Arang (Korean folklore)
Encyclopedia
Arang is a figure in the folklore of the Miryang
Miryang
Miryang, often spelled Milyang, is a city in Gyeongsangnam-do Province, South Korea. Neighboring cities include Changnyeong to the west, Cheongdo to the north, Ulsan to the east, and Yangsan, Gimhae, and Changwon to the south. The city bird is the Korean magpie, the city tree is the pine, and the...

 area of Korea. According to the legend, she was the daughter of a magistrate (busa) of Miryang during the Joseon Dynasty
Joseon Dynasty
Joseon , was a Korean state founded by Taejo Yi Seong-gye that lasted for approximately five centuries. It was founded in the aftermath of the overthrow of the Goryeo at what is today the city of Kaesong. Early on, Korea was retitled and the capital was relocated to modern-day Seoul...

. Her wicked nanny
Nanny
A nanny, childminder or child care provider, is an individual who provides care for one or more children in a family as a service...

 conspired to have the servant Baekga seize her at night and rape her; however, she resisted and Baekga stabbed her to death. Her father, thinking she had elope
Elope
To elope, most literally, merely means to run away with a girl and to not come back to the point of origination. More specifically, elopement is often used to refer to a marriage conducted in sudden and secretive fashion, usually involving hurried flight away from one's place of residence together...

d with a stranger, resigned his position in shame. Thereafter, whenever a new magistrate was appointed Arang's corpse would appear; soon no-one would take the position. At last a bold man named Yi Sang-sa was appointed to the post, and he promised Arang's ghost that he would avenge her. He had Baekga seized and executed. Thereafter, her spirit ceased to trouble the town.

The Aranggak shrine, where Arang's spirit is venerated, still stands in Miryang, on the Yeongnamnu
Yeongnamnu
Yeongnamnu or Yeongnamru can refer to two pavilions in South Korea:*Yeongnamnu , overlooking the Miryang River in Gyeongsangnam-do*Yeongnamnu , near the Onyang Hot Springs in Chungcheongbuk-do...

 bluff overlooking the Miryang River
Miryang River
The Miryang River is a tributary of the Nakdong River which flows through Miryang City. It rises in Ulsan metropolitan city, on the slopes of Gohyeonsan, and flows for 101.5 kilometers before joining the Nakdong in Miryang's Samnangjin-eup. Its narrower upper reaches are often called the...

. Traditionally, rites were held in her honor on the 16th day of the 4th month of the Chinese calendar
Chinese calendar
The Chinese calendar is a lunisolar calendar, incorporating elements of a lunar calendar with those of a solar calendar. It is not exclusive to China, but followed by many other Asian cultures as well...

.

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