Dol hareubang
Dol hareubangs, also called tol harubangs, hareubangs, or harubangs, are large rock statues found on Jeju Island off the southern tip of South 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. Description. Dol hareubangs are carved from porous basalt (volcanic rock) and can be up to three metres high. The statues' faces feature grinning expressions, bulging eyes without pupils, a long, broad nose, and slight smile, and their hands rest on their bellies, one slightly above the other. In sets of  two, one has a higher left hand, and the other a higher right hand. The hat is commonly described as phallic or mushroom-like. Etymology. The name "dol hareubang" derives from the Korean word for "stone" ("dol" 돌), plus the Jeju dialect word "hareubang" (하르방), meaning "grandfather" or "senior" ("harabeoji" [할아버지] in Standard Korean), and was coined in the mid-20th century. Other earlier names for the statues include "beoksumeori", "museongmok", and "useongmok". "Beoksumeori", meaning shaman head, is used in the former area of Jeongui "Hyeon" (county), "museongmok" in Daejeong Hyeon and Jeongui Hyeon, and "useongmok" only in Jeju Hyeon. Historically , the "Tamna Chronicles" called them "ongjungseok" (옹중석/翁仲石), but this usage is unknown today. History. There are three main theories as to the origin of "dol hareubangs": either that they were introduced by visitors from the sea, or that they are a counterpart to the "jangseungs" (totem poles) of mainland Korea. "Jangseungs" are also called "beoksu" in southern Korea, and this similarity with the name "beoksumeori" lends credence to the second theory. According to the "Tamnaji" a work dealing with the geography of Jejudo, the first dolhareubang was manufactured in 1754. "Dol hareubangs" produced from 1763 to 1765 once stood  outside the eastern, western, and southern gates of the Jeju City fortress as guardian deities. Section::::"Dol hareubangs" today. "Dol hareubangs" have become the symbol of Jeju Island, and replicas of various sizes are sold as tourist souvenirs. The statues are sometimes sold as sources of fertility, and small replicas are sometimes given to women with fertility problems. The origin of this may have more to do with Jeju Do's present-day status as a "honeymoon island" than tradition.