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| Liquor is first mentioned in Korean
literature in the Chewang-ungi, a history of the founding of
the nation by King Dongmyongsong. The story is found in the
Kosanguksa, as follows: "Three daughters of Habaek, named
Yu Hwa, Son Hwa and Wi Hwa, seeking to escape the heat, were
playing at the Ungsim pond in the Chung River (now known as
the Apnok River). Prince Haemosu was struck by their beauty,
and sent a vassal to ask them to meet him. But they refused.
Therefore, on the advice of his vassal, Prince Haemosu built
a stately palace and invited them to meet him there. |
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The three women accepted his invitation
and were treated to liquor, whereupon they became extremely
drunk. When they attempted to leave, Haemosu tried to stop them
and appealed to them to stay. Two of them ran away, but Haemosu
seized Yu Hwa, and kept her there to sleep at the palace. Eventually,
she fell in love with him, and gave birth to Prince Jumong.
Jumong is said to have later founded the kingdom of Koguryo,
as King Dongmyongsong."
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In the period of Emperor Chonju,
a man named Jukyu lived in the town of Kubuto. There, he grew
a lot of bamboo. One day he smelled something strange at a bamboo
stump, and examined it closely. Birds had picked rice and deposited
it in the hollow stump, where it fermented and became alcohol.
This was the origin of liquor.
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According to the Daehwasashi, an
old record of Japan, in the period of Shinhwa, a man named Mijanojon
traveled to Silla and learned how to make wine. It is said this
was in the Uduri neighborhood, Shinbuk district of Chunsong
(the modern city of Chunchon).
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It is written that Mokhwasobimae
made wine by chewing the rice in his mouth before fermentation.
This was believed to be the first primitive method of brewing
alcohol. 80 years ago, this method was reportedly used in the
village of Binamsa, Dongsaan, Taiwan. Four or five girls sat
together and chewed a little steamed rice, then spat it out.
In a day, this would turn into a sweet drink. This could be
drunk directly, or allowed to sit and ferment.
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Susugori, who is enshrined as a god
of wine to this day, went from Paekche to Japan to teach how
to make alcohol. This appears to be an actual historical record,
rather than legend. In the Eungshin Chunhwangjo, the middle
book of Kosagi, it is written that Susugori, the great-grandson
of a weaver named Kung Wol Kun, went to Japan and demonstrated
to Emperor Eungshin how to brew alcohol. The emperor's disposition
improved after drinking the alcohol, and he sang the following
song:
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on the wine Susugori made I got drunk on peaceful and pleasant
wine" |
Susugori was a brewer. Brewing methods appear to have been relatively
advanced at that time. The distilling equipment used to filter
alcohol is called "gori." This may be connected with
Susugori's name, "God of Wine."
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The first record of alcohol is in the Yosshichunchu part of
the Book of China. This old book of China records 240 years
of history, from King An until Emperor Jin. "A long time
ago, the emperor's daughter Ui Jeok brewed a delicious wine
and presented it to King Woo (in the Ha period). After he tasted
the wine, he said, 'Stop drinking this and avoid Ui Jeok. It
is certain that in future generations, this drink will cause
a man to ruin his nation.'" This tells us that there was
already alcohol in China as early as 2000 B.C.
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Dionysus is said to be the
inventor of wine. The Roman name for Dionysus is Bacchus, and
wine was known as Bacchus' magic art. For this, Dionysus was
remembered by future generations. One day, Dionysus discovered
wine while playing on Mt. Nisa. He returned to Greece and gave
Icarius the wine, and taught him how to make it. Celebrating,
Icarius offered the marvelous wine to nearby herders. They drank
more and more of the sweet-tasting wine, until they had drunk
too much and became dizzy. Believing that Icarius had poisoned
their drink, they killed him. For this, Icarius is known as
the first martyr of wine. Even now, in the Greek province of
Akara, they perform the Dionysan Sacrifice, or "country
sacrifice," in which an offering of wine is sacrificed
to the god. Greek classical drama developed from this ritual.
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It is said that
Noah brewed the world's first alcohol when he made wine. According
to the Old Testament, there was a deluge that flooded the entire
world in Noah's time. Noah made an ark to carry his family and
the progenitors of all other living things, preserving life
on Earth. They say that God taught Noah how to cultivate grapes
and make wine. Also, in the New Testament, before Jesus Christ
was crucified, he shared wine with his disciples at the Last
Supper.
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It is said that Osiris, the god of
heaven and Earth, and husband of the great goddess Isis, taught
men how to brew beer from barley.
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Bacchus, said to have been the first
winebrewer, was the Roman god of wine. (Bacchus was the Roman
name for the Greek god Dionysus -- see above.)
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