Silla · History & tradition
Master Baekgyeol
The impoverished Silla musician who turned a pounding mortar into music.
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Korea time. Views once per browser per day; interest once per browser.Tradition
Baekgyeol is remembered for clothes patched many times and a gift for the geomungo. Unable to afford holiday rice cakes, he plays the sound of a pounding mortar to comfort his wife.
Legacy
The anecdote outlived most details of his life. It makes music a response to hunger and disappointment rather than a display of wealth.