[[Drama 2016] Moon Lovers ❤ Scarlet Heart Ryeo, 달의 연인-보보경심 려 \^0^/ Soompi Kdrama 2016 Winner]

3 hours ago, brielover said:

I touched on this in another forum but thought I would share here as well. 

The premise is that Hae Soo is not just some girl from thd 21st century randomly chosen to go back in time, but that she is a reincarnation of the founding of Korea itself - whoever she chooses to give her heart to will become the king that guarantees the success of the new nation of Goryeo. 

This theory stems from her names - Go Ha Jin and Hae Su- and from her association with water. 

Korea's foundation myth is built on the founding of Goguryeo, the kingdom preceding Goryeo. (Korea takes its name from Goryeo which in turn took its name from Goguryeo). 

There are two versions, but basically the river god's daughter, Yuhwa, is found in or by the water by Hae Mo Su, she marries him and gives birth to Jumong who founds the kingdom of Goguryeo. Another version has her marrying but leaving him before granting her heart to another and then giving birth to Jumong. In effect, whoever she chooses to love becomes the father of the nation. 

I wouldn't have paid much attention to this myth except for a few things. One is that Hae Su is associated with water like the river king's daughter. She falls into water, appears almost miraculously in the Goryeo baths, which as we saw is right on the river/hot springs, has visions in water, is first seen by all the princes (all potential heirs to the throne) in the water, and even Wang So must see her in a later scene - as if the first water appearance had left him out so she has to go re-do it - emerging from the water of the baths and she later splashes Wang So with water - like a baptism - while watering plants. Consequential scenes from previews - the rain, possible break up with Wook, the boat with So - also stay in tune with this water symbolism. I think we're supposed to draw a connection between Hae Su and the river god's daughter Yuhwa. Whoever she chooses will become the leader of the nation. This is perhaps also highlighted by the princes falling in love with her - she represents the lifeblood - water - of the land. 

This is emphasized by her name. The original royal family of Gogureo were the Haes, stemming as said from Hae Mo Su and Yuhwa. Twice we are told that Hae Su belongs to the Hae Ha Jin clan. So she's a Hae, and her modern time name is Ha Jin.  But she's Go Ha Jin not Hae Ha Jin in modern times, so there's a glitch there, until a little research reveals that many of the royal Hae family took the royal name  Go. So when we're told by Hae Su's relatives that the clan name is Hae Ha Jin, it's actually the same name as Go Ha Jin, her name in the future. 

I like all these associations because it layers the story with myth, legend and a history that both precedes and post-dates Goryeo, tying in the Goryeo events with ancient Goguryeo and present day Korea. The throughline is our main character, Hae Su/Go Ha Jin. Her first incarnation was likely as the river god's daughter, Yuhwa, or a daughter of Hae Mo Su and Yuhwa, who reincarnates as Hae Su and eventually Go Ha Jin, a cosmetologist from the 21st century. Her purpose is to choose the best founder for the fledgeling nation. All subliminal, of course, but it's giving the story a texture I hadn't thought about previously, as well as a context for the otherwise somewhat awkward bath scene in the first episode. She's meant to be found in the water a la the river god's daughter by possible contenders to the throne - the scriptwriter took that and gave us the semi-erotic bath scene. I appreciate that scene so much more now!

 

Since we know Mu and then Yo are supposed to be kings before Wang So, I wonder if it's significant that she poured water on the crown prince and spilled tea on Yo, in addition to "watering" So in the garden.  I can't remember her spilling water on anyone else,. The deluge of rain on So in the last scene is a direct outcome of the makeup job, so he seems to be getting blessed more than anyone else by this river-daughter's incarnation.  I'm keeping my eye on water symbolism from now on.