Gimnyeongsagul (Snake Cave)

Jeju · Sydkorea · Natural site

In the lava cave at Gimnyeong a giant serpent demanded a young girl in sacrifice each year – the officer who slew it dropped dead after glancing back at a blood-red cloud.

The lava tube Gimnyeongsagul on Jeju's north coast takes its name from the island's most famous serpent legend. A giant snake was said to dwell in the cave, demanding a fifteen-year-old girl in sacrifice each year – otherwise it ravaged the villages' harvests with storms and blight. Around 1515 the young military commander Seo Ryeon lured the beast out with a sacrificial feast, ran it through with spears and burned it. Riding back he defied the warning never to look behind him; a blood-red cloud came chasing, and soon after he sickened and died. The cave, neighbour to the famous Manjanggul, is today a protected natural monument where the tale is still told.

FAQ

Wo befindet sich Gimnyeongsagul (Snake Cave)?

Gimnyeongsagul (Snake Cave) liegt in Jeju, Sydkorea.