The Temple to the God of War

During the Japanese War in the reign of King Son-jo, the Ming emperor of China sent a great army east, which drove out the enemy and brought back peace. Afterward, the Ming general told the Korean King that the victory was thanks to the help of Kwan, the God of War. “That being so,” he said, “you should not go on without temples where you can show your gratitude to him.”

So temples were built for the God of War, and sacrifices were offered to him. One was to stand south of the city and one east of it. But when they came to choose the site for the southern temple, no one could agree. Some wanted it closer to the city wall, others farther away.

The official in charge of the discussions was Yi Hang-bok. One day, while Yi was at home, a military officer came and asked to see him. When he was shown in, Yi saw that he was a huge, splendidly built fellow. The visitor asked Yi to send all his servants out so that they could talk in private. The servants left, and the stranger delivered his message. When he had finished, he said goodbye and went away.

At that time an old friend was staying with Yi. He had gone out with the servants, and now he came back in. He noticed a very strange look on his host’s face and asked what was the matter.

At first Yi said nothing, but later he told his friend that something extraordinary had happened. “That officer was no ordinary man,” he said. “He was a messenger from the God of War himself. He came because we still haven’t settled the site for the temple, and he came to show me where it ought to stand. He said this was not a matter for a short time only but for all the ages to come, and that if we chose wrongly, the God of War would find no peace. I told him I would do my best. Isn’t that strange?”

The friend was much stirred by this, but Yi warned him not to tell anyone. Then Yi did everything in his power, and at last the temple was built on the very site the messenger had shown him, as the source account concludes.

About this story

“The Temple to the God of War” comes from Korean Folk Tales: Imps, Ghosts and Fairies, the 1913 book in which James Scarth Gale translated the tales of Im Bang. Gale prefaces it with a long note on Yi Hang-bok (1556–1618), a real statesman who stood by King Son-jo during the Japanese invasions of the 1590s and was famous for his wit, his poems and his generosity.

The tale links the southern shrine to Kwan, Guan Yu of China, with gratitude after the war and offers a supernatural explanation for its chosen location. It is a source for the legend, not a current guide to the shrine’s site.

Read the original: Korean Folk Tales: Imps, Ghosts and Fairies (Project Gutenberg)

Best for ages 9–12 — a mysterious officer brings a statesman a secret message from the God of War.

A public decision with a private explanation

Officials debate the site openly, but the visitor asks everyone to leave before delivering his message. Readers receive that message through Yi’s later account to a friend. The secrecy makes the decision mysterious while also limiting who can check the claim. The story gives a disputed location divine authority; it does not show how the other officials evaluate the choice.

Follow the message

Draw arrows from visitor to Yi, from Yi to his friend and from Yi to the temple decision. At which steps is someone relying on another person’s account rather than hearing the visitor directly?

Think about it

• Why were the temples to the God of War built?
• Who was the officer who visited Yi Hang-bok?
• Why do you think Yi asked his friend to keep the secret?

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• The Magic Invasion of Seoul — the God of War saves the city
• The Man Who Became a Pig — another tale of a wise Korean minister
• The Vision of the Holy Man — another heavenly messenger