[Drama 2016] Jang Yeong-Sil 장영실

[SMP567]

Wondering if Jang Hee Je is a real historic figure...

Despite his flaws, he presents both sides of a human-being. His speech at the beginning of Ep 21 shows his insights both in science and humanity. It is ashamed that his character is killed off. Together with Jang Yeong Sil, they can work wonders.

 

 

[SMP567]

1 hour ago, gerrytan8063 said:

@SMP567

" There was not one female at the solar eclipse ceremony. No queen, no princess, not even a palace maid. Next to King Sejong on the stage were his sons only. "

Female don't attend solar eclipse ceremony because they are the "yin" factor & will be considered a taboo, the sun is consider "yang" & having a "yin" factor present during a solar eclipse would be seen inappropriate. Although the Queen privately will do a cleanse ritual where she devotes her heart & soul in her chamber as seen in drama Sejong the Great Episode 49

 

Thank you @gerrytan8063 for the explanation. That is interesting.
By the way, how do you manage to remember the scene from an exact episode of the past drama several years ago?

[gerrytan8063]

@SMP567

"By the way, how do you manage to remember the scene from an exact episode of the past drama several years ago? "

I like Queen Soheon (Lee Yoon Ji) character in the drama therefore I have great recollection of her scenes. I also have the DVD boxset. I think she (Queen Soheon) was only feature in one scene in Jang Yeong Sil.

I wrote in a forum many years ago, after Lee Yoon Ji won 2008 KBS Drama Awards - Best Actress for a Weekend Drama Series Award recipient for "The Great King Sejong 

"I have seen & sat through this 85 episode weekend drama “The Great King Sejong” which admirably liked Lee Yoon Ji’s performance as Queen Soheon. She gave her best performance yet as the prudent Queen Soheon. Although she wasn’t the main leading lady to start with but it was suppose to be Lee Hyun Ji who was suppose to play a favourite concubine of Sejong but due to ratings her roles was fizzled out & her character soon disappear to thin air. This left Lee Yoon Ji a bigger role where she pulls through with performances. Firstly being an understanding & never complaint wife of Sejong who was gear to do better things for the country but his status of his birth stops him as being the 3rd son. Then she had to endure the exile of her husband who was said to be a threat to his eldest brother, the Crown Prince. This was the time that Joseon Dynasty was at infancy & they are still great rivalry of power between the Royal Princes. Sejong’s father Taejong took the throne through a coup. Queen Soheon initially was first a very reluctant Crown Princess then Queen as she was not groomed to be Queen. Sejong went through 2 elder brothers to get to the throne. Then her father-in-law who worried about the threat of his in-law in taking over the Yi Dynasty throne & had the poor Queen Soheon’s father sentence to death for treason & her whole family exile & banish as servants & then out of compensation make her Queen, she was just a titled consort only. She carries the grudge for many years but only reconciles with Sejong after the death of their eldest daughter as it was their daughter dying request to see her parents back together. A very touching scene. From then on she became a par with Sejong & the driving force to Sejong’s rule, in term that she keep her own sons from feuding among each other. Sejong had 3 really potential Royal Princes. She also had to deal with Ministers who was threatening the Royal Household on more than one occasion. In history, Queen Soheon gave Sejong 8 sons & 2 daughters. In the final end of the episode, was the initiator to give Sejong the idea that the Korean alphabet was to in phonetics rather than syllabus. Lee Yoon Ji’s performance in this drama is recommendable, in that she deserve to win the awards

" Wondering if Jang Hee Je is a real historic figure... "

Jang Hee Jae is a character of dramatic licensing. The historical Jang Hee Jae ( 장희재,張希載 ) you most likely come up in a search....is the elder brother of Jang Hee Bin (Jang Ok Jung)

[SMP567]

@gerrytan8063   Thank you for sharing your article about the actress who played Queen Soheon. That was a beautiful summary of the story of the wife of my favorite Joseon king. I remember watching this drama with @valsava last summer with great difficulty as there was no one single website we could watch the whole 85 episodes with English sub.

There is a saying, " Behind every great man there's a great woman ". That is how Queen Soheon was to the fourth King of Joseon.

Lee Yoon Ji was very young in 2008 but she nailed the role.

[gerrytan8063]

@SMP567

Sejong the Great & Queen Soheon was the first Joseon Royal Couple to be buried together is the same burial mount

Although Joseon ban Buddhism & revert or opted for the heaven worship under the guidelines with Confucianism principals. But it didn’t stop the masses from practice Buddhism. When King Sejong’s wife Queen Soheon passed away, King Sejong held memorial ritual for his Queen in several Buddhist temples. King Sejong’s wife Queen Soheon was buried under Buddhism rites as King Sejong later became a silent devotee to Buddhism after his wife died but he kept his governance secular as to Confucianism in politics but belief in Buddhism. He had Buddhism mantra ( Seokbo Sangjeol (“Chronicles from the Life of Buddha” ) translated in Hangeul in honour for his wife & composed “Songs of the Moon’s reflection on a thousand rivers” (Worin Cheongang Jigok, 月印千江之曲 ) in memory of his wife on poem praising Buddha.

A page from “Songs of the Moon’s reflection on a thousand rivers” (Worin Cheongang Jigok, 월인천강지곡 ,月印千江之曲 ). You may note that it is printed in the movable metal type set (Gabin Font)

[SMP567]

 

 

Spoiler

 

  In 1434, Jang Yeong Sil created the "Heaven's Clock" - Jagyeokru ( self-striking water clock) 
  used to keep the standard of time in the Joseon Dynasty.     . 

 

[gerrytan8063]

@SMP567

Sejong scientific instruments that had been feature in Jang Yeong Sil

Celestial globe (Honsang,혼상,渾象) -  is an astronomical instrument designed to observe a location of constellations via a spherical surface where the constellations are marked with equatorial and ecliptic coordinates. The axis by which the globe rotates is designed to correspond to the earth's axis of rotation. The celestial globe was designed to rotate once a day automatically via the pressure of water flowing from above.  With this instrument officials were able to measure time during the night and the year's seasonal change.  The first one was installed in 1437. Jang Yeong Sil first attempt to make Honsang for his escape passage to Ming China

 Armillary Sphere (Ganui.간의,簡儀) is Joseon's main astronomical instrument.  It measures the time day and night.  It was inspired by Sung Dynasty astronomer Guo Shoujing, who invented it in 1276 to observe the sun, moon, five planets and other stars.  In 1432 the Joseon made a wooden armillary sphere and used it to calculate the latitude of Seoul. JYS & princess Sohyeon enjoy romantic moments while looking through the stars with the Ganui at the observatory platform

Sun-Star armillary clock (Ilseongjeongsiui, 일성정시의 ,日星定時儀) was made in 1437, by a group of astronomers led by Yi Cheon and Jang Yeong-sil, as part of an effort to calculate time via combining the functions of a sundial and star clock.  The instrument consists of four rings and a metal axis which were made according to the latitude of Seoul calculated at the time. This was feature as a gadget in Yi Cheon's fortress in Jang Yeong Sil Episode 21

Small armillary sphere (Soganui,소간의,小簡儀) ) is an astronomical instrument used to observe the location of heavenly bodies.  Three astronomers, Yi Cheon, Jeong Cho & Jeong Inji made two small armillary sphere in 1434.  Smaller in size than Ganui, the small armillary sphere was more portable & marked a simpler structure consisting of three rings, an alidade and a stand.  It was a multi-functional instrument that could also be used as an equatorial coordinate system and horizontal coordinate system for the calculation of the location, height and direction of the sun, moon, planets and other stars. It is known as the world's only instrument of its kind.

Equilibrium sundail (Cheonpyeong Ilgu,천평일구,天平日晷) is one of several sundials made in 1437. A cord is fastened to connect the 'dragon pillar' with a nail in the south, perpendicularly crossing the middle of the dial, installed to correspond to the equatorial plane of the sphere. You can read the time by where the cords shadow falls on the dial. The dial has two faces, one for summer and one for winter. Seokgu brought the instrument to Yi Cheon at his fortress in Jang yeong Sil Episode 21

to be continue.....

[SMP567]

@gerrytan8063

You must have read my mind!  I have been spending the last hour looking at JYS's and King Sejong's inventions and work from Wiki and other webpages. There seems to be endless pieces of creativity. If only the royal kitchen and the royal doctors had managed Sejong's menu with more advanced nutrition and healthier gourmet pattern, the King might have lived longer than the age of 53 and we could have seen more interesting work created for the country and citizens.

Thank you for mentioning the scenes matching with each instrument that appears in the drama. I am still fascinated at how so many inventions were made during the reign of this one king by himself and by the brains that he attracted and gathered to work for him especially Jang Yeong Sil who could practically make anything he wanted with his two hands.

[Misstwilightfan1416]

Episode 17

Credit: KBS World TV

[Adriana Miut]

28 minutes ago, SMP567 said:

@gerrytan8063

You must have read my mind!  I have been spending the last hour looking at JYS's and King Sejong's inventions and work from Wiki and other webpages. There seems to be endless pieces of creativity. If only the royal kitchen and the royal doctors had managed Sejong's menu with more advanced nutrition and healthier gourmet pattern, the King might have lived longer than the age of 53 and we could have seen more interesting work created for the country and citizens.

Thank you for mentioning the scenes matching with each instrument that appears in the drama. I am still fascinated at how so many inventions were made during the reign of this one king by himself and by the brains that he attracted and gathered to work for him especially Jang Yeong Sil who could practically make anything he wanted with his two hands.

For no even a slide rule! At that time there ...  I'm a physicist.

[SMP567]

On 3/14/2016 at 0:36 AM, Adriana Miut said:

For no even a slide rule! At that time there ...  I'm a physicist.

Exactly! Amazing, isn't it? 

I can't imagine how the solar eclipse team came up with the mathematical formulas that predicted with such precision based on the primitive tools they had.

Jang Yeong Sil and King Sejong both invented different other things of different fields. Jang was not only an avid astronomer, he was also a brilliant physicist and mechanical engineer. King Sejong would always think of new ways and new things that would improve his citizen's quality of life.

Both men had open minds with great visions to begin their work. There weren't much fancy equipment nor advanced know-how around during that time.
 

[gerrytan8063]

@SMP567

Continuation... Sejong scientific instruments that had been feature in Jang Yeong Sil 

Dangling Bead Sundail or the Equatorial Sundail (Hyeonju Ilgu, 현주일구/懸珠日晷) was created in 1437. It is designed to measure time via the marks on the dial indicated by the shadow of a cord fastened tightly in the direction of the earth's axis. The dial has two faces, one for summer and one for winter. They are used from equinox to equinox.  The instrument were fairly small and used as portable instruments. It was seen as the elderly Jang Yeong Sil was holding one at the beginning of the drama

Scene taken from Jang Yeong Sil Episode 1

Self Orienting Armillary Sundail (Jeongnam Ilgu,  정남일구, 定南日晷)  ), in its description on the information board, this is known as "Wind Flag Pedestal sundial" made in 1437, is designed to measure time by deciding due south even without a magnetic needle.  The axis of Sayuhwan (사유환,四游環) linking south and north posts is made to correspond to the sphere's north pole & have the sundial level off with a weight appended to the end of the axis. The Jipyeonghwan ( 지평환,地平環) is marked with calibrations representing 24 directions and 24 solar terms while the Sayuhwan has notch marks designed to help measure the 24 solar terms and time of the day from sunrise to sunset.  You can read time from a sundial marked with lines representing times and solar terms through a square hole when a sunray reaches on the dial through the alidade's southern hole as you move the Sayuhwan & the alidade from side to side and from south to north, respectively.

Just to note that the word "ilgu" (일구,日晷) means sundail, "il" (일,日) means sun while "gu" (구,晷) means shadow. The famous of the 4 sundail that was invented in Sejong reign, is Angbu Ilgu (the cauldron looking sundail that was feature in the Namyeong Market)

to be continue.....

[tikamacika]

 

[gerrytan8063]

@SMP567

" Continuation... Sejong scientific instruments that had been feature in Jang Yeong Sil  "

Arimillary Sphere (Honcheonui,혼천의 渾天儀 )  is an astronomical instrument used to measure the location of the sun, moon and five planets. Later in 1669, the more advance Honcheon Sigye ( 渾天時計 ) that incorporate clockworks

Honcheon Sigye (혼천시계渾天時計) circa 1669

 

Honcheonui is also found on the banknote of the W10,000

Equatorial Armillary ( Jeokdogyeongwiui , 적도 경위의 , 赤道經緯儀  ) was made by an astronomer named Nam Byeong-cheol, who combined the Ganui & Honcheonui, two of Joseon dynasty's greatest astronomical instruments. The Jeokdogyeongwiui  is regarded as the easiest to use and most efficient. To observe celestial bodies with this instrument, one needs to decide the direction of the target by arranging the Sayuhwan &  read the related marks through the two holes of the alidade.

Gnomon (Gyupyo 규표 , 圭表 ) is an instrument designed to calculate the days of a year (i.e. 365 1/4 days) and the 24 solar terms.  Consisting of an erected rod and a calibrated ruler laid horizontally, the instrument helped to know both the winter and summer solstices, the spring and autumn equinoxes and 20 solar terms arranged by a gap of 15 days between each term. This instrument was feature in Jang Yeong Sil Episode 12

Scaphe Sundail (Angbu Ilgu ,앙부일구, 仰釜日晷),  has been the most widely used sundial in Korea since the invention in 1437.  The gnomon is designed to indicate 24 solar terms from the winter solstice to the summer solstice and the time.

Pedestal Sundial (Ilgudae, 일구대  ), as named, is a pedestal with a sundial on it. These were installed in public places in Hanyang (Seoul) to help people know the time. The hour markers on the sundial are the twelve zodiac animals so that people, who were largely illiterate, could easily tell time. First feature in Jang Yeong Sil Episode 15 in Namyeong then in Episode 21, narration that pedestal sundail was place in heavily trafficked of people at Hyejeonggyo Bridge (presently around Jongno 1-ga, in front of Gyeongbokgung palace) & on the southern road (behind) of Jongmyo Shrine

[gerrytan8063]

Episode 17

Princess Sohyeon made Jang Yeong Sil a quilted clothing (nubi, 누비 ) that she had padded a lot of cotton in the jacket that will be warmed for the cold

Nubi ( 누비 ) is a term referring to quilted clothing made by placing cotton lining between 2 pieces of fabric then sewing the pieces together with close stitching. The lining provides a layer of insulation, making these clothing ideal for protection against the cold. Quilting was once used to make everyday garments & bedding but with the advent of the sewing machine, traditional quilting has slowly disappearing

[lina26435]

With only 3 more episodes to go...I think the scientific development is a little bit premature. Were there any talks on extending to more episodes? Apart from that old-traditional-narrow-minded man, I'm not quite sure how else the storyline will be developed. I'm actually looking forward to watching the development of the Hangul by King Sejong. 

[gerrytan8063]

@lina26435

" With only 3 more episodes to go"

There will be an episode when Sejong had to expel Jang Yeong Sil

In 1442, later events of his life, Jang Yeong Sil was in charge making a gama (palanquin) for Sejong but unfortunately the palanquin broke while Sejong was travelling in it on a possession. Jang Yeong Sil was held responsible for the malfunction of the gama ( 가마 - palanquin)....adding fuel by the jealous official scholar (Sadaebu) who calls for his punishment & orders for his resignation & revoke his officialdom, even though Sejong was against punishment & was said to have been jailed for a long time & was expelled from the royal palace....

[Adriana Miut]

14 hours ago, SMP567 said:

Exactly! Amazing, isn't it? 

I can't imagine how the solar eclipse team came up with the mathematical formulas that predicted with such precision based on the primitive tools they had.

Jang Yeong Sil and King Sejong both invented different other things of different fields. Jang was not only an avid astronomer, he was also a brilliant physicist and mechanical engineer. Kinequog Sejong would always think of new ways and new things that would improve his citizen's quality of life.

Both men had open minds with great visions to begin their work. There weren't much fancy equipment nor advanced know-how around during that time.
 

Although I do not like, I have to admit that in those times there were certain individuals more intelligent than today. Not only that, but without theirs initial contribution ..., mankind would never have reached to the development of today. It was a decisive stage in the history of mankind! I would like loud, if I could flick through the books of those times! I wonder if those old notes would not be too undecipherable for the mind of a physicist today? Because we lack in our own mind, what could have been the reasoning behind of these calculations so old. Do not you think that? I think I did pretty clearly expressed my thoughts in English, sorry!

[SMP567]

7 hours ago, gerrytan8063 said:

Episode 17

Princess Sohyeon made Jang Yeong Sil a quilted clothing (nubi, 누비 ) that she had padded a lot of cotton in the jacket that will be warmed for the cold

Nubi ( 누비 ) is a term referring to quilted clothing made by placing cotton lining between 2 pieces of fabric then sewing the pieces together with close stitching. The lining provides a layer of insulation, making these clothing ideal for protection against the cold. Quilting was once used to make everyday garments & bedding but with the advent of the sewing machine, traditional quilting has slowly disappearing

Spoiler

 

@gerrytan8063

I have a Hanten [袢天], a short kimono-style slip-over padded with cotton that was hand-made for me by an old lady 90 years of age which I have used and cherished for over 20 years. The lining is similar to this nubi you described and the style is quite close to your picture except longer. It is very warm and comfortable for a cold day. I would love to see a hand-made nubi and try it on someday...
 

[SMP567]

1 hour ago, Adriana Miut said:

Although I do not like, I have to admit that in those times there were certain individuals more intelligent than today. Not only that, but without theirs initial contribution ..., mankind would never have reached to the development of today. It was a decisive stage in the history of mankind! I would like loud, if I could flick through the books of those times! I wonder if those old notes would not be too undecipherable for the mind of a physicist today? Because we lack in our own mind, what could have been the reasoning behind of these calculations so old. Do not you think that? I think I did pretty clearly expressed my thoughts in English, sorry!

@Adriana Miut

I agreed with your thoughts. All Jang Yeong Sil's learning curves and how he made things happen fascinate and amazed me I keep going back to see the previous episodes. Thanks to @gerrytan8063 with his kind help gathering the inventions in one place, I am able to see with ease the development of these scientific creations.

I am not sure if those original old records by Jang Yeong Sil like the ones we saw in the drama survived the Imjin War. But if they did, they might have been displayed at some museums.  If you have a chance to take a look at the notes ( and understand them ), you might be able to go back in time and see things thru Jang Yeong Sil's eyes. The man grew up in Joseon's slave class and had no education nor training. He was said to be self-taught and learned by curiosity.

I am no scientist but even if I were, I would still wonder how Jang and the fellow men achieved what they did with no computers, no calculators.....