Letter to Yi Ŭngt'ae
It and other materials from the tomb are also considered to be valuable historical pieces for understanding the language and customs of this era.
He was a local nobleman of the Goseong Lee clan, and was the second son of father Yi Yosin.
[1] In April 1998, an urban renewal project was being conducted on the south bank of the Nakdong River in Andong.
In preparation for this, an archaeological team from Andong National University was sent to excavate and move several earthen mound tombs on the top of a slope, in accordance with the wishes of some living descendents.
[9] Records from the Goseong Lee clan and documents from within a pouch in the grave were cross-referenced to piece together information about who Yi was.
The texts were often written affectionately towards Yi, which gave the archaeologists the impression that he was beloved in the family.
[2][6]: 10:50 Leaving clothes of the family inside a tomb was a common practice during this part of the Joseon period.
[7] It is believed that she ritually wove the shoes using her hair in order to pray for her husband's health; a practice that has been attested to in other instances during the Joseon period.
[1][12][5] The letter is written vertically and right-to-left, using a brush, and on a piece of hanji that measures 58.5 by 34 cm (23.0 by 13.4 in).
[2] 병슐 뉴월 초ᄒᆞᄅᆞᆫ날 지븨셔 워늬 아바님ᄭᅴ 샹ᄇᆡᆨ 자내 샹해 날ᄃᆞ려 닐오ᄃᆡ 둘히 머리 셰도록 사다가 ᄒᆞᆷᄭᅴ 죽쟈 ᄒᆞ시더니 엇디ᄒᆞ야 나ᄅᆞᆯ 두고 자내 몬져 가시ᄂᆞᆫ 날ᄒᆞ고 ᄌᆞ식ᄒᆞ며 뉘 긔걸ᄒᆞ야 엇디ᄒᆞ야 살라 ᄒᆞ야 다 더디고 자내 몬져 가시ᄂᆞᆫ고 자내 날 향ᄒᆡ ᄆᆞᄋᆞ믈 엇디 가지며 나ᄂᆞᆫ 자내 향ᄒᆡ ᄆᆞᄋᆞ믈 엇디 가지던고 ᄆᆡ양 자내ᄃᆞ려 내 닐오ᄃᆡ ᄒᆞᆫᄃᆡ 누어셔 이 보소 ᄂᆞᆷ도 우리ᄀᆞ티 서ᄅᆞ 에엿ᄲᅵ 녀겨 ᄉᆞ랑ᄒᆞ리 ᄂᆞᆷ도 우리 ᄀᆞᄐᆞᆫ가 ᄒᆞ야 자내ᄃᆞ려 니ᄅᆞ더니 엇디 그런 이ᄅᆞᆯ ᄉᆡᆼ각디 아녀 나ᄅᆞᆯ ᄇᆞ리고 몬져 가시ᄂᆞᆫ고 자내 여ᄒᆡ고 아ᄆᆞ려 내 살 셰 업ᄉᆞ니 수이 자내 ᄒᆞᆫᄃᆡ 가고져 ᄒᆞ니 날 ᄃᆞ려가소 자내 향ᄒᆡ ᄆᆞᄋᆞ믈 ᄎᆞᄉᆡᆼ 니ᄌᆞᆯ 줄리 업ᄉᆞ니 아ᄆᆞ려 셜운 ᄠᅳ디 ᄀᆞ이업ᄉᆞ니 이내 안ᄒᆞᆯ 어ᄃᆡ다가 두고 ᄌᆞ식 ᄃᆞ리고 자내ᄅᆞᆯ 그려 살려뇨 ᄒᆞ노이다 이 내 유무 보시고 내 ᄭᅮ메 ᄌᆞ셰 와 니ᄅᆞ소 내 ᄭᅮ메 이 보신 말 ᄌᆞ셰 듣고져 ᄒᆞ야 이리 서 년뇌 ᄌᆞ셰 보시고 날ᄃᆞ려 니ᄅᆞ소 자내 내 ᄇᆡᆫ ᄌᆞ식 나거든 보고 사롤 일ᄒᆞ고 그리 가시ᄃᆡ ᄇᆡᆫ ᄌᆞ식 나거든 누ᄅᆞᆯ 아바 ᄒᆞ라 ᄒᆞ시ᄂᆞᆫ고 아ᄆᆞ려ᄒᆞᆫᄃᆞᆯ 내 안 ᄀᆞᄐᆞᆯ가 이런 텬디 구온ᄒᆞᆫ 이리 하ᄂᆞᆯ 아래 ᄯᅩ 이실가 자내ᄂᆞᆫ ᄒᆞᆫ갓 그리 가 겨실 ᄲᅮ거니와 아ᄆᆞ려ᄒᆞᆫᄃᆞᆯ 내 안ᄀᆞ티 셜울가 그지그지 ᄀᆞ이업서 다 몯 서 대강만 뎍뇌 이 유무 ᄌᆞ셰 보시고 내 ᄭᅮ메 ᄌᆞ셰 와 뵈고 ᄌᆞ셰 니르소 나ᄂᆞᆫ ᄭᅮ믈 자내 보려 믿고 인뇌이다 모ᄅᆞ매 뵈쇼셔 To the father of Wŏn, You always said to me, "We'll be together until our hair turns gray, then die together", so how could you go and leave without me?
[6]: 36:50 [5][1] This reflects the relatively equal social status of wives during this part of the Joseon period, which later declined by the 17th century.
[11] Information about the letter was published in the November 2007 issue of National Geographic, and was printed in the March 2009 edition of the archaeology journal Antiquity.
[2] In 2009, it was reported that many visitors to the Andong National University museum were said to be members of the Goseong Lee clan that wanted to see the letter.
