First, there was a discussion whether the flute was from a bamboo or a tree. According to the legends, the Manpasikjeok was made of bamboo. It made sense that flute activated a portal in the bamboo forest.

However, I said stop! Let’s wait and see about the bamboo. The bamboo is a weed. It’s not a tree. And if we’re going to enter the fairy tale world of this writer KES, then the flute originated from a tree. That’s how it shown from the beginning. The flute appeared with the tree in the beginning. And when I say the “beginning,” I meant the teasers of the show as well as the opening credits of the show.

In the creation myth of KES, the flute was linked to a tree, not a bamboo. I was willing to wait for KES to unfold her story and tell me more about this tree of hers. Like, what kind of tree is it, what can it do, what is its source of power, and so on.

And there was a discussion about the tree. I checked our comments section. Nrllee alerted us to the gingko trees first…way back in March when we were still talking about Plot details. link: More Plot Details

3/06/2020. She wrote:

I read somewhere that the writer is going to pay particular attention to gingko trees. The yellow in the background. Something about the gingko being the portal (?) between the 2 worlds? They took great pains to move a full grown tree (crane lifted) onto a film site just so they could have it feature in the background. Don’t quote me on that. I just remember thinking, “spared no expense. How like the epic they promised to deliver”.

https://bitchesoverdramas.com/2020/03/06/the-king-more-plot-details/#comment-16845

Did I tell you that nrllee is our resident informant? I don’t know where she gets her intel that she brings over here. But I appreciate her because I don’t have time to go to other sites.

4/28/2020. Then, she wrote this:

The tree in question I believe is a Gingko biloba tree? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ginkgo_biloba It’s dioecious. Meaning there are male and female forms (separate trees) – Maybe the duality of the tree a hint at parallel worlds. And this little tidbit “In 2020, a study in China of gingko trees up to 667 years old showed little effects of aging, finding that the trees continued to grow with age and displayed no genetic evidence of senescence” (cr Wikipedia). So it ties in nicely with the fact that LG and Evil Prince don’t age because of the flute (with origins from the tree)

https://bitchesoverdramas.com/2020/04/28/the-king-math-for-bitches/#comment-22911

6/2/2020. Then, Phoenix reminded us about the gingko tree. Thank you!

@packmule3 Just wanted to point out (in case it has not been mentioned before on this blog) that the tree with yellow leaves in LG’s garden is a gingko tree. I read from the behind the scenes shooting notes that LG and TE often meet in the gingko garden in LG’s palace. I believe the tree shown at the beginning of the drama os a gingko tree too.
I went to Google images and typed yellow gingko tree and got the exact same image. Apparently the tree turns yellow in fall.

6/2/2020. And she gave us more details about the gingko tree.

Also from the net, here’s what the gingko biloba tree signifies in eastern cultures:
It is the oldest surviving tree species on earth which has survived for thousands of years without change. It is thus considered to be a symbol of changelessness, possessing miraculous power, bearer of hope and a symbol of love. Because of all its properties, it is associated with longevity. Doesn’t that resonate with the “eternal” concept of this drama?

Gingko trees also symbolize duality, the importance of both ying and yang (how TE is LG’s answer) and how light and darkness are both of equal import.
I think that’s why the writer and the director keep emphasizing gingko trees in this drama because of their symbolism.

6/2/2020. JT7 connected the gingko to the park scene. Good job!

@phoenix I had goosebumps reading your comment that the tree is a gingko tree. It makes sense! Was just watching Ep 3 with hubs ytd, & remarked to him that the trees in the park where LG experienced his first time stop (where TE was tying up her hair) are ginkgo trees as well. When time froze, there were golden leaves suspended in mid-air, and LG pushes one aside when walking to the frozen TE. The leaf he pushes aside is definitely a ginkgo leaf, their shape are very distinctive.

6/2/2020. And since we’re all smart Bitches here, she also did her research.

Went to search a little more about gingko trees. I read that the wood is soft but it is used for carving in certain cultures. There are Korean flutes carved from gingko wood:

http://vi.raptor.ebaydesc.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItemDescV4&item=163690408404&category=10183&pm=1&ds=0&t=1557895522000&ver=0&cspheader=1

(@packmule I recall you mentioned that the flute might have been made from the tree?)

Side note: gingkos are observed to drop all their leaves at the same time, instead of gradually over a period of time, leaving all the trees bare & the ground golden with leaves https://amp.theatlantic.com/amp/article/545585/

6/2/2020. But Mychoiyoung also brought to our attention that the tree might be a katsura or gyesu tree.  It’s always good to have options.

Netflix translated the katsura and gyesu trees as a cinnamon tree.

Then, JT7 went uber-Bitch on us with her research. I love it!

Thanks @mychoiyoung! After you shared I fell down a rabbithole looking up the various trees: ginkgo, katsura, and gyesu. It’s interesting because all 3 have folklore/symbolism associated with them, & they all can link back to the plot:

GINKGO (Ginkgo biloba): “The ginkgo has been a symbol of longevity (the tree can live for a thousand years) and of a more profound endurance (four ginkgos survived the blast at Hiroshima and are still growing today)” http://www.smithsonianeducation.org/educators/professional_development/conference/2009/climate_change/ginkgo.html

As @phoenix pointed out the tree has golden yellow leaves in the autumn. We see ginkgo trees during LG’s first time stop at the park, when he sees TE tying her hair. I also noticed that LG’s bamboo grove/racetrack is also near a forest of ginkgo, we see him riding through yellow foliage in Episode 1. I’d like to think the tree in the palace courtyard is a ginkgo.

KATSURA (Cercidiphyllum japonicum): This tree is one of the largest hardwoods in Asia. The leaves turn yellow in the fall, and give off a caramel smell, like cotton candy. I thought this was probably what TE smelt when she was abducted by LL, as she describes it as a sweet smell like cotton candy.

Folklore:
1. “Japanese folklore presents Katsura Tree as the means by which gods descended from the heavens and symbolized the joining of earth and sky.” (https://sunyorange.edu/inttreetour/cercidiphyllum_japonicum.html)

2. “In the Japanese legend, a gardener, Katsura-Otoko, lives on the moon and prunes the giant Katsura tree each night, little-by-little, until the shadow across the moon gets smaller and smaller and a full moon appears in our sky. The Katsura tree grows quickly however and soon the shade from its leaves blocks out the moon once again. Katsura-Otoko’s task is never finished and he remains an eternal gardener.”
https://www.castlehoward.co.uk/DB/blog/tree-of-the-month-katsura

The reference to the joining of the earth and sky reminded me of the picture of the tree in the opening credits, as well as the mention of the sky & ground in the legend of the Four Tiger Sword. I thought it was interesting that the other legend is linked to the moon, we do see other references to the moon in the show (TE talks about the rabbit on the moon on the helicopter, & the reflection of the full moon is shown in a puddle during the scene when TE meets LG on 11/11. )

GYESU (Cinnamomum pedunculatum, Japanese cinnamon): This is the part I am confused, as while TE talks about the trees smelling like cotton candy, Jangmi’s double says the smell is probably from cinnamon trees. Both are sweet smells, but I don’t think cotton candy smells like cinnamon?? Anyway, I’m including this here since the gyesu is linked to folklore about rabbits in the moon.

Folklore: I wouldn’t copy the entire story here as it’s long, but it’s basically the legend of the moon rabbit, who sacrifices itself as a meal for the Great Emperor.
“Another symbol is that of the smoke that was placed around the rabbit in the moon by the emperor. As mentioned earlier, the smoke has been interpreted by some as appearing to be a gyesu tree. Gyesu trees are known for their sturdiness and longevity of life and their bark is also used to make cinnamon, a spice that has long been used for medicinal purposes.”

The Moon Rabbit (Daltokki, 달토끼)

I assume this is the legend that TE refers to when she asks LG about rabbits in the moon. I wonder if this is a foreshadowing of her death, since she is the white rabbit in a sense, & she might sacrifice herself to save LG?

Anyway, I’d like to think the inclusion of these symbolic trees might be for purpose of comparison: LG’s portal is near Ginkgo trees, which symbolize longevity & endurance. He is, after all, supposed to be the eternal monarch, & his legacy will continue to live on. LL’s portal is in a grove of katsura, which might point to the futility of LL’s plan. He is like Katsura-Otoko who is trapped in a never-ending cycle: he is going to try over and over to obtain the other half of the flute & create his own world order, but he will not succeed because he is going against the flow of nature & disrupting the balance of things.

I especially like JT7’s conclusion.

So, let’s refocus now, shall we?

What do we know about this tree? We now know a lot because of the research you all did. Thank you!!!!

I’m going to say now that for the purposes of this blog, this tree is a gingko tree.

Let’s designate the katsura/gyesu or cinnamon tree that TaeEul mentioned as Lee Lim’s tree.  His obelisks are going to be located in a bamboo grove near those cinnamon trees.

And this tree growing in the pond in Lee Gon’s courtyard, aka the “Tree of Welmaris,” lol, is the gingko tree.

It’s all that remains of that once proud gingko tree that stood alone in a vast meadow.

gif credit: jsutaphase

Now, it grows in a corner of a shallow pool, in a courtyard, in a palace, in Busan, in the Kingdom of Corea, in a parallel world, in the whole universe.

When Lee Gon contemplated about the immensity of the whole cosmos, and the magnitude of time and space relative to his present situation, then yes, he would get lost.

It’s overwhelming to think about his existence, his legacy or his place in the history books, his fate or “reason he survived that day,” and his destiny. That’s why he had that conversation with Prince Buyeong at the first sunrise of the New Year.

When he considered his fate, could he achieve his quest and reach his destiny all on his own?

What grounded him and kept him “rooted,” had been TaeEul. She told him to live each day to the fullest, and to not get scared in advance of the future. TaeEul, the brave one.

That’s what he meant in his conversation with Luna —

Luna: I looked up how to grow a magic lily. I wanted to grow some. But it says it’s really hard to grow them. Do you know what that flower symbolizes? (looks away) It’s “hopeless love.”

Welmaris, that’s your “code word.” That’s how Lee Gon discovered that Luna wasn’t TaeEul. When she said that flowers were hard to grow because it meant hopeless love. 🙂

Luna: Why are you looking at me like that?
LG: I thought I wouldn’t be fooled, but I guess that face is my one weakness.

Meaning, he was so confident that he wouldn’t be fooled by a fake TaeEul. But he didn’t realize until then that his love for TaeEul was actually his blind spot. He saw Luna and he quickly mistook her for TaeEul because of their likeness. He always loved TaeEul for her beauty.

Luna: (smiling coyly) What do you mean?
LG: You have a look of anxiety. Something that TaeEul doesn’t have. You’re not Jeong TaeEul.

Meaning, after initially being fooled by their physical similarity, he recognized Luna without needing to see anything more. For instance, he didn’t need to see Luna tie her hair back in a ponytail like TaeEul, to know that she’s a fake,

He didn’t need to see this —

because he knew this.

🙂

He recognized Luna as soon as Luna said that Magic Lily was hard to grow and it meant “hopeless love.”  Luna wouldn’t have planted the Magic Lily but TaeEul definitely would chose the Magic Lily.

I’ll sum up TaeEul’s character in three points:

1. Without a doubt, TaeEul knew what those flowers meant. She researched them on the internet. That’s how Luna saw it on the phone’s search history.

But TaeEul chose the lily precisely for its meaning, “hopeless love.” But she didn’t didn’t tell Lee Gon what the flower meant… on purpose.

Why?

2. The symbolism of the flower didn’t deter TaeEul from planting it, not once, but TWICE in No Man’s Land. Lee Gon warned her that no flowers bloom there. No Man’s Land is a place where there’s “no wind, no rain, no sun, and no time” according to him.

It’s the harshest possible condition for any seed to grow, much less a seed that’s already doomed from the start as “hopeless love.” But TaeEul insisted.

Why?

3. She was making a point here. That’s why. 🙂

She was declaring that no matter how hopeless their love might be, and no matter how bleak their situation might be, she was going to believe in them and keep on trying.

To me, she didn’t tell Lee Gon about the symbolism of the flower because that wasn’t the point. She wasn’t emphasizing the futility of their love. Instead, she was focusing on perseverance. She wasn’t going to give up on them.

Do you see that? I know we tend to focus on Lee Gon because he is a swoon-worthy guy.

But let’s not lose sight of TaeEul, too, and how heroic she is as a character, too. She’s brave when it’s tough to be brave.

She’s a warrior when courage is needed.

And she urges Lee Gon not to be scared in advance when everything is scary.

There was no way Luna would have planted those “hopeless love” seeds when she knew the outcome was useless. Only TaeEul would.

And Lee Gon knew exactly what those seeds meant to TaeEul. Far from being hopeless, the seeds were a sign of her indomitable spirit. She was going to fight for their love to exist and survive. That’s why she persisted on planting the same Magic Lily even when her first experimental batch didn’t grow.

She wasn’t being head-strong or anti-science.

Her actions themselves were symbolic. She insisted on planting those seeds of “hopeless love” because she herself wouldn’t give up hope on them.  That’s why she smiled here. There’s no such thing as “hopeless love,” as long as she believes there’s hope for them.