Even in the Joseon Dynasty, there were ‘cat moms’… Geumsoni, the beloved cat that followed Sukjong to the tomb

2024-05-12 17:40:02

There was a ‘myomama (猫媽媽)’ in a noble family during the reign of King Yeongjo of the Joseon Dynasty. He raised several stray cats, dressing them in silk clothes and feeding them good food. When he died, hundreds of cats howled around his house for days.

Myoma, which Lee Kyu-gyeong (1788-1856), a writer in the late Joseon Dynasty, wrote about in the cat section of the encyclopedia Ojuyeonmunjangjeonsango (五洲衍文長箋散稿), is no different from today’s ‘cat mom’. Even during the Joseon Dynasty, there were cat mothers who took care of homeless stray cats with utmost sincerity.

A tombstone by Byeon Sang-byeok, a painter from the late Joseon Dynasty who was nicknamed ‘Byun Cat’ because he was good at drawing cats. During the Joseon Dynasty, cats were considered a symbol of longevity. Provided by National Folk Museum of Korea

The special exhibition ‘Monsters, Cats that Bewitched Us’ being held at the National Folk Museum of Korea introduces various old documents that deal with the special relationship between cats and humans, including Myomama. King Sukjong of Joseon (1661-1720) was also one of those who fell in love with the strange charm of cats. Kim Si-min (1681-1747), a civil servant in the late Joseon Dynasty, conveys King Sukjong’s love for cats in his anthology (Dongpojip).

When Sukjong’s cat Geumdeok (金德), which he found by chance at his father’s grave and brought to the palace and raised, gave birth, he named it Geumson (金孫). Sukjong left the meat on the table and threw it to Geumsoni, and kept it next to him when he went to bed.

It is said that Geumsoni, who was greatly loved by the king, was loyal to her master until the end, including giving up her wedding ritual immediately after Sukjong passed away. Geumson, who died 20 days after the king, was buried near King Sukjong’s tomb (Myeongneung).

A jar made by Shin Jeong-hee, a potter (1981). A cat painting by French anthropologist Levi Strauss was drawn on the surface. Provided by the National Folk Museum of Korea.

Meanwhile, the father’s concern about his daughter’s extreme love for cats also attracts attention.
‘You say you are devoted to your in-laws, but how can you have a cat? If you happen to have a cold, make some medicine and take it.’

This is part of a letter sent by King Hyojong (1619-1659) of Joseon to his third daughter, Princess Sookmyeong (1640-1699). We can read the heartbreaking feelings of her father, who is worried that his young daughter, who has just gotten married, will run away with her cat and run away from her in-laws or suffer from a cold.

This exhibition also features paintings from the Joseon Dynasty depicting cats. During the Joseon Dynasty, cats were often drawn to symbolize longevity. This is because the Chinese character for cat, Myo (猫), and Mo (耄), which means 70-year-old man, have the same pronunciation in Chinese. Among these, the humorous paintings by Byeon Sang-byeok, who was famous for his particularly good drawings of cats during the Joseon Dynasty, attract attention.

Reporter Kim Sang-woon [email protected]

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2024-05-12 17:40:02