Motifs
Motif · Animals
Wild goose
기러기gireogi
The wild goose of the wedding rite, a symbol of lifelong fidelity.
- Wishes for
- Marital fidelity
The 기러기보 wraps the wedding goose; 기러기 매듭 knots are used as decoration.
History & tradition
Joseon wedding rite (전안례)
At the start of a traditional wedding the groom presented a wooden goose (목안) to the bride's family, so the rite is called 전안례. The goose was praised for keeping the seasons, flying in order and, by tradition, never re-pairing after losing its mate. The goose was carried in a special embroidered wrapper, sometimes hung with rainbow threads.
Wooden geese still appear in traditional-style weddings.
Sources for this entry
용문龍文yongmun