The
Samguk Yusa and
Samguk Sagi both contain nearly the same story about Kim Al-chi's birth. In the year 65 (9th year of
Talhae's reign), King Talhae heard a rooster crowing in
Sirim, west of Geumseong (
Gyeongju, the Silla capital at the time). He sent his minister,
Hogong, who was from Japan, to investigate, whereupon Hogong found a golden box hanging on a branch. Light was emanating from the box, and a white rooster was crowing under it. Hearing this report, the king ordered the box brought to him. When the king opened the box, there was an infant inside. The king was very pleased and adopted him. Because he was born from a golden box and was very clever, the king named him "Kim (金, meaning gold) Al-chi(Alti) (meaning 'gold' in native Korean, with the
hanja 閼智 supposed to be read phonetically)". The forest where the box was found was named Gyerim (rooster forest), which also was used as the name of Silla. This legend is similar to the birth legend of the founder of Silla,
Bak Hyeokgeose of Silla (who is said to have called himself Alji Geoseokhan). Korean archeologist, Kim Byong-mo, has suggested that the Kim Al-chi(Alti) may have been the chief of a "gold" (
altin) clan of northern Korea/Manchuria. ==Death==