Friday, June 15, 2012

My Roots


My roots




My last name, Yang, is a Korean family name that's native to Jeju. According to the founding myth of the people of Jeju, three gods, respectively named Yang, Ko, and Bu, arose from the ground and founded the island kingdom of Jeju. These three last names are the most common last names in Jeju. In fact, all Koreans named Yang can trace their genealogical roots to Jeju.




One can visit the mythical grounds bearing three large holes from which these three progenitors of the people of Jeju purportedly arose, called Sam Seong Hyeol. Each year the governor of Jeju leads an ancestral rites ceremony on these grounds, which is a major celebration for the entire residents of the island. My father is a former head of the association of the Yang clan and makes sure to attend this event each year. He led us on a tour of Sam Seong Hyeol.



                          (The courtyard where the ancestral rites to the three progenitors are performed)

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