Taeksin
Taeksin (Menghean: 택신 / 擇神, literally "choice gods"), also referred to as Sŏnjŏngsin (선정신 / 選定神) and Sŏkgwan (석관 / 石官) and sometimes in Anglian as Arbiters, are a type of spirit in Meng folklore. They are typically depicted as ghostly stone statues of Imperial Menghean officials, though in modern film and literature they may take on other forms.
According to legend, a Taeksin appears before a person at the time and place of its choosing and offers to grant a single wish. In return, however, the Taeksin demands that the wish's maker sacrifice something of greater or equal value. Furthermore, once a Taeksin grants a wish, it cannot be undone, even with the help of another Taeksin. This is similar in concept to a Casaterran deal with the Devil, except that Taeksin are depicted as neutral spirits, rather than malevolent or mischievous ones.
Description
In most versions of the legend, Taeksin are the spirits of morally upright judges and officials who were remembered fondly enough to become Sin after death, but who faded out of memory over the following centuries. In the Sindo spirit realm, they work as civil servants under the supreme deity Chŏnjo, and are periodically sent down to the mortal realm to maintain harmony on earth.
Befitting this status, Taeksin are typically depicted as ghostly moving statues of ancient officials. Their depiction as statues reflects their unyielding commitment to duty, as the rules governing their behavior cannot be bent or broken. This also earns them the alternate name Sŏkgwan, or "stone officials." Unlike other gods and spirits, which have intentions and interests of their own, Taeksin are motivated only by the heavenly iron laws outlining their duties and constraining their behavior. They cannot intervene in the mortal world except by granting the wishes made by humans, and they can only grant wishes under specific conditions.
While a human may pray for a different god to send a Taeksin to them, Taeksin cannot be summoned on command. It is also impossible to capture a Taeksin and force it to grant a wish, as they can fade away to the spirit realm at will, and are incapable of granting wishes which violate their conditions. As duty-bound servants of the gods, Taeksin only appear before a human when directly ordered to do so by another god, or when it is consistent with their broader mission of maintaining harmony in the mortal world. Their granting of wishes, however, requires no assent from higher gods, so long as the conditions for the wish are met.
Abilities
A Taeksin's signature power is its ability to grant a wish. Unlike prayers, which may or may not be answered depending on the human's moral standing and the god's discretion, a Taeksin's wish is granted immediately and with certainty. There are, however, a number of key limitations to this ability.
Most importantly, every Taeksin's wish comes with a price: the wish-maker must sacrifice something of greater or equal value in return. Sometimes the Taeksin names the price itself, while in other cases the wish-maker may choose their own price as long as it meets the conditions. The price may be material, such as a treasured family heirloom; physical, such as the use of one's arm or leg; or metaphysical, tied to one's future fate. In all cases, however, the Taeksin makes the price clear before the wish is granted, and it may even give the wish-maker several days to think over the terms. In the process, the Taksin often reminds the wish-maker of the dire consequences that may follow, and generally is not motivated to entrap the wish-maker into inadvertently taking the bad side of a deal. In all cases, the wish-maker is permitted to withdraw the wish before it is granted, at which point the Taeksin returns to the heavenly realm.
In cases where a human makes a wish intended to benefit another person, the wish-maker must pay the price, and the price must be equivalent to the wish-maker's personal benefit from helping that person. This prevents a cunning wish-maker from foisting an undesirable exchange on an enemy.
A Taeksin cannot grant a wish which is beyond its power. Elevation of a commoner to the post of Emperor, for example, is beyond the power of all but the highest Taeksin, though minor wishes, such as good fortune in an upcoming exam, are easier to grant. Additionally, a Taeksin cannot grant a wish if the wish-maker has nothing of equivalent value to offer, which rules out many of the most grandiose requests.
Once a human accepts a Taeksin's bargain, the bargain cannot be reversed, either by the same Taeksin or another one. Higher-ranking gods may later intervene to withdraw part of the reward or repay part of the price, though only to the same extent that they would interfere in a mortal's fate without the wish.
It is sometimes said that a Taeksin can only grant a single wish. This, however, is not stated outright in any well-known legend involving Taeksin, and in some legends a Taeksin grants multiple wishes to the same person over a period of time. Most legends, however, do involve the Taeksin returning to the heavenly realm after granting one wish.
Symbolism
The reciprocal nature of the Taeksin's bargain is related to the broader importance of harmony and balance in Meng culture. While the juxtaposition of Heaven and the Underworld reflects an opposition between good and evil, moral order within the mortal realm depends on balancing opposing concepts such as Ŭm and Yang or the Ohaeng. In classical literature, the terms of the Taeksin's contract are equally strict whether the wish-maker is morally upright or evil, though some modern interpretations relax this rule.
In the context of a narrative, the Taeksin's bargain is often used to illustrate a protagonist's determination to endure hardship and sacrifice in order to achieve a higher goal. In the Legend of Ri Ban, for example, the hero - a general in the State of Batu - wishes for victory against a larger attacking army from the State of Tae, at the price of being branded a coward and a traitor despite his feats. After a hard-fought battle, Ri triumphs and saves Batu from a invasion, but due to court politics he is recalled to the capital, publicly accused of treason, and executed, with his victory attributed to the crown prince. Years later, after the truth emerged, the people of Batu built temples in Ri's honor, worshipping him as a patron god of selfless military service.
Taeksin can also serve as a warning against being too reckless in casting away things one already has in favor of something new. Both classical and modern retellings include tales of humans who boldly made bargains with Taeksin, only to regret their decision after realizing that they had overestimated the gains or underestimated the costs. In some parts of the country, adults traditionally warned children against making wishes too recklessly, lest a rogue Taeksin overhear them and seal a bargain against their wishes - though the classical version of the legend forbids this.
In media
Taeksin appear in a number of traditional folklore legends and classical literary works, particularly from the Jin dynasty onward. More recently, however, a number of writers have incorporated Taeksin or similar beings into modern film, literature, and anime. These modern interpretations often adjust some part of the "canonical" Taeksin spirit, or even eschew the Taeksin term entirely; yet the theme of a "Taeksin's choice" persists at a deeper level.
- In the Legend of Ri Ban, set in the Five States and Seven Fiefdoms period, a Taeksin visits the hero and grants him victory in the upcoming battle against the State of Tae. In return, Ri Ban agrees that after the battle is over, he will be denied credit for the victory and executed for treason. This is one of the first Menghean legends to involve a Taeksin in its "canonical" form.
- In The Laughing Salesman, a collection of illustrated short stories serialized in the 1960s, the petty trader Sang Bokjo (a Taeksin in disguise) helps people fulfill much-wanted desires, but turns their wishes against them after they breach the conditions that accompanied the wish. An animated adaptation aired between 1989 and 1992.
- In Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle and xxxHolic, the "dimensional Taeksin" Yu Ilwŏn grants a number of wishes, each time demanding a price in return. She is unable to interfere in the course of fate beyond these exchanges.
- In Puella Magi Madoka Magica, the character Kyubae grants girls wishes in order to turn them into magical girls, which proves to be a cursed fate.