Korean Mythology

Captivating Myths, Legends, and Folktales from Korea

By: Matt Clayton

Narrated by: Michael Reaves

Length: 3 hrs and 7 mins

Publisher's summary

Have you ever encountered a noblewoman who was so beautiful that every time she walked by a body of water, the divine being who lived there kidnapped her? Or a mole who wanted to marry his beloved daughter to the wind? You will get to meet both of them in this audiobook.

Long ago, Korea was divided into the three kingdoms of Koguryo, Silla, and Paekche. Each kingdom had its own culture, myths, and legends. Many of these myths were first written down in a collection called Samguk yusa, or “Memorabilia of the Three Kingdoms,” which was compiled by a Buddhist monk named Iryeon in the late 13th century.

Changes in religious belief across the centuries came to have an important impact on Korean mythology. The earliest religion was a form of shamanism, and the belief in gods and spirits who inhabit animals and mountains come to the fore in several of these tales. Buddhism was introduced in the fourth century, and several Korean myths have Buddhist monks or priests as their protagonists. Confucianism, which gained traction in Korea starting at the end of the 14th century, contributed to the concept of filial piety that informs the plots of several of the stories in this volume.

Here are just a few of the other amazing things you will encounter in this collection of Korean myths and legends:

• The story of how King Tongmyong hatched out of an egg
• The legend of how the dragon Ch’oyong became a protector against smallpox
• A Korean frog prince and a Korean Cinderella
• A Buddhist monk who is befriended by a spirit
• The good brother whom the King of the Swallows rewards for his kindness, and the bad brother who learns a hard lesson about selfishness
• Why cats and dogs are enemies
• And more

Scroll up and click the “buy now” button to learn more about Korean myths and legends.

©2021 Matt Clayton (P)2021 Matt Clayton

So nice to hear folk tale that are new to me

Narration, great. Stories, great. A good listen! Anyone unfamiliar with Korean folklore should check this out.

I like it

I liked it it was good and the story about the amber was my favorite yes indeed good adds information on Korea in your inner book which is your mind yes yes indeed good

A bit short… but great stories

The performance was great. It is written a bit like a western baby boomer is projecting their values onto it, in the sense that fastidiousness and cisgendered desires are written as a given. It feels like a missed opportunity to acknowledge the bridge the gap.

Oh well. I enjoyed it a lot.

Charming folklore collection - missed opportunity for authenticity

The organization of the content was helpful, and selected stories were charming. With so many fine Korean American voice and narrative talent that were not hired as narrator, this audiobook missed the opportunity to have an authentic and compelling performance. The mispronunciation of Korean words was disruptive.