Han Ga-in revealed anecdotes from the past of her parents-in-law and husband Yeon Jeong-hoon.
In the second episode of MBN's entertainment show 'The Private Lives of the Gods - Greek and Roman Myths 2' (hereinafter referred to as 'The Private Lives of the Gods 2'), which aired on the 13th, 4 MCs including Han Ga-in, Seol Min-seok, Kim Heon, and Lee Chang-yong discussed the mythology with the theme of Hephaestus together with musical actress Kim So-hyun. The story unfolded.
Kim So-hyun, who was invited as a guest that day, greeted warmly, saying, “My son is also very interested in Greek and Roman mythology,” and then revealed her background as the main character in the musical “My Fair Lady,” which is based on Greek and Roman mythology. In response, Han Ga-in and Professor Kim Heon asked, “Wasn’t Audrey Hepburn the main character of that work? He praised her as “the Audrey Hepburn of musicals.” Kim So-hyun immediately waved her hand and said, “No. “I’ll just say, ‘I almost went to Audrey,’” he said, making the studio burst into laughter.
Han Ga-in said, “I thought about the virtual casting for ‘2023 Greek and Roman Mythology,’” and revealed that Zeus was Cha Eun-woo, Apollo was Song Kang, and Hera was Han So-hee. When Seol Min-seok asked, "Are you the Aphrodite?" Han Ga-in responded, "I want to do it, but there's a big age difference between us." She added, "I asked my daughter what role she would play as a mother, and she said, 'I'm done with being a goddess, but just keep being an owl.' I made the owl." “I think we look alike. The kids say he’s an owl. He came here after being humiliated.”
In a warm atmosphere, 'storyteller' Seol Min-seok began a story about Hephaestus, a 'supporting character' who was only briefly covered in mythology, as the 'main character'. Hephaestus was the son of Hera, the 'goddess of the home' and wife of Zeus, but was abandoned by Hera because of his ugly appearance and physical defects. Hephaestus, who fell from the sky for nine days, seriously injured one of his feet when he fell on the volcanic island of Lemnos. Thetis (goddess of the sea) took pity on Hephaestus and raised him with love.
However, because of his physical defects and ugly appearance, Hephaestus was ridiculed by everyone. Eventually, Hephaestus went into the deserted deep sea and lived by making jewelry. Then, after gaining a reputation for his jewelry craftsmanship, he proudly returned to the mainland, hoping to find his mother, whom he had always cherished in his heart. However, when he heard that Hera had forgotten him and was living happily as a 'fool's son,' he became consumed with revenge.
At this point, Seol Min-seok asked Kim So-hyun, “What kind of weapon did Hephaestus make to take revenge on his mother?” Kim So-hyun then guessed the correct answer, “I made a chair,” showing off her ‘Dr. Shinhwa’ side. In fact, Hephaestus created a golden chair and presented it to Olympus, and Hera, who sat on this chair, was immediately bound. No one could break this bond, but Dionysus, the 'god of wine', came up with a trick and brought Hephaestus to Olympus. Afterwards, Hephaestus forgave Hera, who begged for forgiveness through tears, and made a request. He said, “I want to find a wife and start a family.”
Although she married Aphrodite, Aphrodite committed an affair with her husband's younger brother, Ares, which devastated him. Finally, while Hephaestus was trying to stop a fight between Zeus and Hera, he was kicked by his father and fell back to the ground, injuring his other leg.
Han Ga-in said, "My mother and father never showed themselves fighting in front of the children, but they said they did fight once. But my husband said, 'I had a big fight with my mother and father,' and she was so shocked. Even once. “I think I feel like I need to be careful because it could be greatly remembered by the child,” he said.
Although Hephaestus was abandoned twice by his parents, he set out to save Olympus from the attack of the Gigantes (giants) and contributed greatly to winning the war. Seol Min-seok added, “After the war with Gigantes, all the gods respected and worshiped him,” making Han Ga-in and Kim So-hyun’s eyes water.
When told the story of Hephaestus, who rose to heaven and became the king of Olympus with his own faithfulness despite all adverse conditions, Han Ga-in expressed her deep emotions, saying, “I feel like crying.” Kim So-hyun also said, “I was reminded of the spirit of ‘don’t break down,’ which is popular these days, saying, ‘The important thing is an unbreakable heart.’ “He overcame all adversity to become a respected god, and it was a valuable time where I was able to learn that mindset.”
Lee Chang-yong introduced a picture related to Hephaestus and reminded us of the extreme pain he suffered, and Professor Kim Heon said, “The reason Zeus treated Hephaestus harshly was to protect his absolute power. He explained, “He punished Hera for rebelling against him, but Hephaestus tried to save her, so Hephaestus took offense at this.” He added his interpretation of the myth, saying, “Later, Hephaestus came to understand that his father was such an absolute power.” After hearing this, Han Ga-in said, “Professor Kim Heon always takes Zeus’ side and helps us understand the mythology well. “It’s like Zeus’ spokesperson,” he said, making the scene burst into laughter. Lastly, Seol Min-seok announced the episode of Dionysus, the ‘god of alcohol,’ saying, “Next week, I will tell you an extremely heartbreaking love story.”
Taeyuna, Ten Asia Reporter youyou@tenasia.co.kr