The Story of Hong Gildong

Hyperbole is a poetic trope that uses exaggeration for emphasis and comic effect. In The Story of Hong Gildong, hyperbole is present in the author’s descriptions of everything related to Hong Gildong’s personality and exploits. From birth, his intelligence is unparalleled: “He needed to hear only one thing to understand ten, and learning ten things allowed him to master a hundred” (3). Even as a child, he has grand plans for himself: “I would wear a moon-sized insignia of a commander on my waist and sit upon a high seat from which I would order a thousand men and ten thousand horses to conquer the east and subdue the west” (4). Establishing Gildong as a larger-than-life character who operates on a grand scale elevates him to mythic status.

Hong Gildong uses hyperbole for entertainment. Hong Gildong is a work of popular fiction from the Joseon era, and stories in this genre relied on heroes, wars, and adventures. It is more exciting for a hero to battle thousands of foes than 10 or 20; thus, Haein Monastery contains thousands of monks and Gildong defeats hundreds of uldongs. Gildong gives each of the false Gildongs 500 men to lead through the provinces, and he takes three thousand bandits and their families to Jae Island. He overtakes Yul Island with an army of 100 thousand men, prompting 70 castles to surrender before he takes over the country. He can leap into the sky and ride on clouds. Thematically, hyperbole shows that there are no limits to Gildong’s talents, achievements, or imagination. In that sense, he is the opposite of the small-minded individuals who tried to impose limitations on him.

Fantasy is a literary genre in which magical and supernatural elements dominate the narrative. A fantasy tale can take place in an unknown world, or fantastic elements can exist within an otherwise realistic setting. Magic, spirits, and monsters are accepted aspects of Gildong’s world, as evidenced by the presence of the shaman and physiognomist at the beginning of the story, the uldongs that live in the mountains, and Gildong’s ability to wield supernatural powers.

Fantastic elements enter the narrative when Gildong learns sorcery as a child. He first demonstrates his powers when he defeats the assassin Teukjae: “Gildong remained still as he cast spells using the eight trigrams, raising a dreadful wind that confused Teukjae’s mind. […] The room then transformed itself into an immense field filled with countless rocks, layers of green mountains that soared into the air with intimidating grandeur” (16-17). Gildong often uses magic to defeat his enemies: When he attacks the governor’s hall with his bandits, he uses magic to shorten the distance between the office and the bandits’ village so they can escape without being followed. When he fights the uldongs, he summons “Heavenly Soldiers” (57) to restrain them so he can slaughter them. Even Gildong’s death includes an element of fantasy. After the storm on Myeongsin Mountain, Gildong and his wife’s bodies are never found, cementing Gildong’s status as a mythical figure.