Gyerim, the forest where the birth legend of Kim Alji, the progenitor of the Kim dynasty, is found, was originally called 'Sirim,' meaning a sacred forest. Due to Kim Alji's birth legend involving a chicken, it was renamed 'Gyerim,' which means 'forest where chickens crow.'

In the ninth year of King Talhae's reign (65 CE), the king heard a chicken crowing in the middle of the night from a forest called Sirim, west of the city of Geumseong. He sent his retainers to investigate. They found a small golden box hanging from a tree branch. Inside was a sagacious-looking baby boy, and a white chicken was crowing beneath it.

The boy grew increasingly intelligent. He was named 'Alji,' and he was given the surname 'Kim' because he emerged from a golden box. King Talhae designated Alji as the crown prince, but Alji did not accept the throne. It was his sixth-generation descendant who eventually became king, establishing the Kim dynasty.

For the people of Silla, the chicken was considered a very sacred being, as it drove away the darkness and announced the morning. The golden box symbolized power. These elements suggest a reverence for both totemic animals and gold.

The ancient tomb within Gyerim is believed to be the tomb of King Naemul, the 17th ruler of Silla (356–402 CE). King Naemul was the second king from the Kim clan to ascend the throne. From his reign onward, the succession was maintained by the Kim clan. He used the royal title of 'Maripgan.'

[Copyright (c) Global Economic Times. All Rights Reserved.]