. Pak, a commoner, lived in the same village, and had a son whose named was P�al-bong. It was said that he was as bright as the rising sun.

These two young people were of different class, but they were very close, and they had been playing together since they were children. They often went hiking together in the mountains, Ok-Bun with her herb basket, and P�al-bong with his jige, or A-frame pack.

As they got older, Ok-bun�s father could see the inevitable�they were getting serious about each other, and he did not want his daughter to get any mischievous ideas about marrying some commoner. He was determined to marry his daughter to Tol-swae, who was also a nobleman. He told his daughter to stop meeting P�al-bong, scolding that was not proper for a young noblewoman to wander around with a common no-account like P�al-bong.

Ok-bun was not rebellious and did not have the heart to disobey her father, but at the same time she despaired over her impending marriage and separation from P�al-bong. She lost her appetite, and in time, started wasting away. Her father was not worried, though, since he knew she would forget P�al-bong when she married and settled down. He wanted to get her married quickly, however, before she got sick. So he arranged for the engagement and set an early wedding date.

P�al-bong felt awful. Whenever he thought of losing Ok-bun, just because of the class system, he gnashed his teeth and his eyes became fiery balls of pure fury. But neither P�al-bong nor his father had the power to do anything to prevent Ok-bun�s marriage.

The wedding day came. After a splendid feast the bridegroom entered the bridal chamber, where Ok-bun was waiting for him. And then.�.What?!?!? A tiger in the bedroom!!!

There was such a commotion that everyone in the house was soon scrambling and running in all directions. In the turmoil the tiger escaped with the new bride.

Grief stricken, P�al-bong and his father had not attended the wedding. They were at home, fast asleep. But then they were wakened by a loud thump in the next room. When they went to see what was going on, they discovered none other than Ok-bun lying there unconscious on the floor.

In the meantime, Tol-swae had gotten a search party together to look for Ok-bun. He thought she had surely been killed by the tiger. They all went looking for the tiger and the poor bride. P�al-bong�s father, who was a righteous man, felt obliged to report what had happened and he went immediately to Ok-bun�s father and explained everything that he could. On hearing this everyone nodded and said that it was the mountain spirit, San Shin, at his matchmaking again, and that no human should interfere. What else could Ok-bun�s father do but go along with this? Even the bridegroom saw that their marriage was not to be.

So a marriage between the two childhood sweethearts was arranged and they lived happily every after.
http://www.savethetigerfund.org/Content/NavigationMenu2/Community/KidsandTeachers/TigerStories/default.htm

[Ya-ta Boy]

Nice story. I enjoyed that. Thanks.

[matthews_world]

So how does that tie in to the weather? Or does it?

[Junior]

[periwinkle]

I read the title and thought Tiger Beer was getting married...

[Ya-ta Boy]

[itaewonguy]

[happeningthang]

[Ya-ta Boy]

[Hope]

Speaking of Tiger Beer...haven't heard from him for a while.