Korean Mermaid Legend (Tale of the Nine Tailed 1938)

In "Tale of the Nine-Tailed" (1938), there is a character who appears as a mermaid before undergoing a transformation. The setting of this mermaid character is generally based on the mermaid legends that have been passed down in Korea for a long time.

Korea, a country surrounded by the sea

Korea, being a peninsula with a long history of engaging with the sea, has various legends about mermaids and similar mystical beings. Although the specific details may vary, stories about mermaids or similar enchanting creatures have been documented and passed down through oral tradition in Korea. Along the coastal areas, where these legends are particularly prevalent, there are also regions in Korea that have statues or sculptures inspired by these tales of mermaids.

Korean Mermaid Legend

One of the most famous legends in Korea related to mermaids is found in the book called "Eoouyadam" ("Fisherman's Tales") and the story of "Nanggan Seolhwa" ("Nanggan's Legend"). In "Eoouyadam," there is an account of a government official who stayed at a fisherman's house and witnessed the fisherman catching a mermaid. Feeling pity for them, the official released the mermaid, and this account is considered a kind of eyewitness testimony. On the other hand, "Nanggan Seolhwa" is a story about a woman named Nanggan who consumed mermaid flesh and lived without aging. Nanggan lived up to the age of 120 after consuming the miraculous mermaid flesh, but afterwards, she turned into a mermaid and disappeared into the mountains, becoming a mermaid's tail, as the story goes.

Mermaid in Tale of the Nine Tailed 1938

In "Tale of the Nine Tailed" (1938), the mermaid character appears as the lover of another character named Ilang. While this mermaid does not directly depict the settings from Korean folklore, there is a mention of elements from "Nanggan Seolhwa" (Nanggan's Legend) in the conversations among Japanese supernatural beings who came to Joseon (ancient Korea) to catch Korean supernatural beings. Specifically, the mention refers to the setting that consuming mermaid flesh grants eternal life. Since the story is not yet concluded, it remains uncertain what additional settings and developments will be attributed to this mermaid character. We'll have to continue watching to find out.