Folk Tale On-Dal: From a Fool to a Great General

By Jaewon Kim

Have you ever heard a story about a renowned fool—or a person with mental impairment— who married a princess and became a great general of a country? If not, this article will introduce you to a Korean folk tale, On-Dal, the Fool (바보온달/ pabo ondal), one of the most well-known stories among Korean children.

Once upon a time, in the Kingdom of Koguryo (37 B.C.- 668 A.D), there was a princess named Pyeonggang (평강/ pyŏnggang), a daughter of King Pyeongwon (25th King of Koguryo, 평원/ Pyŏngwŏn) and a sister to King Yeongyang (26th King of Koguryo,영양/ Yŏngyang). Even though the princess was loved by her family, she cried very often as a child. As King Pyeonwon grew worried about his daughter, every time the princess cried, he told Pyeonggang that he would marry her to On-Dal, the fool, if she continued to cry.

Years later, when Princess Pyeonggang became 16 years old, the King announced that he would betroth the princess to one of the noble families. Hearing the news, Princess Pyeonggang went to her father and said that she would not accept this marriage and marry On-Dal, the fool, as her father had promised since her childhood. However, the King did not allow her to marry On-Dal, telling her that he did so to stop her from crying.

A few days later, the Princess Pyeonggang escaped the palace and found On-Dal. On-Dal, who lost his father at a young age and was living with his blind mother, was surprised by the Princess’s sudden visitation and refused Pyeonggang’s marriage proposal since he was too poor. However, with Pyeonggang’s continuous persuasion, On-Dal finally accepted the Princess and married her. 

Although the couple began their marriage, many obstacles lay ahead in their lives. First, On-Dal, like how he was known to be a fool, was illiterate and lacked many skills. Also, having no father, On-Dal’s family was poor. To solve these problems, Princess Pyeonggang sold the jewelry that she brought from the palace and bought a horse and books to teach her husband martial arts and how to read.

As time has passed, with Princess Pyeonggang’s effort, On-Dal soon mastered martial arts and won at the hunting contest. The King asked the winner’s name and was surprised that it was the On-Dal, the fool, who married his daughter. Impressed by his skills, On-Dal was ordered to defeat the enemy from the North by the King and came home victoriously. Proving his abilities through the war, On-Dal was appointed as a general of Koguryo.

The story seemed to end with a happy ending; however, when the new King Yeongyang ordered On-Dal to retrieve Koguryo’s lost land from the Kingdom of Silla (57 B.C.-935 A.D.), south of Koguryo, it turned to tragedy. Upon the order, On-Dal promised Princess Pyeonggang that he would not return home if he did not win the war, and walked into the battle. Despite his great skills as a militant, during the vicious war, On-Dal has fallen to the enemy attack. When soldiers tried to move On-Dal’s coffin, it did not move as he had promised his wife that he would not come home unless the war ended with victory. The news soon spread around the Kingdom of Koguryo, and Princess Pyeonggang went to the battlefield to send a farewell to her husband. And it was only then that the coffin moved.

As a story based on the historical record of Samguk Sagi (삼국사기), a record of the three-kingdom period of Korea, On-Dal, the fool, has been interpreted by many Korean scholars to investigate its historical accuracy and impact as children’s literature due to its popularity among the general public. For this reason, the folk story On-Dal has been providing various lessons to children, such as the importance of women’s autonomy, the power of love beyond class differences, and the unlimited possibilities of personal achievement, regardless of one’s intellectual capacity and personal background. Furthermore, its primary characteristics as a historical tale have led children to develop an interest in learning about their nation’s long history, which has a positive impact on overall youth education. Thus, early education through folk tales has served as a guide for youth in their encounters with others who may be different from them, whether in terms of intellectual ability or gender. This is especially important in Korean society, where an individual’s value is primarily determined by their education level and influences their future prospects in society.

However, there is one puzzling fact about On-Dal. Even though many people believe that On-Dal was intellectually lacking due to his nickname ‘fool,’ according to the record, On-Dal was in fact called a ‘fool’ due to his unattractive and sloppy appearance, while wandering around the village begging food and money to support his blind mother [1]. Additionally, historical records note that On-Dal was a rather intelligent and kind person, suggesting that his nickname as a fool originated from his guileless nature, which benefited others [2]. Therefore, although the story may be presented as an IDD representation, the reality lies in the storytelling of a hero who overcame lifelong difficulties through consistent effort.

References

[1],[2] Samguk Sagi (三國史記), Vol 45 Yŏljŏn 列傳 [The Biography of others], No.5 Ondal溫達 [On-Dal]. Kuksa p’yŏnch’an wiwŏnhoe Hanguk sa deit’ŏ beisŭ 국사편찬위원회 한국사데이터베이스. (https://db.history.go.kr)