Case file · Folklore / legend
The Emille Bell and the sacrificed child
Legend says the giant Bell of King Seongdeok would not ring true until a child was thrown into the molten bronze, so it cries 'emille', 'mother'.
771 CE · 35.83, 129.23 · status: legend
The account
Cast in 771, the 19-tonne bell is famed for its long resonance. The child story appears in modern retellings, not in the bell's own inscription.
The sceptical view
Composition analysis has found no human remains in the bronze; the tale belongs to a widespread 'sacrifice in the casting' type.