CHILD LIFE
by William Elliot Griffis · from Corea: The Hermit Nation
Adapted Version
Min lived with kin in Korea. He had a very special life! Min was a baby. Min's Mother loved him. She patted his tummy softly. "To-tak, to-tak," she said. Min grew bigger. He stood up. He took his first step! All cheered. "Ja-pak, ja-pak!" Min smiled.
Min loved his toys. He had a small tiger. The tiger had wheels. Min pulled it with a string. The tiger rolled on the floor. Min also saw a puppy. The puppy was very friendly. It wagged its tail. Min liked the puppy. He liked to play with it. It was fun.
Min played with his friends. They made paper pinwheels. The pinwheels were bright. They put them on sticks. The wind made them spin fast. It was a happy game. They also played "dinner." They used tiny cups. They used tiny dishes. They cooked pretend food. It was a fun game too.
Min went to the beach. The sand was soft. He saw little crabs. The crabs moved quickly. They hid under rocks. Min had a special rattle. It was a smooth, dried egg. Small stones were inside. The rattle made a soft sound. Min liked his rattle. He held it tight.
Min stayed inside at times. He watched his mother. Other kin played too. They played quiet games. They sat at a table. They moved small pieces. The pieces were on a board. Min watched them play. It looked like fun.
There was a special night. It was a big party. Min went with kin to 'Tread the Bridges'. They walked on stone bridges. The moon was bright. All were happy. People laughed and sang. Min saw many happy people. They walked back and forth. It was a joyful night. Min loved the party.
Min went to school. He sat with other boys. He learned to draw letters. The letters were new. He learned to count numbers. He used a special tool. It had many beads. He moved the beads. The school was busy. Many boys learned there. Min worked hard. He liked to learn.
Min's Mother was very kind. She was gentle too. Min's Father was strong. He was also very wise. Both parents loved Min. They loved him so much. They cared for all children. Children were a great joy. Each child felt safe. Each child felt loved. Min was happy with his kin. He knew he was special.
Min learned many things. He learned to show respect. He respected his father. He respected his old father. Min bowed to them. He bowed very low. He helped them often. He helped when they needed it. This showed his love. He loved his kin. Respect was key. It made all happy.
At times, kin helped other kin. They shared a child. The child joined a new home. This made both kin happy. Both kin became strong. All stayed together. Kin was very key. It made life good for all.
Min's kin was very big. It was like a clan. All the kin helped. They helped each other. They were a strong team. They worked together always. They shared everything. This made them happy and safe.
Min had a kin name. His father had the same name. His mother had it too. All his kin shared it. This name showed they belonged. They were one kin. It was a good thing.
Min had a special name. He used it carefully. He learned not to say his father's name. This showed great respect. It was a kin rule. He respected older people. This made his kin proud.
Min loved his kin. He loved his home. He was part of a big kin. It was a loving kin. This was a very good thing. He felt happy. He felt safe.
Original Story
CHILD LIFE.
Judging from a collection of the toys of Corean children, and from their many terms of affection and words relating to games and sports, festivals and recreation, nursery stories, etc., the life of the little Kim or Ni must be a pleasant one. For the blessings of offspring the parents offer rice to the god of the household (sam-sin-hang), whose tiny shrine holds a place of honor in some ornamental niche in the best room. When the baby begins to grow, cradles being unknown, the mother puts the infant to sleep by to-tak, to-tak—patting it lightly on the stomach. When it is able to take its first step across the floor—the tiger-skin rug being ready to ease its possible fall—this important household event, spoken of with joy as the ja-pak, ja-pak, is described to the neighbors. As the child grows up and is able to walk and run about, the hair is mostly shaved off, so that only a “button of jade” is left on the top of the head. This infantile tuft takes its name from the badge or togle worn on the top of the men’s caps in winter. A child, “three feet high,” very beautiful and well formed, docile and strong, if a son, is spoken of “as a thousand-mile horse”—one who promises to make an alert and enduring man. A child noted for filial piety will even cheerfully commit tan-ji—cutting his finger to furnish his blood as a remedy for the sickness of father or mother. Should the child die, a stone effigy or statue of itself is set up before his grave.
In the capital and among the higher classes, the children’s toys are very handsome, ranking as real works of art, while in every class the playthings of the tiny Corean humanity form but a miniature copy of the life of their elders. Among the living pets, the monkey is the favorite. These monkeys are fitted with jackets, and when plump and not too mischievous make capital pets for the boys. Puppies share the affections of the nursery with the tiger on wheels. Made of paper pulp and painted, this harmless effigy of the king of beasts is pulled about with a string. A jumping-jack is but a copy of the little boy who pulls it. A jerk of the string draws in the pasteboard tongue, and sends the trumpet to his mouth. Official life is mirrored in the tasselled umbrella, the fringed hats, and the toy-chariot with fancy wheels. Other toys, such as rattles, flags, and drums, exactly imitate the larger models with which the grown-up men and women amuse themselves. All these are named, fashioned, and decorated in a style peculiarly Corean. Among the most common of the children’s plays are the following: A ring is hidden in a heap of sand, and the urchins poke sticks into and through the pile to find it. Whoever transfixes the circlet wins the game, suggesting our girls’ game of grace-hoop, though often taking a longer time. Rosettes or pinwheels of paper are made and fastened on the end of sticks. Running before the breeze, the miniature windmills afford hilarious delight.
The children’s way of bringing rain is to move the lips up and down, distending the cheeks and pressing the breath through the lips. Playing “dinner” with tiny cups and dishes, and imitating the ponderous etiquette of their elders, is a favorite amusement. See-saw is rougher and more exhilarating. Games of response are often played with hands, head, or feet, in which one watches the motions of his rival, opens or shuts his hands, and pays a forfeit or loses the game when a false move is made. For the coast-dwellers, the sea-shore, with the rocks which are the refuge of the shell-fish, is the inexhaustible playground of the children. Looking down in the clear deep water of the archipelago they see the coral reefs, the bright flower-gardens of marine plants, and shoals of striped, banded, crimson-tailed, and green-finned fish, which, in the eastern seas, glitter with tints of gold and silver. The children, half naked, catch the crabs and lobsters, learning how to hold their prizes after many a nab and pinch, which bring infantile tears and squalls. One of the common playthings of Corean children, the “baby’s rattle,” is the dried leathery egg of the skate, which with a few pebbles inside makes the infant, if not its parents, happy with the din.
Besides a game of patting and dabbling in the water—chal-pak, chal-pak—boys amuse themselves by fishing with hook and line or net. One method is to catch fish by means of the yek-kui. This is a plant of peppery taste, which poisons or stupefies the fish that bite the tempting tip, making them easy prey. More serious indoor games played by women and children are pa-tok, or backgammon; sang-pi-yen, dominoes; siu-tu-chen, game of eighty cards; and chang-keui, or chess. All these pastimes are quite different from ours of the same name, yet enough like them to be recognized as belonging to the species named. The festivals most intensely enjoyed by the children are those of “Treading the Bridges,” “The Meeting of the Star Lovers,” and the “Mouse Fire.” There is one evening in the year in which men and children, as well as women, are allowed to be out in the streets of the capital. The people spend the greater part of the night in passing and repassing upon the little bridges of stone. It is a general “night out” for all the people. Comedians, singers, harlequins, and merry-makers of all kinds are abroad, and it being moonlight, all have a good time in “treading the bridges.” On the seventh day of the seventh month, the festival honored in China, Corea, and Japan takes place, for which children wait, in expectation, many days in advance. Sweetmeats are prepared, and bamboos strung with strips of colored paper are the symbols of rejoicing. On this night the two stars Capricornus and Alpha Lyra (or the Herd-boy and Spinning Maiden) are in conjunction in the milky way1 (or the River of Heaven), and wishes made at this time are supposed to come true.
Chu-pul, or the Mouse Fire, occurs in the twelfth month, on the day of the Mouse (or rat). Children light brands or torches of dry reeds or straw, and set fire to the dry herbage, stubble, and shrubbery on the borders of the roads, in order to singe the hair of the various field or ground-burrowing animals, or burn them out, so as to obtain a plentiful crop of cotton.
At school, the pupils study according to the method all over Asia, that is, out loud, and noisily. This kang-siong, or deafening buzz, is supposed to be necessary to sound knowledge. Besides learning the Chinese characters and the vernacular alphabet, with tongue, ear, eye, and pen, the children master the ku-ku (“nine times nine”), or the multiplication table, and learn to work the four simple rules of arithmetic, and even fractions, involution, and evolution on the chon-pan, or sliding numeral frame. A “red mark” is a vermilion token of a good lesson, made by the examiner; and for a good examination passed rewards are given in the form of a first-rate dinner, or one or all of “the four friends of the study table”—pens, ink, paper, and inkstand, or brushes, sticks of “India” ink, rolls of unsized paper, and an inkstone or water-dropper. Writing a good autograph signature—“one’s own pen”—is highly commended. Sometimes money is given for encouragement, which the promising lad saves up in an earthen savings-bank. Not a few of the youth of the humbler classes, who work in the fields by day and study the characters by night, rise to be able officers who fill high stations.
The French missionaries assure us that the normal Corean is fond of children, especially of sons, who in his eyes are worth ten times as much as daughters. Such a thing as exposure of children is almost unknown. In times of severe famine this may happen after failure to give away or sell for a season, that they may be bought back. Parents rarely find their family too numerous.
The first thing inculcated in a child’s mind is respect for his father. All insubordination is immediately and sternly repressed. Far different is it with the mother. She yields to her boy’s caprices and laughs at his faults and vices without rebuke. The child soon learns that a mother’s authority is next to nothing. In speaking of his father a lad often adds the words “severe,” “terrible,” implying the awe and profound respect in which he holds his father. (Something of the same feeling prevails as in Japan, where the four dreadful things which a lad most fears, and which are expressed in a rhyming proverb, are: “Earthquake, wind, fire, and father,” or “daddy.”) On the contrary, in speaking of his mother, he adds the words “good,” “indulgent,” “I’m not afraid of her,” etc. A son must not play nor smoke in his father’s presence, nor assume free or easy posture before him. For lounging, there is a special room, like a nursery. The son waits on his father at meals and gets his bed ready. If he is old or sickly, the son sleeps near him and does not quit his side night or day. If he is in prison the son takes up his abode in the vicinity, to communicate with his parent and furnish him with luxuries. In case of imprisonment for treason, the son at the portal, on bended knees day and night, awaits the sentence that will reduce himself to slavery. If the accused is condemned to exile, the son must at least accompany his father to the end of the journey, and, in some cases, share banishment with him. Meeting his father in the street, the son must make profound salute on his knees, in the dust, or in the ditch. In writing to him, he must make free use of the most exaggerated honorifics which the Corean knows.
The practice of adoption is common, as it is abnormally so in all countries where ancestral worship is prevalent and underlies all religions. The preservation of the family line is the supreme end and aim of life. In effect all those persons are descendants of particular ancestors who will keep up the ancestral sacrifices, guard the tablets and observe the numerous funeral and mourning ceremonies which make life such a burden in Eastern Asia. Daughters are not adopted, because they cannot accomplish the prescribed rites. When parents have only a daughter, they marry her to an adopted son, who becomes head of the family so adopted into. Even the consent of the adopted, or of his parents, is not always requisite, for as it is a social, as well as a religious necessity, the government may be appealed to, and, in case of need, forces acceptance of the duty. In this manner, as in the patriarchal age of biblical history, a man may be coerced into “raising up seed” to defunct ancestors.
Properly, an adoption, to be legal, ought to be registered at the office of the Board of Rites, but this practice has fallen into disuse, and it is sufficient to give public notice of the fact among the two families concerned. An adoption once made cannot be void except by a decree from the Tribunal of Rites, which is difficult to obtain. In practice, the system of adoption results in many scandals, quarrels, jealousies, and all the train of evils which one familiar with men and women, as they are, might argue a priori without the facts at hand. The iron fetters of Asiatic institutions cannot suppress human nature.
Primogeniture is the rigid rule. Younger sons, at the time of their marriage, or at other important periods of life, receive paternal gifts, now more, now less, according to usage, rank, the family fortune, etc., but the bulk of the property belongs to the oldest son, on whom the younger sons look as their father. He is the head of the family, and regards his father’s children as his own. In all Eastern Asia the bonds of family are much closer than among Caucasian people of the present time. All the kindred, even to the fifteenth or twentieth degree, whatever their social position, rich or poor, educated or illiterate, officials or beggars—form a clan, a tribe, or more exactly one single family, all of whose members have mutual interests to sustain. The house of one is the house of the other, and each will assist to his utmost another of the clan to get money, office, or advantage. The law recognizes this system by levying on the clan the imposts and debts which individuals of it cannot pay, holding the sodality responsible for the individual. To this they submit without complaint or protest.
Instead of the family being a unit, as in the west, it is only the fragment of a clan, a segment in the great circle of kindred. The number of terms expressing relationship is vastly greater and much more complex than in English. One is amazed at the exuberance of the national vocabulary in this respect. The Coreans are fully as clannish as the Chinese, and much more so than the Irish; and in this, as in the Middle Kingdom, lies one great obstacle to Christianity or to any kind of individual reform. Marriage cannot take place between two persons having the same family cognomen. There are in the kingdom only one hundred and forty or fifty family, or rather clan names. Yet many of these names are widespread through the realm. All are formed of a single Chinese letter, except six or seven, which are composed of two characters. To distinguish the different families who bear the same patronymic, they add the name which they call the pu, or Gentile name, to indicate the place whence the family originally came. In the case of two persons wishing to marry, if this pu is the same, they are in the eyes of the law relatives, and marriage is forbidden. If the pu of each is different, they may wed. The most common names, such as Kim and Ni—answering to our Smith and Jones—have more than a score of pu, which arise from more than twenty families, the place of whose origin is in each case different. The family name is never used alone. It is always followed by a surname; or only the word so-pang, junior, sang-wen, senior, lord, sir, etc.
Male adults usually have three personal names, that given in childhood, the common proper name, and the common legal name, while to this last is often added the title. Besides these, various aliases, nicknames, fanciful and punning appellatives, play their part, to the pleasure or vexation of their object. This custom is the source of endless confusion in documents and common life. It was formerly in vogue in Japan, but was abolished by the mikado’s government in 1872, and now spares as much trouble to tongue, types, and pens, as a reform in our alphabet and spelling would save the English-speaking world. As in Nippon, a Corean female has but one name from the cradle to the grave. The titles “Madame,” or “Madame widow,” are added in mature life. As in old Japan, the common people do not, as a rule, have distinguishing individual names, and among them nicknames are very common. Corean etiquette forbids that the name of father, mother, or uncle be used in conversation, or even pronounced aloud.
1 See “The Meeting of the Star Lovers,” in Japanese Fairy World. ↑
Story DNA
Plot Summary
This text provides a detailed ethnographic account of Corean child life, customs, and social structures. It describes children's toys, games, festivals, and educational practices, highlighting the importance of offspring and the unique aspects of their upbringing. The narrative then shifts to the profound filial piety, the strict father-son relationship, and the contrasting indulgence of mothers. Finally, it elaborates on the pervasive practice of adoption, the rigid rule of primogeniture, and the extensive, interdependent clan system, concluding with an explanation of complex Corean naming conventions.
Themes
Emotional Arc
neutral to appreciative
Writing Style
Narrative Elements
Cultural Context
This text provides a snapshot of Corean (Korean) society and customs, particularly regarding children and family, as observed and documented by William Elliot Griffis, likely in the late 19th or early 20th century. It highlights aspects that would have been distinct from Western cultures of the time.
Plot Beats (13)
- The text begins by describing the joyful aspects of Corean child life, including parental blessings for offspring and early developmental milestones like first steps.
- It details common children's toys, which are miniature versions of adult life, and popular pets like monkeys and puppies.
- Various children's games are described, from hiding rings in sand to making paper pinwheels and playing 'dinner'.
- Coastal children's play involving crabs and lobsters, and a unique 'baby's rattle' made from skate eggs, are mentioned.
- More serious indoor games for women and children, such as backgammon and chess, are listed.
- Three major festivals enjoyed by children—'Treading the Bridges,' 'The Meeting of the Star Lovers,' and 'Mouse Fire'—are explained.
- The traditional noisy method of schooling in Asia, including learning Chinese characters, arithmetic, and the use of the abacus, is outlined.
- The text discusses the high value placed on sons, the rarity of child abandonment, and the contrasting parental roles of a stern father and an indulgent mother.
- It elaborates on the profound respect and obedience expected from sons towards their fathers, including specific customs like saluting and serving.
- The pervasive practice of adoption, driven by ancestral worship and the need to preserve the family line, is explained, including its legal and social implications.
- The rigid rule of primogeniture and the strong, extensive clan bonds in Corea, where the clan is responsible for individual members, are detailed.
- The complex system of family names, clan names (pu), and personal names, including the prohibition of marriage between those with the same pu, is described.
- The text concludes by noting the multiple personal names for adult males and the single name for females, along with etiquette forbidding the use of elder relatives' names.
Characters
Little Kim or Ni (Corean Child)
A young Corean child, typically small in stature. When very young, their hair is mostly shaved off, leaving only a 'button of jade' tuft on the top of the head. Described as 'three feet high,' beautiful, well-formed, docile, and strong if a son.
Attire: Often described as 'half naked' when playing by the seashore, suggesting simple, minimal clothing for play. Otherwise, likely wears simple, loose-fitting cotton or linen garments in muted colors, appropriate for a Corean child of the era, such as a short jeogori (jacket) and baji (trousers) for boys.
Wants: To play, explore, learn, and enjoy the simple pleasures of childhood, while also fulfilling filial duties.
Flaw: Vulnerable to physical pain (cries from crab pinches) and the strict societal expectations of filial piety.
The story describes their typical life cycle from infancy to childhood, highlighting their development and engagement with cultural practices and play.
Playful, curious, filial (willing to commit 'tan-ji' for parents), imaginative, resilient (endures pinches from crabs), and eager to participate in games and festivals.
The Corean Mother
A Corean woman, likely of average build for her time and culture. Her appearance would reflect the traditional beauty standards of Joseon-era Korea.
Attire: Traditional Corean hanbok, likely a simple, elegant chima (skirt) and jeogori (short jacket) made of cotton or silk in muted, natural colors, suitable for daily household activities. Perhaps a white or light-colored jeogori with a long, flowing chima.
Wants: To care for her child, ensure its well-being, and uphold family traditions.
Flaw: Potentially vulnerable to the emotional burden of child-rearing and societal expectations.
Remains a constant, nurturing presence, embodying the traditional role of a mother in Corean society.
Nurturing, affectionate (uses 'to-tak, to-tak'), observant (notices first steps), and traditional (offers rice to household god).
The Corean Father
A Corean man, likely of a respectable build, reflecting his role as a patriarch. His appearance would conform to the traditional standards of Joseon-era Korea.
Attire: Traditional Corean hanbok for men, such as a durumagi (outer coat) or po (robe) over a jeogori and baji, made of silk or fine cotton in subdued, dignified colors. He would likely wear a traditional gat (horsehair hat) when outside or for formal occasions.
Wants: To uphold family honor, ensure the continuation of the family line, and fulfill his duties according to societal norms.
Flaw: Bound by rigid societal and familial expectations, which can be burdensome.
Remains a steadfast figure, representing the continuity of Corean patriarchal traditions.
Authoritative (head of family), traditional (upholds filial piety, ancestral worship), and responsible (provides for family).
Locations
Best Room of a Corean Home
A well-appointed room in a traditional Korean home, likely with polished wooden floors, possibly a tiger-skin rug for a baby's first steps, and an ornamental niche holding a tiny shrine for the household god (sam-sin-hang). The atmosphere is warm and familial.
Mood: Warm, nurturing, sacred, familial
Parents offer rice for offspring; a baby takes its first steps; children play with toys that mirror adult life.
The Seashore and Archipelago
A vibrant Korean seashore with rugged rocks providing refuge for shellfish, leading to clear, deep waters of an archipelago. Below the surface, colorful coral reefs, bright marine plant gardens, and shoals of striped, banded, crimson-tailed, and green-finned fish glitter with gold and silver tints.
Mood: Playful, abundant, lively, natural wonder
Children, half-naked, play and catch crabs and lobsters, learning about the sea.
Streets of the Capital (during 'Treading the Bridges' festival)
The bustling streets of the Korean capital, illuminated by moonlight, where people of all ages pass and repass upon numerous small stone bridges. The atmosphere is festive and lively, filled with comedians, singers, harlequins, and merry-makers.
Mood: Festive, joyful, communal, lively
The annual 'Treading the Bridges' festival where everyone enjoys a night out, celebrating under the moonlight.