The Distinctiveness of Jeju‘s Mego Halmang Folktale and Bonpuri Tradition as Seen through The Wife Who Killed Her Husband Folktale -Focusing on the Gaze toward Women‘s “Anger” and “Pain”-

In The Wife Who Killed Her Husband folktale, the woman kills her current husband, who had previously murdered her first husband, as well as her children from her current marriage. In response to her actions, a memorial gate or pavilion is erected in her honor. In some variations of this tale, a son born from the current marriage kills his mother under the pretext of avenging his father’s death. Traditionally, this folktale has been interpreted through the concepts of “loyalty” and “revenge.” However, at the core of the narrative lies the misguided desire of a man to form a family by taking another man’s wife, alongside the anger of a woman whose life was ruined as a result. Recognizing and addressing the violence, victimization, and discrimination faced by women is a crucial part of forming a feminist subjectivity. When viewed through this lens, the son’s act of killing his mother can be interpreted as both a parody of and a backlash against the woman’s murder of her current husband. In contrast to The Wife Who Killed Her Husband folktale, where the woman’s report to the authorities leads to the erection of a memorial gate, the report made by Mego Halmang in the Jeju folktale leads to the punishment of her current husband and her own exoneration. The Jeju saying, “Even if you have ten (or nine) children, it’s all in vain,” which is often passed down along with the Mego Halmang folktale, reflects Mego Halmang’s feelings of shock and emptiness upon discovering that the husband with whom she has shared a long life and borne ten (or nine) children was, in fact, the murderer of her previous husband. In the folktale, after Mego Halmang kills her husband and children and dies in Bishini cave, the villagers who originally lived there leave and settle in Iseung cave, leaving Mego Halmang alone in the desolate Bishini cave. In the bonpuri, Mego Halmang, upon learning from the authorities that she is free to go wherever she wishes, descends to Iseung cave where the villagers live. People who experience suffering often feel an even greater need for someone to understand and acknowledge their pain. By continually revealing herself to the villagers living in Iseung cave and to the worshippers who visit Songssi Halmangdang, Mego Halmang gains recognition for her suffering. The gaze on women’s anger and pain is the special characteristic of the Jeju Mego Halmang folktale and its bonpuri within the overall landscape of the The Wife Who Killed Her Husband folktale.