Who are Henne
About a hundred kilometers south of the Korean coast is the Chechzhudo Island, the largest and most famous . thousand islands Korea.
For many centuries, this island, this is largely isolated from the Korean Peninsula. Generations of Islanders lived in their own world, which had little in common with the rest of Korea. Communication with "Big Earth" Perhaps, perhaps, only a handful of from Seoul county officials came from Seoul, and more than two dozen exiles (oddly enough, Chechzhudo, who in our days became the main resort of Korea, until the end of the last century was the place of reference of OPON officials). In addition to the remoteness from the continent, a considerable role in the relative isolation of the island has been played and the fact that in nature, and in the climate of Chechzhudo, little similar to continental korea.
It is not surprising that over time on the island there was a kind of culture, their way of life. Even the local dialect is not clear on the rumors of the inhabitants of the peninsula, and from the literary Korean it is different as well as, say, our from Czech.
When Korean S "Big land" Thinks about Chechjudo, he is remembered by Kharuban stone statues (by the way, remotely similar to sculptures from Easter Island), black tufnika rocks, towering over the island of Hallasan Volcano cone and, of course, famous "Henne".
Who are they, Chechzhudos "Henne"? If you translate this word literally, it will mean "Women of the sea". So called professional divers, which on the island there are about 20 thousand. Meet "Henne" And on some other islands of Korea, but still the main center of this fishery has always been Chechzhudo. Outside Korea similar fishing exists only in Japan.
Traditionally, especially at the aliens from the West, with "Women of the sea" Some romantic-erotic associations are associated. They are posed by these young nasadas and mermaids, which are carelessly splashing in the azure waters of the sea. Partly, this setting image is planted and tourist agencies. Reality, as always and happens, is very far from this promotional fantasy. Work "Henne" heavily and, sometimes, dangerous, and income, at best, modest. They begin to dive from 16 years, and do this business up to 60 with a little. There are cases when during hot pores to help subsidiaries and granddaughs came 75-year-old grandmothers. It is clear that the old women are distinguished by excellent health, but to confuse them with mermaids – wise.
No diving equipment "Henne" don’t even use now when it is in principle available. All their equipment consists of a conventional glass mask, which enjoy underwater swimmers, knife, float and a large basket for mining. Under the water "Henne" Gather mostly edible shells, many types of which in Korean cuisine are considered a delicate and cost a lot of money on the market. In order to separate the shells from the rock, with you under the water "Henne" Take a special knife scraper. These knives are different, their choice depends on which shells collects "Henne". At the same time, the divers mined and algae, and at times – beaten fish.
Preparation "Henne" It begins early. Since childhood, girls in fishing villages are taught to swim, dive, delay breathing for a long time. Typically, the divers work at a depth of 5-6 meters, while being under water on average a little less than a minute. However, if necessary "Henne" can immerse yourself to a depth of 10-15 meters, and stay under water for 2 minutes. Then – the emergence, deep exhalation, a couple of minutes a breather – and again under the water. And so – all day, week for a week, month after month.
Very few "Henne" Live only at the expense of marine fishing. As on earth, the sea has its own suffering when the production in coastal waters a lot, but there are also periods when they do not have to count on a big catch. In the sea there are divers in the spring and summer, and the autumn and winter they work in the vegetables and households. Climate on the coast of the island subtropical, palms grow there and even mature bananas, so you can grow something in the garden all year round. At the same time, the soil on Chechzhudo poor, stony, and feed only from the ground there before it was very difficult. In the old days, Chechzhudo was one of the poorest areas of Korea, and the situation has changed for the better only after the tourist industry has become developed there in the last two decades.
Impact of the century work "Henne" groups, about 10-15 women in each. Sometimes they dive directly at the coastal rocks, but more often "Henne" Work with boats that stop over shallow water and underwater cliffs. All the water area around the island is divided between fishing villages, and every village knows what land belongs to her, on which underwater cliffs are local "Henne" Can collect shells.
However, the intrigued our reader may ask: where are men? What they did (and do) at the time when their wives spend the day after day, working on a 10-meter depth without scuba? The question is, of course, interesting, although I venture suggest that the our reader is already clear to the our reader. Indeed, no special husbands are not busy. They, of course, not Tunyaders, there are among them, of course, fishermen, and masters of all sorts of crafts, and driver, and workers at local bodies, but the fact remains a fact: in most families "Henne" It is a woman who brings the main part of income to the house. This, of course, can not affect the way of family life, and in general on the whole device of fishing villages. Even in the old days, when Korea was a patriarchal society, Chechzhi fishermen and divers were famous for their independence and militant character. It also manifested in family relationships and politics. All unrest and uprisings on the poor Chechzhudo occurred very often, and the divers were always their active participants.
