[This and the subsequent essays are an earlier version of the forthcoming book manuscript, tentatively entitled The Salvific Bond between Whales and Matriarchs: Magoist Cetaceanism in Traditional Korea.]
Although Magoist Cetaceanism remains subliminal today, the love and fascination for whales are still palpable among Koreans. Modern Koreans are proud of the native names of the worldwide whale species. The Institute of Korean National Marine Life Science has recently announced the names of all 89 whale species in Korean, 37 cetacean species inhabiting the Korean sea territory and 52 ones beyond.[1] Prior to this, the same institute had designated Korean names for the 37 Korea-inhabiting cetaceans. At that time, the 52 species had been addressed by their Korean translated names. This event marks a watershed in the sense that Koreans have the vernacular names for all world-wide whale species. Scholars have suggested the Korean vernacular names for those 52 abroad-inhabiting whales. These distinctive names are indicative of ancient Korean attitudes toward whales: Whales are favored, celebrated, and revered.
The two parvorders are: Suyeom Gorae (수염고래 Mustache Whales) for Baleen Whales (Mysticeti) and Ippal Gorae (이빨고래 Teeth Whales) for Toothed Whales (Odontoceti). Some cetacean species are named in Korean as follows:
Gwisin Gorae (귀신고래 Spirit Whale) also known as Soe Gorae (쇠고래 Cow Whale) for Gray Whale,
Daewang Gorae (대왕고래 Great Ruler Whale) or Huin Gin Suyeom Gorae (흰긴수염고래 White Long Mustache Whale) for Blue Whale,
Hokdeung Gorae (혹등고래 Hump-back Whale) for Hump-back Whale,
Beom Gorae (범고래 Tiger Whale) for Killer Whale or Orca,
Heukbeom Goare (흑범고래 Black Tiger Whale) for False Killer Whale,
Oeppul Gorae (외뿔고래 Single Horn Whale) or Ilgak Gorae (일각고래 Single Horn Whale) for Narwhal,
Hyang Gorae (향고래 Fragrant Whale), Hyangyu Gorae (향유고래 Fragrant Oil Whale) or Malhyang Gorae (말향고래 Fragrant Incense Whale) for Sperm Whale,
Soe Hyang Gorae (Cow Fragrant Whale) or Kkoma Hyang Gorae (꼬마향고래 Little Fragrant Whale) for Pygmy Sperm Whale,
Keun Gorae (큰고래 Big Whale) or Gin Suyeom Gorae (긴수염고래 Long Mustache Whale) for Fin Whale,
Bori Gorae (보리고래 Barley Whale) for Sei Whale,
Bukgeuk Gorae (북극고래 Arctic Whale) for Bowhead Whale,
Cham Gorae (참고래 True Whale) for Right Whale,
Bukbang Gin Suyeom Gorae (북방긴수염고래 Northern Long Mustache Whale) for North Pacific Right Whale,
Buri Gorae (부리고래 Beak Whale) for Beaked Whale,
Soejeongeori Gorae (쇠정어리고래 Cow Sardine Whale) for Minke Whale,
Geodu Gorae (거두고래 Big-head Whale) for Pilot Whale,
Cham Geodu Gorae (참거두고래 True Big-head Whale) for Long-finned Pilot Whale,
Deulsoe Gorae (들쇠고래 Wild Cow Whale) for Short-finned Pilot Whale,
Goyangi Gorae (고양이고래 Cat Whale) for Melon-headed Whale,
Dol-Gorae (Pig-Whale) in Korean refers to both Dolphins and Porpoises. The family of Cham Dol-Gorae (True Pig-Whale) and Gang Dol-Gorae (River Pig-Whale) indicates Dolphins, whereas Soe Dol-Gorae (Cow Pig-Whale) refers to Porpoises.
Keun Dol-Gorae (큰돌고래 Big Pig-Whale) for Common Bottlenose Dolphin,
Soe Dol-Gorae (쇠돌고래 Cow Pig-Whale), Jwi Dol-Gorae (쥐돌고래 Rat Pig-Whale) or Jageun Gopdeung Dol-Gorae (작은곱등돌고래 Little Hump-back Pig-Whale) for Harbor Porpoise,
Sanggwaengi (상괭이 Smiling One) or Soe Mul-Gwoeji (Cow Water-Pig) for Narrow-ridged Finless Porpoise,
Baemmeori Gorae (뱀머리고래 Snake-head Whale) for Rough-toothed Dolphin,
Nambang Keun Dol-Gorae (남방큰돌고래 Southern Big Pig-Whale) for Indo-Pacific Bottlenose Dolphin,
Huin Dol-Gorae (흰돌고래 White Pig-Whale) for Beluga Whale,
Kkachi Dol-Goare (까치돌고래 Magpie Pig-Whale) for Dall’s Porpoise.
It is difficult to assess how old these names are in general. Some names were possibly given in 2017. However, it is certain that each of the newly given names was chosen in consideration of the vernacular names of the related species.[2] According to a source, the names of the following large species of Korea-habitating whales are known as pre-modern in origin: Daewang Gorae for Blue whale, Cham Goare for Right Whale, Bori Gorae for Sei Whale, Minke Gorae for Minke Whale, Hokdeung Gorae for Hump-back Whale, Gwisin Gorae for Gray Whale, and Hyang Gorae for Sperm Whale. While such utterance betrays inaccuracy (Minke Gorae appears a modern name for example), what follows is informative. The small Korea-inhabiting cetaceans are known for their indigenous names, which include Gondo (곤도), Gopsaengi (곱생이), Cham Gopsigi (참곱시기), Sakkkwaengi (상쾡이), Guro (구로), and Akanbo (아칸보).[3] These indigenous names convey a sense of friendliness and fascination in meaning.
Names are mutually informative about the named and the namer. So are the Korean cetacean names. They inform not only the whale’s bio-ecological features including their sizes, colors, characteristics, and habitats but also Korean Cetaceanists themselves and their socio-cultural aspects: agricultural, matricentric, and pacific. Noticeably, none of these names reflect hostile, disapproving, or necrophilic inclinations. Compared with their Korean counterparts, these English names convey the opposite qualities: “Killer Whale” (Tiger Whale in Korean) violent, “Narwhal” (Single Hone Whale) corpsy, and “Sperm Whale” (Fragrant Whale in Korean) masculine.
Many names are taken after land animals as in Beom Gorae (Tiger Whale) for Killer Whale; Heukbeom Goare (Black Tiger Whale) for False Killer Whale; Soe Gorae (Cow Whale) for Gray Whale; Soejeongeori Gorae for Minke Whale;Deulsoe Gorae (Wild Cow Whale) for Short-finned Pilot Whale; Goyangi Whale (Cat Whale) for Melon-headed Whale; Jwi Dol-Gorae (Rat Pig-Dolphin) Harbor Porpoise; Baemmeori Gorae (Snake-head Whale) for Rough-toothed Dolphin; and Kkachi Dol-Goare (Magpie Pig-Whale) for Dall’s Porpoise.
Dolphin and Porpoise species are referred to as Dol-Gorae (Pig-Whale). “Dol” in “Dol-Gorae (돌고래)” is derived from “Dot,” which means a pig, in Dot-Gorae (돝고래). Dol-Gorae shares the prominent feature of a pig, its protruding mouth. Dol-Gorae is alternatively referred to as Mul-Dwaeji (물돼지 Water Pig), Haedon (海豚 Sea Pig), Gangdon (江豚 River Pig), or Haejeo (海猪 Sea Pig). In North Korea, Dol-Gorae is called Gopdeungeo (곱등어).
Among land animals, the cow is most associated with whales. Soe Gorae (Cow Whale), Seulsoe Gorae (Wild Cow Gorae), and Soe Dol-Gorae (Cow Pig-Whale) convey that they are, like a cow ploughing the land, ploughing the bottom of the sea. Thus they are given the appellation the farmer of the sea. “Beom Gorae (Tiger Whale)” for “Killer Whales” is equated with a tiger in land, an apex predator in the sea preying on other mammals while no animal preying on them. That a cetacean species is assigned to a land animal such as a cat, a rat, and a snake reflects the ancient mind that sees the sea as a realm equivalent to the land. Intriguingly, Tiger Whale is also known for its old names including Huinjulbagi Mul-Dwoeji (흰줄박이물돼지White Striped Water-Pig), Solpi (率皮 솔피 Superb Skin), or Hearang (海狼 해랑 Sea Wolf). Note that a water-pig is a vernacular term for dolphin, which indicates its identity within the oceanic dolphin family.
Many other names refer to their biological features such as the length of baleens, the prominence of certain anatomical features, a number of tusks, the color of body parts, and its particular smells and habitats. Korean names for whales often convey pacific and friendly attitudes toward cetaceans as opposed to English names, which generally reflect the industry and commerce of whaling. In that sense, Korean cetacean names have much to offer to the world reminding moderns of the forgotten matricentric mind. They are: Daewang Gorae (Great Ruler Whale) or Huin Gin Suyeom Gorae (White Long Mustache Whale) for Blue Whale; Hokdeung Gorae (Hump-back Whale) for Hump-back Whale; Keun Gorae (Big Whale) or Gin Suyeom Gorae (Long Baleen Whale) for Fin Whale; Bukgeuk Gorae (Arctic Whale) for Bowhead Whale; Oeppul Gora (Single Horn Whale), or Ilgak Gorae(Single Horn Whale) for Narwhal; Hyang Gorae (Fragrant Whale), Hyangyu Gorae (Fragrant Oil Whale) or Malhyang Gorae (Fragrant Incense Whale) for Sperm Whale; Geodu Gorae (Big-head Whale) for Pilot Whale; Bukbang Gin Suyeom Gorae (Northern Long Mustache Whale) for North Pacific Right Whale; Buri Gorae (Beak Whale) for Beaked Whale; Sanggwaengi (Smiling One) for Narrow-ridged Finless Porpoise; Nambang Keun Dol-Gorae (Southern Big Pig-Whale) for Indo-Pacific Bottlenose Dolphin; and Huin Dol-Gorae (White Pig-Whale) for Beluga Whale. Among them, Hokdeung Gorae (Hemp-back Whale) and Buri Gorae (Beaked Whale) have the same meaning as their English counterparts.
Blue Whales are given the supreme title of Daewang Gorae (Great Ruler Whale) reflecting its sheer enormity among cetacean species. “Daewang Gorae” also refers to all cetacean species representing the cetacean divine. Sanggwaengi (Smiling One) for Narrow-ridged Finless Porpoise comes from its smiling face.
Some other names reflect enchanted and agricultural features: Gwisin Gorae (Spirit Whale) for Gray Whale; Cham Gorae (True Whale) for Right Whale; and Bori Gorae (Barley Whale) for Sei Whale.
“Gwisin Gorae (Spirit Whale)” is a name for “Gray Whales,” nick-named the Devil Fish by the Western whalers in the twentieth century. Its name, Guisin Gorae, may derive from the swift breaching behavior that s/he, while showing its head over the surface of the sea in one moment, exhibits. However, to say so is an understatement. Gwisin Gorae is a favored species for ancient Koreans in that they are associated with the whale-back riding journey to Mago, the Great Mother, as they take an annual transoceanic journey from the Sea of Whales (East Sea of Korea) to the North Pacific and beyond. Much admired and longed for, Gwisin Gorae is profusely manifest in literature, art, lore and religious practices.
The name, Bori Gorae (Barley Whale), concerns a period of famine in an annual agricultural cycle. Known as Borit Gogae (보릿고개 Famine of Barley), this period of famine falls in May and June prior to the harvest of barley in the summer. While rice is a staple food, which is available from the autumn till the winter of the following year, barley is the next staple food available from the summer. The name, Bori Gorae, portends good fortune as they are sighted from the shore in a time of harvesting barley in traditional Korea. Heralding the end of the famine period, they are welcomed and celebrated.
(To be continued)
Meet Mago Contributor, Helen Hye-Sook Hwang, Ph.D.
[1] “The 89 species of whales will have Korean names (전 세계 고래 89종, 우리말 이름 갖는다),” News 1 (2017). http://news1.kr/articles/?2902865/ (September 1, 2018)
[2] Hawsun Sohn, Youngmin Choi, and Dasom Lee, “Suggestions for Translating Cetacean English Common Names with No Korean Common Names,” Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences (2016): 49 (6), 875-882. http://www.e-kfas.org/Upload/files/kfas/22.%20%EC%86%90%ED%98%B8%EC%84%A0%20%EB%B0%95%EC%82%AC%EB%8B%98.pdf (2/25/2020)
[3] Jingwon Kang, “Our dolphins are newly named in our language” Jungang Ilbo (Jungang Daily), (September 7, 2000). https://news.joins.com/article/3966315 (February 27, 2020).