Korean Folktale : The Legend of the Five Brothers of Obongsan

⛰️ Korean Folktale Series 87

“The Legend of the Five Brothers of Obongsan”
(오봉산 다섯 형제 전설 · Obongsan Daseot Hyeongje Jeonseol)

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🕰️ 1. The Story

Long ago, at the foot of Mount Obongsan, there lived five brothers who had lost their parents at a young age. Though poor, they shared a single house, a single pot, and a single promise:

“Whatever happens, we will never turn our backs on one another.”

Each brother had a different gift.
The eldest, Baek-un, was calm and thoughtful.
The second, Ryeon, was strong and fearless.
The third, Mu-jin, was skilled with his hands.
The fourth, Seok, was gentle and kind.
The youngest, Ha-neul, had a sharp mind and a hopeful heart.

Together, they farmed the rocky land and gathered herbs from the mountain. Though life was hard, laughter often rose from their home like smoke from the hearth.

One year, a violent storm struck Obongsan. Torrential rains loosened the earth, and villagers feared a massive landslide that could bury the entire valley. The elders warned,

“If the mountain collapses, none of us will survive.”

The five brothers climbed the mountain to see the damage for themselves. They found deep cracks spreading across the slopes like wounds. The land groaned under the weight of rain.

Baek-un spoke first.

“If the earth gives way, it will rush straight toward the village.”

Ryeon clenched his fists.

“Then we must stop it.”

Mu-jin shook his head.

“No wall we build will be strong enough.”

Silence fell—until Ha-neul whispered,

“What if we become the wall?”

The brothers understood at once. If they anchored themselves along the most dangerous ridge, they could hold back the collapsing earth long enough to divert the flow away from the village. But it would cost them their lives.

Without hesitation, Seok said softly,

“If one of us stands alone, it means nothing.
But if we stand together… we can save everyone.”

At dawn, as the storm returned, the five brothers climbed into position. They braced themselves against the mountain, arms linked, feet planted deep into the soil. The earth roared, rocks thundered down—but the flow split, sliding harmlessly toward empty ravines.

When the storm finally ended, the villagers rushed up the mountain.
There, where the brothers had stood, rose five tall peaks, lined side by side—strong, unmoving, eternal.

The village was saved. The valley bloomed again.

The people named the mountain Obongsan—“The Mountain of Five Peaks.”
They said the brothers had become the mountain itself, watching over the land forever.

Even today, when mist curls around the five peaks at dawn, elders say it is the brothers speaking softly to one another—still keeping their promise, still standing together.

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🪄 2. Meaning & Lessons

▪️ Unity turns sacrifice into protection.
▪️ True family is forged through shared resolve, not blood alone.
▪️ Standing together can change the fate of many.

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👀 3. Reflections in Life

▪️ Great strength is born when individuals choose “we” over “me.”
▪️ Some sacrifices are silent, yet shape the world forever.
▪️ Loyalty lived through action becomes legend.

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🌏 4. Similar Tales Around the World

Japan — The Five Guardian Mountains
Five spirits become peaks to protect a village from disaster.

 

China — The Brothers Who Became Pillars
Siblings sacrifice themselves to hold back a collapsing mountain.

 

Greece — The Titans Turned to Stone
Figures who become part of the landscape through sacrifice.

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💬 A Warm Saying

“When hearts stand as one, even mountains are born.”

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📌 Note
This is creative cultural content from the Misojieum Story Blog (kor-telling.com).
Please do not copy without permission. Sharing is welcome with proper source citation.