[KS] 5th 14th 23rd

[Dennis Lee]

Dear Werner,

I'm guessing you already checked this source, but did the 한국세시풍속사전's entry
on the "Three Ruining Days" help at all or was that part of your three
ruined days? (sorry I couldn't help myself!).

Best,
Dennis


On Sat, Dec 10, 2016 at 3:20 PM, Werner Sasse <werner_sasse at hotmail.com>
wrote:

>
> Dear colleagues,
>
> In a translation I am working at there is a paragraph which bothers me,
> but I cannot come up with solutions. Any help will be appreciated...
>
>
> 初五十四 二十三日稱三敗日 The 5th, 14th, and 23rd days are called the “Three Ruining
> Days”.
>
> 每月忌百事 不敢動作 不宜出行 Every Month people are afraid to do anything, any work or
> leaving the house.
>
> 盖自麗俗以此三日卽君上所用之日故臣民不容爲忌日云本非敗日也  It is said that since Koryŏ customarily
> the king took these three days and therefore ministers and all people
> incorrectly made them into taboo days. Originally they were not “Ruining
> Days”
>
>
> Questions I have:
>
>
> 1) 5-14-23 with the difference of 9 makes me think of the Nine
> Influencers 九曜 (skr. *Nahagraha*, often translated as “planets” or
> “luminaries”). Does it have to do with birthday or any other important
> event? With mercury (number 5 in numerology) and its influence? Or with jupiter
> *mok-chiks**ŏng* 木直星, the 5th of the 九曜?
>
> 2) which Koryŏ king (or, since it is a *hanmun* text, Koguryŏ "king")?
>
> 3) And who is behind the "It is said..."?
>
>
> Translations, secondary literature, and three days wasted in the internet
> did not help me. Of course, I could just not bother and translate the text
> as it is, but I would just like to find some background to these enigmatic
> statements. It would be nice for me and probably for any serious reader of
> the translation...
>
>
> Looking forward
>
> Werner
>
>
>
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