Korean mythology consists of national legends and folk-tales which come from all over the Korean Peninsula. The origin may be a blend of Korean shamanism, Buddhist, Chinese myths, Confucian and Taoist legends and myths. The legends may also vary gre...
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The goddess of Jeju Island, often depicted embodying the island the way Earth goddesses are often depicted embodying the entire planet. She could also assume giantess form and roam the island at will and much of her mythic cycle deals with her activities in that mobile form. Her diahhrea after having eaten millet porridge resulted in 360 of the hills and mountains of Jeju Island. Halmang also arranged all the valleys and rivers of the island to her liking, too. Her urine caused the channel between Jeju Island and mainland Korea, or the channel between Jeju Island and nearby Udo Island, depending on the version.
When the people of Jeju Island wanted the goddess to cease walking around naked in her giantess form she told them that if they could make clothing large enough to fit her she would build them a bridge to the mainland. The people exhausted all of the material on the island but still the clothes they made were not large enough to cover Halmang, so she stopped her own efforts, leaving the bridge half-finished. (This is similar to many Philippine myths about giant gods or goddesses partially completing bridges between islands)
Another myth involves her out-doing her husband, the god Halubang, at fishing by lying in the ocean and swallowing all the fish into her vagina. (This is similar to one of the Vietnamese myths about Giat Hai outdoing Khong Lo) With that husband, the god that the large, ancient stone phalluses on Jeju Island are dedicated to, Halmang spawned Koeulla, Puella and Yangeulla, the progenitor gods of The Three Clans of Jeju Island.
