Glimmily

K-pop Demon Hunters may be best known for its talented idols and their catchy music, but it’s steeped in Korean history.

First of all, Derpy and Sussie? They aren’t just cute animal mascots; they’re a tiger and magpie that are really prevalent in Korean art and folklore. Korean folk paintings often showed tigers as goofy and hapless—maybe a bit like Derpy knocking over flowerpots—to poke fun at corrupt officials. So you’ve got corrupt, silly officials (dumb tigers) versus smart common people (clever magpies). But in scholarly paintings, tigers represented dignity and gentlemanly status. Same animal, totally different vibes. Derpy looks more like a folk painting tiger, but a very lovable version!

The “Golden” music video (7 weeks at #1 on Billboard Hot 100!) has some striking visuals, including one of Rumi sitting atop a throne with a painting behind it:

It looks like Ilwolobongdo, the iconic painting that sat behind Joseon kings’ thrones. It shows the sun, moon, five mountain peaks, waterfalls, waves, and two pine trees—all symbolizing the eternal reign of the Joseon Dynasty.

It shows up again in later scenes as the backdrop for the heroes’ most majestic moments. Pretty powerful stuff.

Rumi fights using a sword that look like the Saingeom, or “Four Tiger Sword”. It’s a ceremonial blade made to ward off evil using tiger energy. These could only be made once every 12 years when the year, month, day, and hour of the tiger all aligned. The museum’s sword has spells, Sanskrit, the Big Dipper, and 28 constellations engraved in gold. Royals kept them to pray for peace, and sometimes gave them to honored subjects.

If you’re ever in Korea, you’ll be able to see these artifacts in person at the National Palace Museum of Korea and the Leeum Museum of Art.

Sources: Vogue Korea