National Food-Rice-Cake Soup

Skin changes suggestive of health

When you are in a greasy sweat.

It is a sign of poor health.

Dyscrasia, heart disease, and hyperthyroidism should be suspected.

Spots appear. A neurodermatitis mass or mole suddenly increases.

It may be a sign of skin cancer. There is itching on the whole body.

Diabetes mellitus and hepatitis should be suspected.

Military Dance in the Mural painting of Koguryo Kingdom

Military dances are based on martial arts training and military practices. Military dances were widely prevalent not only in the army camp of Koguryo Kingdom but also in the daily lives of the people including folk holidays. The Koguryo people regarded it as their duty to attach importance to military affairs and to educate martial arts themselves.

Their ardent patriotism and militaristic martial spirit were reflected in their lives and emotions. Dance naturally became a military dance which reflected the strong spirit of the anti-aggression struggle. The people of Koguryo danced military dance a lot, because the active physical exercises of the martial arts training process were conformed to the dance interpretation.

The Koguryo people’s military dances included a sword dance. The sword dance of the Koguryo people who had constantly developed their swordplay and martial arts, and competed with one another, is well evidenced by the mural paintings in the tombs of the Koguryo Kingdom. The murals of the Mausoleum of King Kogukwon and the Mausoleum of Phalkchong-ri vividly depict the dancer dancing with a sword. The sword dances depicted of the Mausoleum of King Kogukwon and the Mausoleum of Phalkchong-ri show that the soldiers had danced by their appearance.

The Koguryo people’s military dances also include the spear dance. The spear dance can be found in the murals of the Mausoleum of King Kogukwon and the two-pillar tombs. By virtue of the spear dances in the mural paintings in the tombs of the Koguryo Kingdom, we can find out the liberal military dances with the spears skilfully handled.

The Koguryo people’s military dances also include the bow dance. The bow and spear dance is depicted in the procession of the mural painting of the mausoleum of King Kogukwon with a sword. The hand martial arts are also painted in the mural painting of the mausoleum of King Kogukwon. This shows that the hand martial arts were also reflected in their dance movements. Although the paintings of the military dances of the Koguryo people were depicted in the graves of the ruling classes, but it can be seen that all of them were military dances of the people because they attired themselves in ordinary soldiers’ uniform.

Heritage Value and Limitations of Traditional Knowledge in Weather Prediction

The traditional knowledge of weather forecasting created by our people is a valuable legacy showing the excellence of our national culture. The heritage value of our people’s traditional knowledge concerning weather forecasting lies, above all, in the fact that it contains rich experience and knowledge created by our ancestors during their working life.

The traditional knowledge on weather forecasting reflects rich experience and knowledge created in various fields of production activities including farming, fishing, stockbreeding and sericulture of our ancestors from long ago.

The empirical knowledge accumulated during long-term farming accounts for the largest proportion in the traditional knowledge of weather forecasting. There are also the methods of weather forecasting accumulated in the course of our people’s fishing activities. Our people have also created a wealth of traditional knowledge concerning weather forecasting in other fields of the working life, including livestock farming, sericulture and beekeeping.

Our people have raised silkworms a great deal since ancient times, and have woven silk cloth from cocoons. During this long repetitive silkworm rearing process, our people realized that temperature, humidity and air conditions were very important in the management of silkworms and paid close attention to predicting weather.

They built the traditional knowledge with those experiences. As seen above, the knowledge of weather forecasting related to working activities is a legacy of national value as it helps us know in detail the diverse working customs of our ancestors. The heritage value of our people's traditional knowledge on weather forecasting lies in the fact that it shows the distinguished wisdom, talent and wisdom of our ancestors in the field of astronomical meteorological observation. Our ancestors had a special ability of predicting a long period’s weather.

They had used diverse signs and features in forecasting weather. The traditional knowledge of the weather forecast of our people has historical and periodical limitations as it has been formed and handed down in the past. In short, there are some limitations, among the traditional knowledge of weather forecasting, which are not well suited to the changed weather conditions of modern times and lack scientific evidence.

The health benefits of regular fish intake

The health benefits of regular fish consumption include:

It improves heart health. Fishes, especially greasy fishes such as salmon, provide the human body with omega-3 fatty acids. Research results showed that 20 g’s intake of fish per day reduced the risk of heart disease and death by 4%.

It holds pregnancy. The pregnant woman gains nutrients from the fish to support the development of the fetal brain.

It also reduces the risk of preterm birth.

It is good to improve the recognition ability.

It improves mental health.

It relieves inflammation.

Excellence of the Korean National Marriage Custom

First of all, Korean people have kept a beautiful monogamic marriage custom. They have never broken marriage in whole course of their life. Korean people, who have cherished morality and obligation from ancient times, have regarded it as natural to help and understand each other once they marry and to build a family life together for all their lives. Divorce was condemned as an abnormal and immoral act in society. In the middle-aged Koguryo Kingdom, marriage was based on monogamy.

The Palhae, which inherited Koguryo Kingdom, had also defended the nonpermission of marriage of persons in the same family name and monogamy, and even they were reflected in the law. In the period of the feudal Joson dynasty, marriage was based on monogamy, and the custom of living together, once married, was dominant.

Therefore, in the period of the feudal Joson dynasty there was no specific divorce item in the code of law, and divorce was condemned as an immoral act. This custom has been traditionally observed since then. Next, there was no marriage between men of the same surname and the same family origin.

The custom of not marrying between men and women of the same surname and the same family origin was intended to prevent the consanguineous marriage. From olden times the civilized Korean nation has kept the custom of not marrying between men and women of the same surname and the same family origin, i.e., between relatives. The custom of the Korean nation’s custom of not marrying between men and women of the same surname and the same family origin has been preserved throughout the history of our country.

Due to the fact that the family origin has been reinforced, the marriage of people of the same surname and the different family origin was permitted. But the marriage of people of the same surname and same family origin was not permitted and it has been consolidated as a custom. Next, the union of young men and women was relatively free, and the belief and love between young men and women was more important in their marriage than the wealth or power of the men and women. Finally, they held the wedding ceremony informally.