Il-wol-san is an important member of the Taebaek Mountain-range, rising to 1219 meters at the peak, within Yeong-yang County of North Kyeongsang Province. It is the second major mountain south of Taebaek-san (Provincial Park) itself, and lies just east of Cheong-nyang-san (Provincial Park). Access to the eastern and northern slopes is along National Highway #31 between Bonghwa Town and Yeong-yang Town. It's not very well-known and few people have visited it, being so remote.
The name "Sun-Moon" is a very sacred one, resulting from Daoist / nature-worship ideas of universal balance and harmony. It also invokes the Sun-holding Bodhisattva and Moon-holding Bodhisattva who flank the Che-seok Buddha in the Chil-seong icons found in Korean Buddhist temples (see pages 104-109 in the first edition of my book).
Il-wol-san is said to be haunted by the powerful ghost of Hwang-ssi-buin [wife of Mr. Hwang]. I was told that she was terribly mistreated by the Hwang family of the northern Andong area, two or three centuries ago. She fled one day to a valley deep within this mountain, and committed suicide. Her ghost could not rest due to her rage and sorrow, and so haunts the slopes to this day, bringing misfortune to those who are dishonest, greedy or abusive, but good fortune to those who are sincere, generous and benevolent. People found that if they built shrines to her and made offerings to console her ghost, that their prayers were mysteriously answered.
Hwang-ssi-buin is NOT a San-shin however, despite the similarities; she is just a ghost who haunts this holy mountain. Perhaps in the future she will become conflated with the Il-wol-san-shin, and be regarded as his spiritual wife. |
