Note
The boy-King in this story is based on an actual historical figure. King Songjong ruled Korea from 1469 to 1494. The
Sillok,
the official transcript of court activity, records that one of Songjong's acts as King was to mandate that junior ministers were free to voice their opinions to the court, even if their ideas conflicted with those of their superiors.
The use of the colored kite line comes from an observation made by Stewart Culin in the late nineteenth century. In his book
Korean Games,
Culin says that royal kites were flown on a sky-blue line.
It is not known if the use of ground pottery or glass on kite lines originated in Korea; China and India also lay claim to the discovery of this technique. In modern competition the rules are always clear as to
whether glass line can or cannot be used. Todays kite fighters coat several different sections of their lines so they always have a fresh cutting edge.
With the modernization of Korea in the twentieth century, Western ideas and culture have taken their place alongside the old Korean ways. Some of the Confucian teachings, such as ancestor worship, have declined in popularity with the spread of Christianity. But other traditions have proved more resistant to change. In most Korean families today the first-born son still bears the responsibility of maintaining the family name and honor, while to some extent the other sons must make their own way in the world.
----
The boy-King in this story is based on an actual historical figure. King Songjong ruled Korea from 1469 to 1494. The
Sillok,
the official transcript of court activity, records that one of Songjong's acts as King was to mandate that junior ministers were free to voice their opinions to the court, even if their ideas conflicted with those of their superiors.
The use of the colored kite line comes from an observation made by Stewart Culin in the late nineteenth century. In his book
Korean Games,
Culin says that royal kites were flown on a sky-blue line.
It is not known if the use of ground pottery or glass on kite lines originated in Korea; China and India also lay claim to the discovery of this technique. In modern competition the rules are always clear as to
whether glass line can or cannot be used. Todays kite fighters coat several different sections of their lines so they always have a fresh cutting edge.
With the modernization of Korea in the twentieth century, Western ideas and culture have taken their place alongside the old Korean ways. Some of the Confucian teachings, such as ancestor worship, have declined in popularity with the spread of Christianity. But other traditions have proved more resistant to change. In most Korean families today the first-born son still bears the responsibility of maintaining the family name and honor, while to some extent the other sons must make their own way in the world.
----
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