Volcanic stone dol hareubang statues
2 inches tall
You can see volcanic stone statues of hareubang (하르방) in malls, on streets and even in restaurants. Its actually everywhere on Jeju Island. These are volcanic rock statues carved from local rock. This shows how abundant basalt rock is on Jeju, since the province itself is a volcanic island. Hareubang literally means "grandfather" in the local dialect and the statue originated with a folk story.
Dol hareubangs, also called tol harubangs, hareubangs, harubangs, are large mushroom-like statues found on Jeju Island off the southern tip of Korea. They are considered to be gods offering both protection and fertility and were placed outside of gates for protection against demons travelling between realities. ‘Hareubang‘ means grandfather and for grandmother is ‘Hal mang‘ in dialect of Jeju island.
The miniature sculptures are made of basalt (unsure of natural or artificial) and can often be found in the street markets as take home souvenirs for the visitors of the Jeju Islands and the beautiful walking trails.
