Korean Folktale : The Four Seasons Goddess

🌸 Korean Folktale Series 54

“The Four Seasons Goddess”

(사계절 여신 이야기 · Sagyejeol Yeosin Iyagi)

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🕰️ 1. The Story

Long ago, before humans counted time by calendars or stars, the earth lay in eternal stillness. The sun shone without rest, rivers never froze, and flowers never faded. Life flourished—but the world grew weary. The gods gathered atop Baekdu Mountain, the highest peak, to seek balance for all living things.

The Heavenly King spoke:

“If the world is to endure, time must flow. Let four spirits of harmony descend to guide it.”

From the clouds emerged four radiant goddesses, each carrying a piece of the world’s heart.

The first was Bom-nyeo, the Goddess of Spring. Wherever she walked, buds blossomed, snow melted, and hope returned. Her laughter carried warmth into the soil.

The second was Yeoreum, the Goddess of Summer. With hair like golden sunlight, she ripened fruits and filled rivers with life. Yet her passion burned fiercely, reminding all that abundance must be tempered by care.

The third was Gaeul, the Goddess of Autumn. Dressed in crimson leaves, she gathered the harvest and taught humans gratitude. She whispered,

“Give thanks, for what you hold today was born from yesterday’s patience.”

The last was Gyeoul, the Goddess of Winter. Her touch brought stillness and sleep, covering the land with white calm. Though her silence seemed cold, it allowed the world to rest and dream again.

Together, the four sisters spun the Cycle of Life—birth, growth, gratitude, and renewal. Yet harmony required sacrifice: each goddess had to step back when her time was done, trusting her sister to continue the dance.

When humans later learned to name the seasons, they built small altars in the mountains and fields, offering the first blossoms of spring, the first fruits of summer, golden grains of autumn, and pure snow of winter.

It is said that on the first day of every new season, the four goddesses meet atop Baekdu Mountain once more, their laughter forming the winds that circle the earth.

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🪄 2. Meaning & Lessons

• Life flourishes through balance and change, not permanence.
• Every ending is a beginning in disguise.
• Gratitude for each season brings peace in every stage of life.

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👀 3. Reflections in Life

• Just as nature changes, so do we—and that change gives meaning to life.
• Joy and rest, gain and loss, are all part of one great rhythm.
• Harmony is not sameness but understanding when to yield and when to give.

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🌏 4. Similar Tales Around the World

•  Greece — The Tale of Demeter and Persephone
  The changing seasons born from a mother’s love and her daughter’s return.
•  Japan — The Four Kami of Nature
  Deities of wind, water, fire, and earth who maintain balance through eternal cycles.
•  India — The Dance of the Seasons (Ritu Chakra)
  A divine rhythm of creation, preservation, and rest guided by nature goddesses.

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💬 A Warm Saying

“When we honor each season, we honor life itself.”

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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.