CELEBRATING THE 8TH ANNIVERSARY OF PARK SIHOO-SSI’S “FAMILY HONOR”!
庆祝施厚君的“家门的荣光”第8周年!
Park Sihoo-ssi’s drama “Family Honor” is probably a favorite among his fans. So many articles, posts and reviews have been written and shared about the drama over the years. And despite it being an 8-year old drama, it still continues to charm both existing and new audiences alike.
Aside from the central love story of Park Sihoo-ssi’s Lee Kangsuk and his Ha Dana, what I also find fascinating are the traditions and values respecting the dead. Death may sound like a morbid subject to many but in “Family Honor”, though it brought sadness to loved ones, it was portrayed in the most emotionally touching and beautiful manner.
It was obvious from the start, through the pomp ceremonies and rituals surrounding the passing of Ha Dana’s great grandfather, that Koreans place a lot of importance in respecting the dead. They had to be given their due respect in their passages from the living to the netherworld. No expense would be spared in giving them a good send-off. The living were expected to go into deep mourning over a period of time.
Their names and status would be recorded in the “Family Tree Book” or 족보 Jubok as remembrance for future generations. The “Family Tree Book” is an important and coveted part of the family history, listing down all “legitimate” family members and are usually kept by the first born son of the family. It was particularly important and a pride for the “Yangban” or 양반 who were part of the traditional ruling class or gentry in olden Korea. This was why Lee Kangsuk was tasked by his father to pursue at all cost, even if they were to buy someone else’s “Family Tree Book” to legitimize their wealth and to make claim of being from an old prestigious family.
Ha Dana, with her traditional upbringing, would not forsake her dead husband, respecting him even in death. She would talk to him almost every night and refusing to wear warm clothes during winter because he was in a cold place as he had sacrificed his life for hers. She continued to regularly visit his grave to maintain it and to have “conversations” with him. She also kept their marriage papers and symbols of marriage including their betrothal ring as rememberance. Respecting her dead husband, she was determined to stay a widow for the rest of her life and be with him in death.
In many countries, such family traditions and values have long been forgotten, given way to modern times. Good that we can still re-live some of these in “Family Honor” and learn more about the old traditional ways and how they respected the dead.
I wonder, does Park Sihoo-ssi’s family have a “Family Tree Book”? Looks highly likely since they are landed gentry in Buyeo. With him being the first born grandchild, he would then be the keeper of his Park Family Jubok and keep their family history and tradition to share with his descendants for eternity!
尊重死者
施厚君的电视剧“家门的荣光”(“家门”)可能是厚粉们最喜爱的厚剧。这么多年来,大家已经分享了很多文章,帖子和评论关于这经典剧。尽管该剧已经有8个年头了,但仍然继续吸引现有和新的观众与好评。
除了施厚君的李江石和他的何丹雅的爱情故事,也觉得对死者尊重的传统和价值观非常感兴趣。许多人听到死亡可能会感到不安。在“家门”,虽然它带给亲人悲伤,但是以最有情感和美丽的方式去描绘。
一开始,很明显的可以看到韩国人对死者的尊重和礼仪,就看何丹雅的曾爷爷去世时仪式是多么的排场和隆重。他们是非常尊重,不珍惜任何开支地送走死者到阴曹地府。家人也会吊丧好一段时间。
死者的名字和地位将被记录在“族谱”或족보里,留给后代做记录纪念。“族谱”是家族的一本重要和令人垂涎的部分,列出了所有“合法”的家族成员。尤其是在旧时代的韩国,对“两班”或양반(所谓是国家传统统治阶级或老挝的贵族),“族谱”是非常重要的记录。这就是为什么李江石被父亲委托,不惜一切代价去追求一本“族谱”,即使是买别人的, 来“合法化”他们的财富和”两班“的地位。
何丹雅与她传统的教养,不会放弃她死去的丈夫。她仍然尊重她过世的丈夫,每天晚上跟他说话,在冬季也拒绝穿保暖衣,因为他是在寒冷的地方。她继续定期去为他扫墓,并和他“对话”。这么多年过去了,她还保留着她们的婚书和婚姻的象征,包括订婚戒指。为了尊重她死去的丈夫,她决定守寡一生。
在许多国家,这样的家庭传统和价值观念在现代早已被遗忘。好的是在“家门”里,我们仍然可以重温一些旧的韩国传统。
不知道,施厚君的家族是否有一本“家谱”呢? 看起来很有可能,因为他们是扶余的地主。 作为第一个孙子,他将成为朴氏家的“族谱”守门人,为朴氏家保留传统给后代子孙!
Photo Credits – Many thanks! sbs.co.kr, seoultribune.com, Twitter, PPTV
9 Comments
這部劇讓我對韓國的祭祀,,,等有很大的興趣,想深入了解,,,
Talking about tradition, where so many important rituals represent deep meaning in Park Sihoo’s country and society. The subject of traditions, the things we (I meant the Chinese or the Koreans or anyone who prescribes to their cultural and tradition) do for sending off our loved ones when they part with this earth plain, to me regardless of whether the things we do or not do will or will not be felt/received by the dead, it is a way of expressing our sorrow and our love to the loved ones who parted. It is a process that also help to heal our sadness. Park Sihoo being the 1st born moreove male grandchild has the honour to carry the family name and tradition, is an honour which I believe he carries with respect and sense of importance. In his case, his lucky descendants will have so much more richer and deeper stories to remember about his generations.
With honor comes great responsibility and we see PSH bearing this really well – through the thick and thins of his life experience always with quiet dignity and deep inner strength!
Today, is suitable for the memory! The ancestral hall and ancestral spectrum, is very sacred! Name, sacrifice, family education… Derived from this, is a symbol of the spirit! People’s life and death, the state of reincarnation, a lifetime is very short, the heart to life, with every day of happiness as the scale, respect for the heart of the world! Da way miss, unique, heavy state! Oneself, is a little not agree with! Shi Houjun, the family, the gatekeeper, should be the responsibility and role of the state! The reality of the world, his family, the elders of the status, no doubt the authority! Every one of the children, the tradition, continues, is also in compliance with!
By respecting the dead we are respecting life as well. Respecting the dead is important because we make their lives better, because the quality of their life depends on what they left behind them. Ha Dana , respecting the tradition and customs , she also have a deep respect and devotion for her husband , even after his death, as he sacrificed his life for her to live. She thought that she died once her husband died. But , she could set her husband’s life in her memories, and not think her dead but fight for her life . Her chance to come to life is meeting Lee Kangsuk , who tries to convince her to keep her dead husband’s memories , but also continue to live. And the most exciting moment was his visit at her dead husband ‘s grave to pay respect and thank him for giving his life for Dana: “Today with this woman I came to make a promise to you, who died for her sake. After she dies I’ll send her be with you. But while she is still alive I’ll keep her with me.” “Life is for the living. Dead is for the dead. Let life be like music.And dead a note unsaid.”[Langston Hughes]
That scene where Lee Kangsuk visited the grave of Ha Dana’s late husband was one of the most memorable and poignant scenes in FH. It left an indelible mark on me on how deeply the dead is respected within the Korean culture. The opening episodes of FH dealt with the subject matter of death and with it the rich display of Korean funeral ritual traditions. The closing episode of FH dealt with life – at long last the union of Kangsuk and Dana and with it the birth of their twins ensuring the perpetuation of life to the generations that follow. What a gloriously beautiful Korean drama classic FH is! For those who have yet to watch just please don’t miss it!
Husband and I once asked ourselves this question : what is the ultimate motivation of the human race…….many things were said. In the end we both concurred “”procreation”” is what drived the human race, no different from animals, or life form on this planet all striving to procreate for the continuation of our specie. FH starts with death and ends with new lives, that’s human race at play. For childless people like myself, we applaud when others would contribute new lives.
Chai Hua Loke Looking at it from another angle even childless couples can contribute to new lives through extending love and nurture to these lives via adoption or charity. This theme was amazingly woven into FH. The eldest grandson and his new wife ‘procreated’ through adoption, given the blessing of approval from Grandpa which is also according to the provisions of the traditional family rules. This theme was then solidly endorsed in the closing episodes of FH when Grandpa discovered he too has no blood relationship with the family that he has laboured to uphold through the years. Amazing amazing themes in FH!
Indeed a far reaching value in FH. Well Said Dorothy Ooi!