Korean fairy tales often begin with a unique phrase: “Once upon a time, in a time when tigers still smoked…”.
For those fortunate enough to have had a gentle childhood, the bedtime stories told in the beloved voices of grandparents and parents are a sweet memory of youth. Almost every culture nurtures the spirit of childhood with fairy tales, both to pass on the thread of ancient culture and to educate character from early years.
The treasure trove of fairy tales seems to be endless, filled with hundreds of cultures and countless motifs, stories, and interpretations of the world. But one thing that nearly everyone remembers about these colorful tales, even if they doze off midway, is the magical four words “Once upon a time…“.
Not only in Vietnam do these four words open the door to a wondrous world, but several other languages also have similar phrases: English (Once upon a time), French (Il était une fois), and Japanese (Mukashimukashi).
Tiger holding a smoking pipe in Korean culture.
In South Korea, this phrase is always accompanied by a unique analogy: “Once upon a time, in a time when tigers still smoked…” This phrase has deeply ingrained itself in the minds of Korean children across generations before each fairy tale. Like idioms in other languages, this phrase embodies the feelings, history, creativity, and even satire of Koreans.
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According to the National Museum of Korea, the tiger leaves a profound cultural mark in the legends of this country. Thanks to its mountainous and valley-rich terrain, this animal is quite common in the Asian nation.
In folklore, the tiger maintains an intriguing duality: it is both a guide for heroes on their path to conquest, representing benevolent spirits, and at times, a fierce enemy blocking their way.
Moreover, metaphorically, the tiger symbolizes authority and strength towards humans. For instance, they are often depicted in paintings and murals as guardians of royal tombs. In other words, tigers represent the ruling class in ancient society.
On the other hand, tobacco, despite its relatively recent introduction, is another fascinating symbol in Korean culture, often associated with class division. Introduced in the 1600s, people at that time believed smoking was a good therapeutic method for health and became a “national habit” where everyone, from the elderly to the young, could smoke, according to the Korean Times.
During that period, although smoking was permitted, commoners were not allowed to smuggle or smoke before certain celebrations and could not smoke in the presence of those from higher social classes.
It is for this reason that the phrase originated as a folk critique and a metaphor for the privileged ruling class who could smoke freely while commoners looked on with envy.
The motif of a tiger smoking is particularly popular in painting.
Over generations, with certain embellishments, the phrase “Once upon a time, in a time when tigers still smoked…” gradually became a “literary model” for starting stories older than the history of tobacco. Although its critical meaning has faded over time, its origin remains clear, serving as proof of a society that has always aspired to fight for equality.
