“I believe I can see you in my dreams. Come to me secretly…
There is no limit to what I want to say”
– Eung-Tae’s wife’s burial letter to him in 1586
Relocated grave/memorial for Eung-Tae Lee and ‘Mother Won’ in Andong City, South Korea
Hemp’s Sole One
Little is known about that magical fabric that bonds true love together. In the case of one Korean couple that magic was Hemp!
Burial site of Eung-Tae Lee in Andong City, South Korea
In 1998 a research team was called in to relocate some old graves for a new apartment complex being built at the site in Andong City, South Korea. Little did the team know they would be unearthing a 400 year old love story…
Unearthing one unknown grave, the team discovered it belonged to a man named Eung-Tae Lee who had died in 1586 at the age of 31.
A bundle of clothing buried with him was tenderly wrapped in hemp rope. When the clothing was examined they discovered they were not for him but made for a woman and child…
Laying next to his head was a object wrapped in hemp paper. The object stunned everyone…
Human hair/Hemp weaved sandals from 1586
“with my hair I weave this”
– Burial note written on hemp paper wrapped around hemp/hair sandals, 1586
When the hemp paper was opened a pair of sandals were discovered. Taking a closer look at the sandals they discovered human hair had been weaved right in with hemp to form the sandals.
On the paper wrapping the hempen shoe’s, they could decipher sentences like “with my hair I weave this” and “before you were even able to wear it”…
Close up of Eung-Tae Lee burial hemp/hair sandal from 1586
“before you were even able to wear it”
– Burial note written on hemp paper wrapped around hemp/hair sandals, 1586
The team had discovered a ancient tradition never before found. As a symbol of love or hope, a loved one would weave their own hair with hemp to make shoes for a ill person.
The shoes are a stunning display of love lasting over 400 years. When the team started reading the letters left with the body they found themselves right in the middle of a centuries old love story…
Human hair/Hemp weaved sandals from 1586
“There are references in Korean literature to the tradition of making the shoes with human hair as a symbol of love or hope for recovery from an illness, but we have never actually found any examples,”
– Se-Kwon Yim, former director of the Andong National University Museum
The letters around the body were from family members and loved ones of the man. While the team was reading the letters, one took everyone’s breath away.
The letter was found laying on the chest of the man, close to his heart away from the other letters. It was a grieving letter from Eung-Tae’s wife who was still struggling with his loss.
The letter would tell of a love lasting centuries…
Korean funeral letter, 1586
To Won’s Father
June 1, 1586
You always said, “Dear, let’s live together until our hair turns gray and die on the same day.” How could you pass away without me? Who should I and our little boy listen to and how should we live? How could you go ahead of me?
How did you bring your heart to me and how did I bring my heart to you? Whenever we lay down together you always told me, “Dear, do other people cherish and love each other like we do? Are they really like us?” How could you leave all that behind and go ahead of me?
I just cannot live without you. I just want to go to you. Please take me to where you are. My feelings toward you I cannot forget in this world and my sorrow knows no limit. Where would I put my heart in now and how can I live with the child missing you?
Please look at this letter and tell me in detail in my dreams. Because I want to listen to your saying in detail in my dreams I write this letter and put it in. Look closely and talk to me.
When I give birth to the child in me, who should it call father? Can anyone fathom how I feel? There is no tragedy like this under the sky.
You are just in another place, and not in such a deep grief as I am. There is no limit and end to my sorrows that I write roughly. Please look closely at this letter and come to me in my dreams and show yourself in detail and tell me. I believe I can see you in my dreams. Come to me secretly and show yourself. There is no limit to what I want to say and I stop here.
– Eung-Tae Lee’s burial letter from his Wife in 1586
Human hair/Hemp weaved sandals from 1586
“Dear, let’s live together until our hair turns gray and die on the same day.
How could you pass away without me?”
– Grieving Korean funeral letter from a Wife, 1586
When the handwriting was compared between the letter and the note on the shoes, it was confirmed to be the same. The shoes had been made by the mans loving wife with her own hair.
Only hemp can tell the story of true love, 400 years in the making!
‘Korean beauty’ Jang Yeon Hong 1904