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| The legend of the maiden and the tiger as portrayed at Bulhoe Temple in Naju |
By Robert Neff
There is a legend in Naju that many hundreds of years ago a young noble woman became lost and wandered hopelessly through the wilderness. Up until the mid-1920s, the Jeolla provinces were notorious for tigers and their predations upon the isolated villages and lone travelers, so it is unsurprising that she soon encountered one of these ferocious monarchs of the forest.
But her story has a surprise ending. The tiger did not kill and eat her but instead gently took her to what is now Bulhoe Temple. The maiden's father was so relieved that he graciously provided a large sum of money to the temple.
Obviously, her tale was the exception, as demonstrated by newspaper accounts in the early 20th century.
In the summer of 1909, a Korean woman, 32, was killed near Namwon by a large tiger as she was walking along a path.
On May 4, 1913, a 21-year-old Korean farmer was gathering firewood near Soheul when he was suddenly pounced on by a large tiger hiding in a thicket. According to a witness: "The beast bit the man in the abdomen and ran away with a piece of flesh in its mouth … A gendarme, accompanied by a doctor, hastened to the scene and found the unfortunate farmer lying unconscious. First aid was given him, but the man breathed his last about two hours later."
Tigers were especially dangerous in 1914. According to one report, more than 500 Koreans were killed that year but how many were from the Jeolla provinces is unclear.
Tigers weren't just hunters ― they were also prey.
In November 1900, Dr. Smith, "a hunter of some reputation," traveled to Mokpo in search of tigers. He had heard the tales of the great man-eaters but was extremely skeptical ― his disbelief was put to rest when he promptly bagged three tigers just south of the city. The Korea Review described one of his encounters:
"As he was climbing among the rocks, at one point he looked over a great boulder and saw a female tiger lying on the ground while her two cubs played about her. She appeared to be asleep. Dr. Smith drew back and got out his camera, much to the disgust of his Korean companion. He secured a good photograph of his victim and then ended her career with a couple of rifle shots. The cubs escaped."
Perhaps these cubs grew up to be the two tigers that in March 1915 ambushed and killed a Korean girl near Mokpo.
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| A tigress and her two cubs. Bulhoe Temple in Naju. |
In that same month, two Japanese hunters, Yano and Nishikida, from Muan, heard tales of large tigers prowling a nearby mountain. They each armed themselves with rifles and set out in pursuit and were relieved when they soon discovered tiger footprints in the snow. They were extremely large tracks but the men were undaunted and pressed on.
"At about 1 in the afternoon they discovered a tiger creeping along a mountain slope. Yano took aim and fired. The bullet hit the animal, which rolled over, making the snow nearby crimson with blood, and uttered terrible roars. The two hunters at once ran towards the beast to give it the coup de grace, but when they came within twenty yards of it, the beast suddenly rose to its feet and ran away.
"The two hunters hotly pursued it, but were soon outdistanced. They took a rest for a while and were consulting as to what should be done, when all of a sudden the tiger reappeared on a rock scarcely one yard in front of them and pounced on Yano. The man was severely bitten in the right hand, but fortunately he had his loaded rifle in his hand and fired it point blank at the head of the infuriated beast. The bullet entered the brain of the animal through the right eye, and it dropped dead instantly. Yano lost consciousness, but soon recovered, thanks to ministrations of his comrade. The next day they returned home carrying with them their game."
They were rather fortunate that they did not encounter the terror of Jindo Island of 1902. This tiger was described as being about 20 years old with paws more than 17 centimeters (about 7 inches) wide and was "covered with mud and pitch to which leaves and grass adhere," thus making it impervious to bullets.
What became of the great beast is unknown. Perhaps it was killed by a Jindo dog ― a breed of dog native to the island and famed for their legendary prowess in killing tigers.
The tigers of Jeolla are gone now and are only found haunting legends, the back walls of temples and perhaps your imagination as you trek through the mountains by yourself.
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