A sourced illustration has not yet been added. This gap is included in the coverage record.

Overview

Song Sang-in threatens ritual practitioners in his jurisdiction, but one woman challenges him to distinguish genuine ability from deception. At his request she summons his deceased friend. With offerings, clothing and a bell prepared, she speaks memories of their schooling, examinations, official lives and private conversations that convince him of the friend’s presence.

After a farewell, the spirit departs. Song withdraws his prohibition and rewards the practitioner. Gale uses the period label mutang and translates it as witch; the living practitioner is not classified here as a monster. The entry concerns the departed friend as represented in Im Bang’s narrative and does not claim independent verification of the séance.

Recognized dead companion speaking through a ritual practitionerTale-specific identity
01

Origins & earliest records

Korea; tale-specific historical narrative

02

Records & interpretation

Complete story and attribution read in the 1913 English witness; no independent confirmation of supernatural events.

In the literature

“Not a single mistake did she make”
Im Bang · Korean Folk Tales: Imps, Ghosts and Fairies
Tale25, The Honest Witch, printed p.128 (Gutenberg marker140) · James S. Gale

The narrated proof is the practitioner’s accurate account of private memories.

Selected bibliography

Documented works and useful reading. This is not a list of every appearance.

  1. 01

    Korean Folk Tales: Imps, Ghosts and Fairies

    Im Bang; translated by James S. Gale · 1913

    Tale 25, “The Honest Witch”, printed pp. 125–129 (Gutenberg page labels 137–141). English translation date, not the date of the narrated event.

  2. 02

    Korean Folk Tales: Imps, Ghosts and Fairies — The Honest Witch

    Im Bang · 1913

    London:J.M.Dent/NewYork:E.P.Dutton1913, actual title page. Gale preface distinguishes Im Bang old manuscript, thirteen Yi Ryuk stories from1911 reprint, and three anonymous selections. Complete selected chapter/signature read; no Korean manuscript collation. Printed pagination checked in retained1913 PDF OCR; Gutenberg body markers are printed+12, physical PDFpages printed+16. No new page-pixel claim. Gale death1937 confirmed by UniversityToronto archival finding aid.

Family & connections

A source-supported family tree or inspiration record has not yet been compiled for this profile. Related reading below indicates a connection in subject matter, not a proven lineage or creative influence.

Primary records and illustrations

Direct primary record

Korean Folk Tales: Imps, Ghosts and Fairies

Im Bang; James S. Gale translation, London Dent/New York Dutton, 1913. Tale 25, “The Honest Witch”, pp. 137–141

Complete story and author signature read from cached Gutenberg51002 HTML. Translator’s bracketed introductions and author notes distinguished from narrative. No illustration claimed.

Inspect the digitized plate · Source collection manifest

Located primary passages

Specific passages supporting details in this entry, grouped by their published witness.

Korean Folk Tales: Imps, Ghosts and Fairies

London:J.M.Dent/NewYork:E.P.Dutton1913, actual title page. Gale preface distinguishes Im Bang old manuscript, thirteen Yi Ryuk stories from1911 reprint, and three anonymous selections. Complete selected chapter/signature read; no Korean manuscript collation. Printed pagination checked in retained1913 PDF OCR; Gutenberg body markers are printed+12, physical PDFpages printed+16. No new page-pixel claim. Gale death1937 confirmed by UniversityToronto archival finding aid.

  1. Song Sang-in threatens practitioners with death, but one woman contests his general prohibition and offers a test distinguishing genuine ability from deception. At his request she summons a deceased friend after preparations. Through her, the friend recounts private school, examination and official-life memories, convincing Song, then departs after farewell. Song rewards her and withdraws his prohibition.

    Tale25, The Honest Witch, printed pp.125–129, complete story and editorial biographical introduction

Invocations and ritual sounds not copied. The living practitioner is not classified as a creature. Certainty is Song’s within the tale, not independently verified séance evidence; introductory official dates remain source framing.

References

Sources supporting this profile. Linked pages have their own scope and editorial standards.

  1. Historical primary narrative translationTale 25, “The Honest Witch”, printed pp. 125–129 (Gutenberg page labels 137–141) — Im Bang, Gale translationResearch access: 2026-10-05

Image credits

A sourced illustration has not yet been added. This gap is included in the coverage record.

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