20171126
(Grandma Mandeok)
For long time ago, it was not easy to live in CheJoo Island. It’s soil was not bad, but there was always shortage of water due to geological reason.
There was plenty of rain, but it was difficult to preserve water because of it’s volcanic soil.
So agricultural production was always not sufficient to feed people in CheJoo island.
Men went to the see to catch fish, but the fishing was dangerous job at that time.
It was said that there were 3 many in CheJoo island, Women, wind, rocks.
The reason why women were many in cheJoo island was sad history.
Men went to the sea to catch fish, and many of them had never returned home.
The sea around CheJoo island was rough, so many fisherman was dead due to bad weather.
So there existed always unbalance of sex ration in CheJoo Island.
This condition made women in chejoo very strong and tough.
Women in Chejoo was well known as the most independent female in Korea.
Life was not easy in Chejoo, so there were the famines many times in history.
The difficulty of preserving water resources was the main reason of the famine in CheJoo Island.
The difficulty of supplying grains from outside was one of the reason of famine
In Choson Dynasty, there happened a large scale of famine.
Much of habitants in CheJoo was in serious famine crisis. Even local government could not find ways to help people.
At that time, there was a female Marchant who had been Gisaeng (similar Geisha of Japan) when she was young.
She had accumulated amount of property through business with main land.
She had bought the food in main land and shipped to CheJoo island and. She gathered all ships as soon as possible with her money and distributed all food for people in CheJoo. Even though she was a businessman, she never receive any pennies for that.
She knew how to use her wealth.
In this aspect, she was the real rich man in history.
With her good behavior, People in CheJoo could survive and overcome the most serious famine.
Her name was Mandeok.
Mandeok means literally ‘Plenty of Virtues’.
She acted like what her name meant.
By the street, occasionally I found a small museum for the memory of Mandeok.
The exhibitions were daily life history in Chejoo island at Choson Dynasty.
You could understand what the life was in CheJoo island.
(entrance to museum)
(daily life in chejoo)
(Livestocks were treated with important)
I wish the riches of nowdays learn how the rich do the right thing from Mandeok.
We have remember her good behavior through history.
We never forget her when CheJoo island exists.