Bulgae- Korean CreatureCreature · Beast

The Fire Dogs of the Dark Kingdom

The Bulgae serve the king of Eodum-ui Nara (어둠의 나라), a kingdom of eternal night ruled by a sovereign who envies the light of the sun and moon. Unable to bear the brightness that illuminates the world while his own kingdom languishes in shadow, the dark king sends his fire dogs to capture the celestial bodies and bring them to his realm. The Bulgae are massive supernatural hounds with bodies that burn with inner fire, eyes like embers and breath of smoke and flame.

The dark king first commands a Bulgae to chase the sun. The fire dog races across the heavens, closes the distance, and catches the sun in its jaws. But the sun is too hot, far hotter than even a fire dog can endure. Its mouth burns, its tongue blisters, and in agony it releases its prey and retreats with its tail between its legs. The brief dimming as the Bulgae bites down is what causes a solar eclipse.

Undeterred, the dark king sends another Bulgae after the moon. This dog seizes the moon in its teeth, but the moon is so cold it freezes the Bulgae's jaws until it can no longer hold on. The moon slips free, and the defeated fire dog limps home. The lunar eclipse is this moment of capture and release. The king never learns. He sends his Bulgae again and again throughout time, and so eclipses will continue as long as the dark king's jealousy endures.

The Noise That Drives Them Off

In traditional Korean communities, eclipses were greeted with commotion. People banged on pots and pans, struck drums, and shouted at the sky to frighten the Bulgae into releasing the sun or moon. Children were told their noise helped drive away the fire dog, giving them an active role in restoring heavenly light. The whole village turned out against the dark king's hound, and every time, the light came back.