Sotdae
Encyclopedia
A sotdae is a tall wooden pole
or stone pillar with a carved bird on its top, built for the purpose of folk belief in Korea
. Like jangseung
, wooden totem pole
s with a sculptured human face, it was usually erected near the entrance of a village to ward off evil spirits as well as to represent villagers' wishes for prosperity and well-being. Later, it was also built as a celebratory or commemorative symbol. For instance, when a son of a family passed a civil service examination called gwageo
, a sotdae was set up in the yard. In that case, it was colored in orange and topped with a blue dragon.
(Korean totem poles), doltap (돌탑, a pagoda
built with stone) or sinmok (신목, sacred trees). It was worshiped as a village guardian. The birds may look like wild geese, crow
s or ibises in some areas, but duck
s are the most common. Sotdae have different names according to regions; soju (소주), sojutdae (소줏대) in Jeolla Province, soldae (솔대) in Gangwon Province
and Hamhung
district, byeolsindae (별신대) in coastal areas of Gyeongsang Province,and sotdaek (솟댁) in Hwanghae
and Pyeongan Province. Pyojutdae (표줏대), georitdae (거릿대), susalmok (수살목) and seonangdae (선앙대) are other names.
Nothing precise is known about the sotdae's origin. However, sotdae was believed to be sanctified as a village guardian from when people started agriculture and the unit of society formed based on agricultural villages. Later, as a concept of feng shui
prevailed and values of success and honour became important, its meaning seemed to be differentiated from an object of worship to a totem for abundant harvest. Ducks, as migratory birds, had various religious symbols and made the meanings of sotdae more diverse.
. Figures or patterns on Bronze Age
relics of the that included a pole with a bird on it were discovered around these areas. As people began to develop techniques for metalworking and increased their agriculture production, power differences among tribes emerged. Dominating class sought a political and religious foundation needed to maintain their powers from gods in the heaven. So it was assumed that appearance of sotdae stemmed from the integration between "Cosmic Tree" and "Sky-Birds".
A similar sacred pole is found among the Omaha tribe
of the central United States.
― upper, middle, and lower level. They are connected to each other by the world-axis. A tree has roots extending into the earth and also grows toward the sky, which could be a symbol for the world-axis. So the wooden poles or posts were possibly considered to be a pathway for spiritual beings to come down to earth and they became a sacred object to worship by themselves. A similar record was found in a book titled Dongguksesigi (동국세시기, 東國歲時記), which said that 12 wooden poles were set up to welcome a god on February 2 in Jeju island. Also Dangun
's father, Hwanung, descended from the heaven to the top of a tree, Sindansu (신단수, 神壇樹) in Korea's founding myth. People selected a tree which was beyond the reach of humans and they conducted ceremonial rites before they cut down the tree. On top of that, the poles and posts were believed to offer protection a village against calamities and disasters and also acted like a mast in a U-shaped land area balancing and making the land stable.
Another characteristic of ducks is that they are migratory birds coming to Korea in autumn. Migratory birds appear and disappear on a regular basis and it was believed that ducks travel to the world beyond the Earth and act as a messenger between the physical world and the realm of the spirits. In agriculture, this periodicity might be associated with the cycle of monsoon which brings rain. Also, the fact that ducks are fertile species and lay bigger eggs than chickens do would be a good reason for ducks to be an idolized object representing abundance.
' should be complemented. The direction of the bird's heads varies. People made sotdae erected toward south to wish moderate weather for farming or let it direct north to bring rain. Sometimes sotdae turned toward the outside of the village to make sure that ducks take all the evil spirits and fly away.
Column
A column or pillar in architecture and structural engineering is a vertical structural element that transmits, through compression, the weight of the structure above to other structural elements below. For the purpose of wind or earthquake engineering, columns may be designed to resist lateral forces...
or stone pillar with a carved bird on its top, built for the purpose of folk belief in Korea
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
. Like jangseung
Jangseung
A jangseung or village guardian is a Korean totem pole usually made of wood. Jangseungs were traditionally placed at the edges of villages to mark for village boundaries and frighten away demons...
, wooden totem pole
Totem pole
Totem poles are monumental sculptures carved from large trees, mostly Western Red Cedar, by cultures of the indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast of North America...
s with a sculptured human face, it was usually erected near the entrance of a village to ward off evil spirits as well as to represent villagers' wishes for prosperity and well-being. Later, it was also built as a celebratory or commemorative symbol. For instance, when a son of a family passed a civil service examination called gwageo
Gwageo
The gwageo were the national civil service examinations under the Goryeo and Joseon dynasties of Korea. Typically quite demanding, these tests measured candidates' knowledge of the Chinese classics, and sometimes also of technical subjects...
, a sotdae was set up in the yard. In that case, it was colored in orange and topped with a blue dragon.
Features
Sotdae were generally set up alone, but sometimes, along with jangseungJangseung
A jangseung or village guardian is a Korean totem pole usually made of wood. Jangseungs were traditionally placed at the edges of villages to mark for village boundaries and frighten away demons...
(Korean totem poles), doltap (돌탑, a pagoda
Pagoda
A pagoda is the general term in the English language for a tiered tower with multiple eaves common in Nepal, India, China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam and other parts of Asia. Some pagodas are used as Taoist houses of worship. Most pagodas were built to have a religious function, most commonly Buddhist,...
built with stone) or sinmok (신목, sacred trees). It was worshiped as a village guardian. The birds may look like wild geese, crow
Crow
Crows form the genus Corvus in the family Corvidae. Ranging in size from the relatively small pigeon-size jackdaws to the Common Raven of the Holarctic region and Thick-billed Raven of the highlands of Ethiopia, the 40 or so members of this genus occur on all temperate continents and several...
s or ibises in some areas, but duck
Duck
Duck is the common name for a large number of species in the Anatidae family of birds, which also includes swans and geese. The ducks are divided among several subfamilies in the Anatidae family; they do not represent a monophyletic group but a form taxon, since swans and geese are not considered...
s are the most common. Sotdae have different names according to regions; soju (소주), sojutdae (소줏대) in Jeolla Province, soldae (솔대) in Gangwon Province
Gangwon (historical)
Gangwon Province or Gangwon-do was one of the Eight Provinces of Korea during the Joseon Dynasty. The province was formed in 1395, and derived its name from the names of the principal cities of Gangneung and the provincial capital Wonju .In 1895, Gangwon-do was replaced by the Districts of...
and Hamhung
Hamhung
Hamhŭng is North Korea's second largest city, and the capital of South Hamgyŏng Province. In late 2005, nearby Hŭngnam was made a ward within Hamhŭng-si. It has a population of 768,551 as of 2008.-Geography:...
district, byeolsindae (별신대) in coastal areas of Gyeongsang Province,and sotdaek (솟댁) in Hwanghae
Hwanghae
Hwanghae was one of the Eight Provinces of Korea during the Joseon Dynasty. Hwanghae was located in the northwest of Korea. The provincial capital was Haeju.The regional name for the province was Haesŏ .-History:...
and Pyeongan Province. Pyojutdae (표줏대), georitdae (거릿대), susalmok (수살목) and seonangdae (선앙대) are other names.
Nothing precise is known about the sotdae's origin. However, sotdae was believed to be sanctified as a village guardian from when people started agriculture and the unit of society formed based on agricultural villages. Later, as a concept of feng shui
Feng shui
Feng shui ' is a Chinese system of geomancy believed to use the laws of both Heaven and Earth to help one improve life by receiving positive qi. The original designation for the discipline is Kan Yu ....
prevailed and values of success and honour became important, its meaning seemed to be differentiated from an object of worship to a totem for abundant harvest. Ducks, as migratory birds, had various religious symbols and made the meanings of sotdae more diverse.
Origins of worshipping sotdae
The worship of sotdae-like objects was commonly found in North AsiaNorth Asia
North Asia or Northern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the Asian portion of Russia.The Phillips Illustrated Atlas of the World 1988 defines it as being most of the former USSR, the part that is to the east of the Ural Mountains...
. Figures or patterns on Bronze Age
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
relics of the that included a pole with a bird on it were discovered around these areas. As people began to develop techniques for metalworking and increased their agriculture production, power differences among tribes emerged. Dominating class sought a political and religious foundation needed to maintain their powers from gods in the heaven. So it was assumed that appearance of sotdae stemmed from the integration between "Cosmic Tree" and "Sky-Birds".
A similar sacred pole is found among the Omaha tribe
Omaha (tribe)
The Omaha are a federally recognized Native American nation which lives on the Omaha Reservation in northeastern Nebraska and western Iowa, United States...
of the central United States.
Poles and posts
Poles and posts have religious and symbolic meanings around the world. Poles of sotdae are related to 'the world-axis'. There are three cosmic levels in the concept of the universe in Northern Asian shamanismShamanism
Shamanism is an anthropological term referencing a range of beliefs and practices regarding communication with the spiritual world. To quote Eliade: "A first definition of this complex phenomenon, and perhaps the least hazardous, will be: shamanism = technique of ecstasy." Shamanism encompasses the...
― upper, middle, and lower level. They are connected to each other by the world-axis. A tree has roots extending into the earth and also grows toward the sky, which could be a symbol for the world-axis. So the wooden poles or posts were possibly considered to be a pathway for spiritual beings to come down to earth and they became a sacred object to worship by themselves. A similar record was found in a book titled Dongguksesigi (동국세시기, 東國歲時記), which said that 12 wooden poles were set up to welcome a god on February 2 in Jeju island. Also Dangun
Dangun
Dangun Wanggeom was the legendary founder of Gojoseon, the first Korean kingdom, around present-day Liaoning, Manchuria, and the Korean Peninsula. He is said to be the "grandson of heaven", and to have founded the kingdom in 2333 BC...
's father, Hwanung, descended from the heaven to the top of a tree, Sindansu (신단수, 神壇樹) in Korea's founding myth. People selected a tree which was beyond the reach of humans and they conducted ceremonial rites before they cut down the tree. On top of that, the poles and posts were believed to offer protection a village against calamities and disasters and also acted like a mast in a U-shaped land area balancing and making the land stable.
Birds
Sotdae birds may be wild geese, gulls, ibises, Korean magpies or crows, but most commonly they are ducks. Ducks give an important symbolic meaning to sotdae. They are able to travel on water as well as on land and in the air and also can go under water. Because of the relation to water, ducks were regarded to have an ability to control rain and thunder, to survive in the floods and to protect a village from fire. This belief made people think of ducks as a guardian in ancient agricultural societies. Relating to this, a famous scholar, Lee Gyubo (이규보, 李奎報 1168–1241) wrote a following phrase in his garland called Dongguk I sangguk jip (동국이상국집, 東國李相國集: Collected works of Minister Yi of Korea): "Because of the rain for 7 days in a row, the capital of Songyang was submerged. The king, Jumong, was riding a duck horse stretching a reed rope across the river and his people were all holding that rope." This suggests that people considered a duck as a rescuer from flood.Another characteristic of ducks is that they are migratory birds coming to Korea in autumn. Migratory birds appear and disappear on a regular basis and it was believed that ducks travel to the world beyond the Earth and act as a messenger between the physical world and the realm of the spirits. In agriculture, this periodicity might be associated with the cycle of monsoon which brings rain. Also, the fact that ducks are fertile species and lay bigger eggs than chickens do would be a good reason for ducks to be an idolized object representing abundance.
Meaning of the number of birds and their direction
The shape of birds on sotdae was carved as minutely as possible but it was sometimes simplified to just Y or ㄱ shape. The number of birds seated on sotdae was different from village to village, from one to three. Commonly one bird was seated on a pole, but sometimes two or three birds on a Y-shape branch were found on a pole ― either facing each other or facing the same direction. Nothing is exactly known concerning the number of birds but it is assumed that the number of birds on a pole was decided according to the number of places which 'qiQi
In traditional Chinese culture, qì is an active principle forming part of any living thing. Qi is frequently translated as life energy, lifeforce, or energy flow. Qi is the central underlying principle in traditional Chinese medicine and martial arts...
' should be complemented. The direction of the bird's heads varies. People made sotdae erected toward south to wish moderate weather for farming or let it direct north to bring rain. Sometimes sotdae turned toward the outside of the village to make sure that ducks take all the evil spirits and fly away.