The Birth Myth of King Suk Talhaih
by Silla on 2020-02-09
Once upon a time in Korea, there lived an elderly lady named Ojineuisun on the east coast of Surobul. One morning 39 years after Bok Heukgasaih becoming King, Ojineuisun awoke at the sound of chirping of magpies.
When she went to the beach where the chirping sound was coming from, she saw a strange ship and the magpies surrounding it and chirping. She went aboard and found a large box containing a large egg. Just then, the egg broke and she found a healthy male baby in it.
This woke up the lady attendants who had been taken care of the egg and were sleeping beside it, and they were delighted with the baby.
They told Ojineuisun the following story:

The King Homdolpah of Daponah, a nation located about 400 km north east of Waih (the former name of Japan), married the daughter of the king of Juknye.
The queen laid a big egg after eagerly awaiting a baby for 7 years. The King Homdolpah was very disappointed and commanded to throw the egg away into the sea. Weeping sadly, the queen enclosed the egg with a silk kerchief, put it into a big box and put the box aboard a ship. She had several lady attendants aboard the ship to take care of it. She said,
"A prince will hatch from this egg without fail. When you reach a destined nation, build a house and construct a nation."
The first place the ship reached was the south beach of Gorok. When King Gim Suro of Gorok was about to welcome the ship, she floated back out to the East Sea with the falling tide. Finally, the ship arrived on a beach of Surobul.

The lady attendants implored Ojineuisun to raise the baby together and she gladly accepted. Ojineuisun named the babe Suk Talhaih, which means 'hatched by the magpies'.
Suk Talhaih grew intelligent and strong. The boy also showed talent in archery and swordsmanship. King Bok Nomhaih loved him for his talents and had him marry the princess. Later, Suk Talhaih ascended to the throne after King Bok Yuri, the son of King Bok Nomhaih, and governed Surobul successfully for 23 years.