The royal foxglove tree is a deciduous tree that goes by many different names. It’s sometimes called an empress tree, princess tree, or Korean paulownia. Similar in appearance except for the blue hue is the Chinese parasol tree, or Chinese bottle tree. These two trees were often mentioned in old Korean songs, one of which is titled “Eollak (언락).” Its lyrics are about waiting for a loved one day and night. It goes, “A shadow sways outside the window on a moonlit night. Hoping that it is the shadow of my love, I rush outside, but discover it’s only a phoenix preening its feathers on the Chinese parasol tree.” Scholarly gentlemen of the old days used to plant Chinese parasol trees near their rooms. The mythical phoenix, the symbol of peace and prosperity, is said to eat only bamboo fruits and dwell solely on Chinese parasol trees. The trees were planted to attract phoenixes and bring peace and prosperity with them. Listen to the following song while imagining a gentleman scrambling to see his girl and how embarrassed he must have been at finding only a phoenix grooming itself. This is “Eollak” sung by Lee Dong-gyu.
Music 1: Eollak/ Sung by Lee Dong-gyu
Royal foxglove trees typically have big, wide leaves, providing cool, comfortable shade during summer. But when it rains at night, the loud noise of the raindrops falling on the wide leaves make it difficult for insomniacs to get to sleep. In the old days, Koreans used to plant a pine tree when a boy was born and a royal foxglove tree for a girl. The tree planted for a specific person was well taken care of, just like the tree’s owner. A son’s tree was left to grow until the son passed away and cut down to be made into a coffin for him. A daughter’s tree was used to make a wardrobe or a chest when she got married. The royal foxglove tree has a beautiful wood grain and is very lightweight. Foxglove wood does not warp much, since it has high heat and moisture resistance, making it perfect for furniture. The Gyeonggi Province folk song “Bangmulga” sings of consoling a girl, who does not want her beau to leave her, with a promise of buying her lavish gifts. The song lists many items the girl may like, such as a desk, a jewelry box, a fancy chest, and more – all of which can be made with royal foxglove wood. Let’s listen to “Bangmulga” sung by Lee Geum-mi.
Music 2: Spring Dance/ Performed by The Forest
Royal foxglove wood is the most favored material for making musical instruments, because it generates a good resonance. A whole tree trunk is hollowed out to make a gayageum, and a geomungo (거문고) is made by gluing together a backboard made with strong chestnut wood and a front board carved out of royal foxglove wood. Having a good resonance means that the sound can travel freely inside the cavity, while reflecting off of the sturdy surface. A female entertainer by the name of Maechang (매창) is known to have enjoyed playing the geomungo. When her partner was appointed to a post in another city, she played her geomungo every day in front of a stone monument built by the villagers to remember him by. She loved her geomungo so much that her dying wish was to be buried with it. Let’s conclude this week’s Sounds of Korea with a song that sings of Maechang’s lonely aching heart and her sole comfort, her favorite geomungo. This is a geomungo instrumental piece called “While Playing the Geomungo” with Jang Eun-sun on the geomungo.
Music 3: While Playing the Geomungo/ Geomungo by Jang Eun-sun