The Flute That Calms Ten Thousand Waves萬波息笛

Great King Sinmun (神文大王), the thirty-first king, had the name Jeongmyeong (政明) and was of the Gim clan. He ascended the throne on the seventh day of the seventh month of the first year of Kaiyao (開耀), a sinsa year.

For his late father, Great King Munmu (文武大王), he built Gameun Temple (感恩寺) on the shore of the East Sea.〔The record kept in the temple says this. King Munmu began building this temple in order to subdue the soldiers of Wa, but died before it was finished and became a dragon of the sea. His son Sinmun ascended the throne and finished it in the second year of Kaiyao. Beneath the stone steps of the golden hall an opening was cut facing east, made so that the dragon could enter the temple and coil there. The place where his bones were kept by his last decree is called the Great King's Rock, the temple is named Gameun Temple, and the place where the dragon was later seen to show its form is called Igyeondae.〕

The next year, an imo year, on the first day of the fifth month〔One book says the first year of Tianshou, but this is wrong.〕, the sea official (海官) Bak Sukcheong (朴夙淸), of the rank of pajinchan, reported, "In the East Sea a small mountain is floating toward Gameun Temple, drifting back and forth with the waves."

The king thought this strange and had the court astrologer (日官) Gim Chunjil (金春質)〔Some copies have Chunil.〕 divine it, and he said this.

"Your late father has now become a dragon of the sea and guards the Three Han. Also, Lord Gim Yusin was one of the sons of the Thirty-three Heavens (三十三天), and has now come down and become a chief minister. The two sages, sharing one virtue, wish to bring forth a treasure that will guard the fortress. If Your Majesty goes out to the seashore, you will surely gain a great treasure beyond price."

The king was glad. On the seventh day of that month he went out to Igyeondae (利見臺), looked at the mountain, and sent a man to examine it. The shape of the mountain was like a turtle's head, and on it was a single stalk of bamboo, which became two by day and joined into one by night.〔Some say the mountain too opened and closed day and night like the bamboo.〕

The messenger came back and reported, and the king went to Gameun Temple and stayed the night.

The next day at noon the bamboo joined into one. Heaven and earth shook, wind and rain raged, and it was dark for seven days. On the sixteenth day of that month the wind cleared and the waves grew calm.

The king set out in a boat and entered the mountain. A dragon came bearing a black jade belt and presented it. The king received him, sat with him, and asked, "This mountain and the bamboo divide and join. What is the meaning of it?"

The dragon said,

"It is like this: clap with one hand and there is no sound, but clap with two hands and there is a sound. This thing, the bamboo, also makes a sound only after it is joined. It is an omen that the holy king will rule all under heaven by sound.

If the king takes this bamboo, makes a flute, and plays it, all under heaven will be at peace. Now your late father has become a great dragon of the sea, and Gim Yusin has again become a god of heaven. The two sages, of one heart, have brought forth this great treasure beyond price and had me present it."

The king was startled and glad. He gave five-colored silk, gold, and jade in return, and ordered men to cut the bamboo. As they came out of the sea, the mountain and the dragon suddenly vanished from sight.

The king stayed the night at Gameun Temple, and on the seventeenth day came to the bank of the stream west of Girim Temple (祇林寺), halted his carriage, and took his midday meal.

The crown prince Igong (理恭)〔That is Great King Hyoso.〕, who was guarding the palace, heard of this, came galloping to offer congratulations, looked slowly over the belt, and said, "Every one of the plaques on this jade belt is a true dragon."

The king said, "How do you know that?"

The crown prince said, "Let me take off one plaque and put it in the water to show you."

Then he took off the second plaque from the left and put it in the stream. At once it became a dragon and rose to heaven, and that spot became a pool. So it was called Dragon Pool (龍淵).

The king returned, made a flute from the bamboo, and stored it in the Cheonjon Storehouse (天尊庫) at Wolseong (月城). When this flute was played, enemy soldiers withdrew and sickness was healed; in drought it rained, in long rains it cleared; the wind died down and the waves grew calm. It was named the Flute That Calms Ten Thousand Waves (萬波息笛) and made a treasure of the state.

In the reign of Great King Hyoso, in the fourth year of Tianshou (天授), a gyesa year, because of the wondrous return alive of Sillyerang (失禮郎), it was given the higher title of the Flute That Calms Ten Thousand upon Ten Thousand Waves (萬萬波波息笛). The details are seen in that account.