Jwibulnori
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Jwibulnori () is a
Korea Korea is a peninsular region in East Asia consisting of the Korean Peninsula, Jeju Island, and smaller islands. Since the end of World War II in 1945, it has been politically Division of Korea, divided at or near the 38th parallel north, 3 ...
n
game A game is a structured type of play usually undertaken for entertainment or fun, and sometimes used as an educational tool. Many games are also considered to be work (such as professional players of spectator sports or video games) or art ...
in which participants create streaks of light by swinging cans filled with burning items. The game is played during the first full moon of the year in the
lunar calendar A lunar calendar is a calendar based on the monthly cycles of the Moon's phases ( synodic months, lunations), in contrast to solar calendars, whose annual cycles are based on the solar year, and lunisolar calendars, whose lunar months are br ...
, which is a national holiday in
Korea Korea is a peninsular region in East Asia consisting of the Korean Peninsula, Jeju Island, and smaller islands. Since the end of World War II in 1945, it has been politically Division of Korea, divided at or near the 38th parallel north, 3 ...
. It is played during the time when fires are started on farmlands to exterminate harmful insects and rats by burning away their habitat. Another purpose of the game is to wish for good health. A boy's game of lighting fires on the banks of rice fields to scare away rats on New Year's Day. People make a torchlight with a basket or container tied with a strong string. The game is often played by twirling the string. There can also be fights between other village members. They play the game until midnight and, after enjoying the game, the fire is set on the farmland. It is said that it is good if the fire is strong, so on this day, there is a custom in each village to compete with each other to increase the fire force.


Meaning

Jwibulnori is practiced as a folk game in urbanized settings. The game creates a sense of community and burns dead grass, pests and germs, thus, aiding a fruitful harvest. The game welcomes the New Year by purifying old misfortune to obtain good fortune. Also It is said that the reason why fires are set in the fields on this day is to exterminate rats because they cause severe damage, remove pests from the fields, and encourage new sprouts.


Origin

Jwibulnori originated from the custom of burning the ridge between rice paddies by setting dry grass from the paddy fields on fire the day before
New Year's Day In the Gregorian calendar, New Year's Day is the first day of the calendar year, January 1, 1 January. Most solar calendars, such as the Gregorian and Julian calendars, begin the year regularly at or near the December solstice, northern winter ...
. This fire is not only a Chungcheong-do custom, but a national custom. On this day, youths in each village place straw on the ridges of fields or rice fields near their village, and when the sun sets, they light a fire all at once to burn the weeds. Depending on the size or size of this rat fire, one can predict good or bad luck for the year or good or bad luck for the village.


Modern Jwibulnori

Although Jwibulnori is less often practiced, it is still part of many
New Year's Eve In the Gregorian calendar, New Year's Eve refers to the evening, or commonly the entire day, of the last day of the year, 31 December, also known as Old Year's Day. In many countries, New Year's Eve is celebrated with dancing, eating, drinkin ...
festivities. Children use long rings made of wire in cans by drilling holes in the bottom and sides of cans. Jwibulnori is typically held at a place where a sheaf burning event is held, in a wide field or a field with a low risk of spreading a fire. Fire-can game is an activity that has been performed with Jwibulnori. According to the testimonies of the elderly, it originated from the widespread use of cans after the
Korean War The Korean War (25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953) was an armed conflict on the Korean Peninsula fought between North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea; DPRK) and South Korea (Republic of Korea; ROK) and their allies. North Korea was s ...
. In other words, it was naturally combined with Jwibulnori while various kinds of canned food among the military materials that were airlifted during the war were used as amusement tools. When the can is swirling and
midnight Midnight is the transition time from one day to the next – the moment when the date changes, on the local official clock time for any particular jurisdiction. By clock time, midnight is the opposite of noon, differing from it by 12 hours. ...
is near, all the wood in the fire-can is burned, leaving only embers. At that point, the can is tossed into the air, letting the embers fall out and glitter the sky. This is seen as a way to send out bad luck and welcome good luck, as is flying a kite on New Year's day.


Preparation

To make a fire-can, dozens of holes are drilled in the surface of an empty can. This creates airflow that feeds the fire. A meter of wire is connected to each side to make a handle. Typical play is to burn brooms or trees and the fields around the village. Depending on the province, people use kindling made of
mugwort Mugwort is a common name for several species of aromatic flowering plants in the genus '' Artemisia.'' In Europe, mugwort most often refers to the species '' Artemisia vulgaris'', or common mugwort. In East Asia the species '' Artemisia argyi'' ...
or Bulkkangtong (, meaning: fire-cans).


Gameplay

Sticks are placed in the can, and the fire is lit. The wire is then held with one hand and swirled vigorously so that the fuel in the can burns. Children spin cans and compete over whose fire burns better. The use of fire cans has been replacing the use of torches or a straw bundles; thus playing the fire-can can be understood as a type of Jwibulnori.


Jwibulnori in Jeju

In
Jeju Island Jeju Island (Jeju language, Jeju/) is South Korea's largest island, covering an area of , which is 1.83% of the total area of the country. Alongside outlying islands, it is part of Jeju Province and makes up the majority of the province. The i ...
, people set a fire in the rangeland of Mt. Halla () during the month of February, or Hwaip (). The area calls rats "daughter-in-law" because if you call a mouse a "mouse", it will understand and be trouble. Another custom warns against displaying a divination sign on the day of the mouse, and another avoids starching clothes. As Jwibulnori is related to rats, it is the same as burning a field on the first day of the first lunar month. Depending on the region, it is also known as "Jwibul" () in conjunction with the moon torchlight on New Year’s Eve. To prevent fire, Jwibulnori is not allowed. Disease and pests are exterminated using pesticide instead of fire, so Jwibulnori is gradually disappearing.


Jwibulnori in China

''Bulnori'' (, mean: Displaying fireworks) on the 15th day of the New Year is derived from the idea of ''Sunghwa'' () which reveres fire. In southern
China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...
and
Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...
as well as Korea, farmers practice of burning fields is associated with their products. In China, a ''hunchung'' () event called Yongdaedu () takes place on February 2. On this holiday a dragon raises his head. It is said that it is possible to prevent various insect disasters if it goes out of the kitchen door, spraying the ashes like a dragon.


Pyeongchang commemorative coins

Pyeongchang Pyeongchang ( , ; in full, ''Pyeongchang-gun'' ) is a county in the province of Gangwon-do, South Korea, located in the Taebaek Mountains region. It is home to several Buddhist temples, including Woljeongsa. It is about east southeast of Seo ...
commemorative coin A commemorative coin is a coin issued to commemorate some particular event or issue with a distinct design with reference to the occasion on which they were issued. Some coins of this category serve as collector's items only, while most commemora ...
s are engraved with Jwibulnori. The currency issued to commemorate the PyeongChang Olympic Games is divided into commemorative bills and commemorative coins. Jwibulnori are engraved on gold coins. The gold coins are also engraved with traditional play paintings such as mono maple sled.


References


External links


Korea Cultural Heritage Foundation(한국문화재재단)

Culturecontent(문화콘텐츠닷컴)
{{Korea topics Korean games Night in culture Twirling Traditional games Fire in culture