I am a fan of mythologies and I heard many stories of gods and goddesses on my trip to Jeju Island. The island is called the land of 18,000 deities. It is believed that Seolmundae Halmang, a grandmother deity, created the entire island and looks over it to this day.

As I was researching goddesses related to the kitchen and food, I found out about the snake goddesses.

Growing up in a western society, snakes are generally regarded as evil and often associated with the devil. In Korea, the idea is quite different. In Jeju folklore, the snakes are the gods of fortune. These gods protect and oversee the granaries in the households. Also, the strength and intelligence of the snake is said to be embodied by the women. Also, the idea of a snake shedding its skin symbolizes longevity, renewal, and reincarnation. Hence many women would worship snakes and seek guidance from them. Also the granaries were places where women would meditate and pray.

The story goes that Chilseong was originally a goddess that came to Jeju from China. Chilseong was a pregnant girl that was cast out by her parents. They placed her in an iron box and sent her out to sea. Inside of the box, the girl became a snake and gave birth to six serpent daughters. The family landed on the island. The snakes became the protector of the granaries or gopchang.

The granaries were considered one of the most important parts of the households and a part that was off limits for men. Here the grains, which were the main foods, were kept. In the inside granaries were called the gopang. In the households, various items such as grains and riches would be placed in different pots. In one or two pots a snake would be kept. Snakes were sacred for they would kill rats which could quickly destroy a family’s harvest. I think the thought of snakes hidden in the pots would also scare off a hungry husband and children looking for a snack. This would probably work for thieves as well for only the woman of the household would know which pots would hold the snakes.

The outside granaries or Nulgup would hold food for the livestock and root vegetables were said to be protected by Bat Chilseong, the outdoor snake. These were also important to keep away vermin and rats.

The granary rooms also held the wealth and riches of the family. In Korea, women were responsible for watching over the households, because they were thought to be more responsible than men.
In honor of the snake goddesses looking over the fortunes and the food of the families, women would set up altars to honor them. They would set up an altar over the granary pots and pray to them. Once a year they would replace the altar like a snake would renew its skin.