“Through the poems and texts that are of importance to the inner life of Hwang Jin-Yi, one of the most prominent Kiseng (courtesans) of the 16th-century Chosun dynasty in what was then Korea, I wanted to give an impression of how they It was alive, and four of only a handful of her remaining poems have been revised and reinterpreted according to a personal interpretation of Hwang Jin-Yi’s spiritual journey through life: from a celebrated courtesan to a spiritual seeker, Hwang Jin-Yi is often portrayed as a 21st-century woman who lived in the 16th century, which on the one hand means that she had a distinctive lifestyle, but on the other hand, she simultaneously suffered from all inner conflicts, confrontations and despair that that same life heard.

“Hwang Jin-Yi’s powerful presence only exists according to secondary sources described by pupils or significant persons, including the most famous aristocrats of that time.This almost complete lack of first-hand information makes her existence all the more mysterious to people It was considered one of the three important peculiarities of SongDo, the region where she lived, the first were the PakYeon Falls, the second was Suh Kyong-Duk, a teacher of literature and philosophy from Hwang Jin-Yi. The third was herself, people used to say that everywhere Hwang Jin-Yi passed a sweet fragrance for three days a newly elected government official was shot dead immediately after his arrival in the capital, because he made a detour to Hwang Jin-Yi’s tomb, where he wanted to express his respect by pouring rice wine over the grave and writing a poem for her memory. n from the village fell in love with Hwang Jin-Yi; he became so ill by not being able to see her, that he eventually died. During his funeral, his coffin was placed in front of her front door; it was only when she came out to put some of her underclothes on the coffin that the funeral could continue. Some say that because of this event, she decided to become a Kiseng when she was fifteen.

Seung-Ah Oh i.s.m. Peter Adriaansz