In todays' blog we are going to take a long flight and travel to South Korea, taking a dive into the myths of Korea.
Korean mythology unlike others is a combination of Korea shamanism, Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism and various local myths.
No matter what someone can come across to many variations of Korean myths and that’s mostly depending upon the location of where the myth is told. In Korean mythology there are 32 deities, below I have mentioned few gods and goddess of the Korean Pantheon, few Korean mythological creatures and some famous myths.
The Pantheon
Sang – Je
He is the highest deity or the king of all the Korean gods and is believed to be the supreme ruler of heaven or called Haneul. He is also known as the father of all the other Korean gods. It is also said that Sang-Je was the only medium that many humans had to pass through to become immortal gods in the Korean pantheon. He is also called Hwanin, which is known to be his birth name.
According to the religion of Cheondoism, he is known as the god representing the sky. Cheondoism is a Korean religion that started in the 20th century. The traditions of Cheondoism are very similar to Korean Shamanism.
Sang-je is also often likened to Zeus (Greek mythology) or Odin (Norse mythology).
Minreuk
Mireuk is known as the god of all creation. He is said to have separated earth itself from the cosmos. It is also said that he had created the human race from 5 golden insects and 5 silver insects. The insects became 5 couples that all humans descended from. Mireuk then ruled the human race until he was challenged by Seokga, a trickster god.
Mireuk lost his position after Seokga had cheated and disappeared without a trace. It is said that humans were good and honest while Mireuk was ruling, but when Seokga played his little trick, sin was born.
Seokga
He is the cunning trickster god in the Korean pantheon and is also called the first ruler of mother earth. Seokga is known to have created the world along with Mireuk. In Korean mythology, surprisingly, Seokga is also called Siddhartha Gautama. Seokga and Mireuk competed against each other in three competitions in order to decide the final ruler of the world.
Legend has it that, Seokga sowed a Magnolia flower and declared that the direction of the growth of the flower would decide the ultimate ruler. Whoever the flower drifts toward gets to rule the world – was the criterion set for winning.
Mireuk manages to win this, but the trickster Seokga cheats in the game. He chops off the plant and keeps it in his lap, angering Mireuk. The furious Mireuk, in a fit of rage, causes the first death in the world and creates a permanent state of confusion and chaos.
Haemosu
Haemosu, or Haenim is the sun god in the Korean pantheon. He is said to ride his chariot pulled by five dragons down on the earth to listen in on human affairs and then ascend back up to heaven in the evening, referencing the sunrise and sunset.
One popular story of Haemosu is one where he stumbled upon Habaek’s daughters and wanted to marry one of them named, Yuhwa. Habaek is the god of the Amnok River. After some trials and tribulations, Yuhwa was said to have been impregnated by a ray of sun sent down by Haemosu. Thus, she gave birth to Jumong, the founder of the kingdom of Goguryeo.
Dalnim
Sister of the sun god, Haemosu, Dalnim is the moon goddess in the Korean pantheon. She has two different origin stories.
There is one mythological tale where she climbed so high up, that she reached the moon and ended up becoming the goddess of the moon.
In another myth, she and her brother were trapped on a tree while running away from a tiger. She then prayed to the heavens and a rope came down from the sky and pulled them both to safety, and that was how Haenim and Dalnim became the sun and moon respectively.
Jacheongbi
Jacheongbi is the goddess of agriculture and abundance in Korean mythology. She symbolizes plenty and is known to have gifted the process of farming which is responsible for creating abundance for humankind.
She is also the goddess symbolizing love as well as the earth. It is believed that Jacheongbi is a brave goddess who makes stronger, realistic decisions without falling into the trap of emotions. Jacheongbi develops a liking for Mun-doryeong. However, she refuses to show her emotions and turns herself into a boy to accompany him to school for three years.
Eventually, Mun-doryeong finds out the truth and confesses his love for Jacheongbi. The relationship is short-lived as Mun-doryeong is summoned back to heaven. His family, too, doesn’t approve of his relationship with Jacheongbi.
But Jacheongbi doesn’t give up on him and courageously crosses the red hot bridge filled with spikes to be with Mun-doryeong forever.
Impressed with her bravery to overcome the hurdles to reach heaven, she is eventually proclaimed the goddess of agriculture, farming, and earth.
Yeoman
He is the supreme ruler and king of the underworld in the Korean pantheon of gods and goddesses. He was the fifth among the ten kings of the underworld. Yeomna is the only Korean god who has the highest authority over the judgments passed on to the dead in the underworld. The dead spirits in Korean mythology are known to live in the underworld and are led by the god Yeomna.
Yeomna, therefore, has the primary responsibility of deciding the fate of the dead souls in the afterlife after evaluating their sins.
Yeomna has an equivalent deity in the Hindu pantheon of gods, called Yama, the god of death and justice, also popularly known as the Dharmaraja. It is therefore believed that Yeomna was the first person to have experienced death in the Hindu myth of the Yama.
Bari gongju
Bari Gongju, or the abandoned princess, is known as an underworld guide. She leads the souls of the dead to their resting place.
Her story was the most interesting out of them all, and I even remember presenting her story once during my Korean class. Bari Gongju traveled to the underworld in search of the elixir that could cure her parents, who abandoned her. Since she was the only person who traveled to the underworld and returned, Bari Gongju was made a goddess who could move between the two worlds. And, her sons became the 7 stars constellation(칠성).
Samshin-halmang
Samshin Halmang is the supreme protector of mothers and the goddess symbolizing childbirth. She was, however, born originally as a human. A Korean myth states that once there was a flower blooming contest organized between Samshin Halmang and the daughter of the dragon lord, Samshin Halmang managed to win.
She is then granted the authority to provide care and protection to mothers as well as babies during the process of childbirth. She is also assigned the primary responsibility of making sure the delivery of babies is well taken care of.
It is therefore believed that midwives who help mothers with pregnancy during childbirth and labor pains to ensure smooth delivery become spirits and join to assist Samshin Halmang.
Gameunjang-aegi
Gameunjang Aegi represents fate. She is the goddess of fortune. She was born in a poor family to a beggar couple. But fortune smiled on them as Gameunjang Aegi was born, blessing the family with good luck, wishes, and a lot of wealth.
Gameunjang Aegi died to become the goddess of luck and destiny. She had a unique ability to plan and shape the final destiny of people.
Jowangshin
Is the goddess of fire and the hearth. Her rituals and taboos were usually followed by housewives. Traditionally, Korean believed that the goddess would see everything happening in the home, and alert the heavens if the taboos were violated.
The taboos are:
Housewives should not curse in the home.
They should not sit or step on the stove.
The kitchen must be kept clean.
Housewives should perform daily rituals to honor household gods.
Jowangshin is said to be vengeful to those who break the taboos, however, she can be benevolent. She is likened to Hestia (Greek mythology) and Vesta (Roman mythology).
Hwanung
Hwanung is one of the Korean gods born to Sang-je. He lived in heaven but always wished he could help the mortals living on the earth. Sang-je agreed to send his son to the earth to rule over the mortals and restore peace.
When Hwanung was sent to the earth, he was accompanied by three thousand servants as well as three Korean gods representing the rain, the clouds, and the winds. With his three thousand followers, Hwanung reached the Baekdu mountain on earth and also established the “City of God” called Sinsi.
Hwanung was greatly revered by a tiger and bear who religiously prayed to him. He promised to turn them into humans if they accepted the challenge of eating only garlic bulbs and mugworts for hundred days hidden away in a cave without venturing out.
The tiger gave up in under twenty-one days. But the bear relentlessly kept at it. Impressed by the bear’s discipline and dedication to fulfilling the challenge, Hwanung, as promised, grants the wish. He instantly turns the bear into a pretty woman called Ungnyeo.
Happy with her transformation, the woman constantly prays and expresses her gratitude to Hwanung with several offerings every day. However, she becomes lonely over time and requests Hwanung to bless her with a child. Hwanung instead marries her, and they both give birth to a child, also a highly respected god in the Korean pantheon – Dangun
Dangun
Dangun is known as the son of Hwanung and his follower/wife, Ungnyeo. He is one of the most esteemed gods in the Korean pantheon. Dangun also founded the first Korean kingdom of Gojoseon. It is believed that he commenced his rule over the Northern part of Korea in 2333 BC.
Legend states that he also built the renowned city of Asadal, which was the capital city of Gojoseon. Some Korean myths also point to a theory that Dangun was responsible for the origin of the entire Korean race. After ruling from 2333 BC to 108 BC, it is said that Dangun chose the path of meditation near a lake on Mount Paektu. He thus became a spirit after ruling Gojoseon for around 1000 years.
Sanshinryeong
Gods of the mountain, and since Korea has lots of mountains, there sure are lots of them. A typical Sanshinryeong is depicted as an old man with a white beard, accompanied by a tiger. As guardians of the mountain, they usually live deep inside the mountain, but sometimes appear in Sadangs (shrines) at the base of the mountain, listening to people's wishes and pleas for help (usually lumberjacks and hunters asking permission to cut down trees and hunt animals, since Sanshinryeongs protect nature). Although they are mostly male, there are female examples like Mago-halmi, Sanshinryeong of the Mount Jiri.
Chilsungshin
Seven gods of the Great Dipper. They bless people with good luck and longevity, and thus one of the most commonly worshiped gods of Koreans (their worship dates back to the Bronze age). They are usually depicted as seven brothers, wearing government uniform or monk's attire (since they are sometimes called Seven Buddhas). However, some descriptions list them as three brothers and four sisters, or seven sisters.
Yeomra-Daewang ('King Yeomra the Great')
Supreme ruler and fifth of the ten Kings of the underworld (Shi-wang), who judge the sins of the deceased and decide what to do with them. He is the first person to have faced death (as in the story of Yama in Hindu Mythology. In fact, Yeom-ra is the Korean pronunciation of Yama). Like every other powerful god, he has many powers, including shapeshifting, reviving dead people, etc.
Yongwang (Dragon Lord)
Dragons living in lakes, rivers and seas. They are rulers of the aquatic animals, and in charge of controlling the weather (and thus very important to farmers). They can take human forms and mate with humans. It is said that Wang Geon, the warlord who founded the Goryeo dynasty, was the grandson of the Western sea's Yongwang.
Korean Mythologycal Creatures
도깨비 Dokkaebi (Korean Goblin)
Unlike the Goblin who takes the form of a good-looking man and known as ‘the great and lonely god’ in the popular Korean drama Goblin, Dokkaebi, or Korean goblins in the myth are normally portrayed as demonic-looking creatures with horns. The real legend goes as follows. Goblins are formed from objects which have been discarded when they are stained with humans’ blood. They bear no similarity to human appearance.
They are also not derived from humans, and they are believed to be mostly harmless despite their monstrous appearance.
In fact, each goblin may look different from another, but each of them is supposed to look fearsome, as well as to simultaneously strike awe in those who’d look at them. Supposedly they only have one leg on the right side.
Goblins are quite mischievous and will play jokes and riddles on travelers passing by and might even challenge them to wrestling matches. They could also carry magical objects.
They usually carry around a wooden club called ‘Dokkaebi bangmangi’ (도깨비 방망이), which has the ability to summon any items they want.
귀신 Gwisin (Ghosts)
Korean ghosts are fairly similar to ghosts in other countries. They are also see-through and float in the air without legs to be seen. However, they are almost always females, with long black hair, white funeral clothes donned, and a creepy stare stuck on their faces. There are other kinds of ghosts as well, but this is the most common one.
Just like in other cultures, ghosts in Korea are typically present because of some unfinished business, such as to get revenge. They hang out in abandoned places and graveyards and may make the air go chilly or fling objects around when they want to get someone’s attention.
In the Korean myth, there are four types of ghosts.
Cheonyeo gwishin (처녀귀신) – Virgin Ghost
Chonggak gwishin (총각귀신) – Ghost of unmarried man
Dalgyal gwishin (달걀귀신) – Egg Ghost
Mul gwishin (물귀신) – Water Ghost
Not to forget, there are also popular Korean dramas and movies about ghosts, such as The Master’s Sun, A Korean Odyssey and Hotel del Luna.
구미호 (Gumiho)
The Gumiho, known as a Nine-tailed fox is also one of the popular creatures in Korean myth. The names comes from the Japanese word that means “nine-tailed.”
Unlike the ones that are portrayed in Korean dramas such as Grudge: The Revolt of Gumiho and My Girlfriend is a Gumiho, the Gumiho is known as an evil creature in the Korean myths and folktales. It is popular in various Asian cultures and has even appeared in a popular video game
The drama’s monster is sometimes shown as a lady who has been cursed to be this pitiful creature and has been unable to find true love until she ensnares some unfortunate guy. The Korean legend, on the other hand, is much more nefarious.
A Gumiho is known to have lived up to 1000 years and usually takes form of a beautiful girl who seduces men and feed on their hearts or livers.
The real legend is even sadder and more horrifying. The creature is more fox-like but retains the ability to transform into a beautiful girl so that it could lure men close enough to eat their livers. If it could go 1,000 days without eating human meat, it would no longer shift into a fox, and it would remain a human for the rest of their lives.
저승사자 Jeosung Saja (Korean Grim Reaper)
저승사자 (jeosung saja) is the Korean grim reaper. They’re meant to guide those who have just passed away into the afterlife. Traditionally they wore a black hanbok coupled with a black hat. But today, they are portrayed more often as wearing a long black coat with a fedora, especially after the portrayal of Lee Dong Wook in Goblin.
In the Korean culture, they are known as the Afterlife Messengers who guide those who have just died to the afterlife. Traditionally, Jeosung Saja is dressed in black hanbok (Kore
an attire in the Joseon era) with a traditional Korean hat, Gat (갓).
해태 Haetae/Haechi (Lion with scales and a horn on its head)
As this is the official symbol of Seoul even in the present day, you’ll easily find statues of this creature outside numerous buildings. The creature has the body and head of a lion, with curled horns on its head. Its entire body is also covered in armor-like scales.
It is believed to be a guardian that keeps evil omens at bay and also upholds justice. It also serves as a guardian that wards off natural disasters. This creature is sometimes also called Haechi. Thus, already in the times of the Joseon Dynasty, many officials were keen to have this creature embroidered onto their official gowns.
달토끼 Daltokki (Moon rabbit)
Also known as the jade rabbit, this is another mythical creature. This rabbit is discovered by studying the creation of the moon’s scars. It began as a Chinese legend, adopted and altered in Korean mythology.
If you look up and into the clouds, you might notice different formations. You might see anything that you wish to see up there. In the Chinese/Korean culture, the people looked at the moon and noticed different formations, and one was of a rabbit on the moon.
There are various decorations with the rabbit in the moon image. This rabbit, which is thought to be already beating its mallet for rice cake, has now become a sign of the mid-autumn holiday “Chuseok
불 개 Bul-Gae (Fire dogs)
The Bul-Gae, literally meaning Fire Dog when it’s translated, were creatures originated from the kingdom of darkness, Gamangnara. If you’ve been curious and wondering how the eclipse occur, here’s a mythical explanation for it! In Korean myth, the cosmological tales and legends such as the “Ilsik, Wolsik” legend explains how the Bul-Gae caused the occurrences of eclipse. According to the legend, the King of Gamangnara was concerned of the darkness that surrounded the kingdom, thus he sent out the Bul-Gae to capture the sun and moon. But both the sun and moon were either too hot or cold for the dogs to handle, burning or freezing them when they tried to carry it with their mouths. Not giving up, the King sent out more Bul-Gae to capture the sun and moon but they all failed each time. Thus, it is believed that each time the Bul-Gae bit the sun and moon, a solar or lunar eclipse would occur.
Korean Mythology and folklore contain examples of :
Ascend to a Higher Plane of Existence: Many human characters (Baridegi, Ganglim, etc.) ended up becoming gods and other supernatural entities.
Badass Bookworm : There are many stories involving Seonbis (term for scholars and students of the Joseon period), killing gigantic serpents, Gumihos (Nine-tailed foxes), and other monsters with a bow and an arrow.
These stories might have some grain of truth in them; since the Joseon Dynasty placed great importance in military arts, Seonbis did practice archery. And because the Korean bow (Gak Gung) is strong yet handy to carry, many Seonbis going on journeys took a bow and arrows with them.
Sadly, they were also common target of political purges. Actually, their social status could be considered as Blessed with Suck - despite their education they doesn't belong to the Yangban (scholar-officals) caste, and thus doesn't have any political power to protect themselves. That make it easy to turn them into The Scapegoat for any kind of troubles (though many lower-class folks considered them Inspirational Martyr anyway)
Cool Sword: Saingeom (Four Tigers Sword), also known as Sainchamsageom (Four Tigers Evil-Cutting sword). Being forged by a skilled (and pure) metal-smith in a Tiger day's tiger hour, of Tiger year's Tiger month, it has powerful positive (Yang) force that can destroy monsters and evil spirits.
To maximize its effect, it is inscribed with 28 constellations and a badass Magical Incantation:
"The Heaven calls down the Jeong (Spirit), and The Earth helps the Yeong (Soul). The sun and the moon are shaped, mountains and rivers are formed, and Lightnings strike like storm. Move North Heaven to destroy evil in the land, make for righeousness in the natural order."
They really exist, by the way. Because they're made of soft iron, Saingeoms weren't used in battle, but rather kept for ritualistic reasons (like protecting you from ghosts and diseases).
There's also Yonggwang-Geom ('Sword of Dragon's Light'), belonging to the sun god Haemosu.
General Kim Yu-shin, a legendary Silla general who united the Three Kingdoms, had a sword named Cheonryonggeom, 'Heavenly Dragon Sword' (The name itself doesn't appear in official records, but legend states so). When Kim Yushin was a youth, he prayed to the heaven to give him the power to unite the warring three kingdoms, and after three days, Heaven answered his prayer by sending two beams of light from two stars to shine on his sword(this is an official record, appearing in Samguk-sagi). According to legend, Kim tested his blessed sword by slicing a nearby rock in half(that rock is still remaining as a popular tourist attraction, by the way), and it could even fly out from its scabbard, landing into Kim Yushin's hand when he was furious.
Heart Is an Awesome Power: One story has Samshin-halmang (Goddess of Pregnancy and Delivery) politely asking Daebyulsang (God of Smallpox, No.1 killer of infants of old times) to spare the lovely faces of babies. Daebyulsang instead got angry that 'a woman' dared to interfere with his business, and gave severe smallpox to infants, causing them to die or become pockmarked. In retaliation, Samshin-halmang refused to give delivery to Daebyulsang's pregnant wife for twenty-four months, causing her to nearly die from the pain. Daebyulsang had no choice but to dress in a Buddhist monk's attire, shave his hair and walk barefoot to the Samshin-halmang's residence (just as Samshin ordered), practically begging for forgiveness.
Interspecies Romance: Starting from the tale of Ungnyeo, Korean Mythology includes lots of romance between Human and animals (transformed into humans).
Samguk Yusa includes many tales of foxes, dragons and tigers taking human form. One Silla story involves a man named Kim Hyun falling in love with a cute girl (actually a female tiger) he met at the festival. However, her three brothers had killed too many humans that Heaven decided to punish them, but the girl said that she would instead become a scapegoat, and told Kim Hyun to kill her the next day, saying: "If I have to die, then let me be killed by the man who loves me" . Kim Hyun had no choice but to do it (in tears), and after getting the reward from the King for killing a Tiger, used it to build a Temple (named Howeonsa, meaning 'Temple of the Tigers wish') in memory of his love.
Magic Music: One of Silla's national treasures was Manpasikjeok (Flute that soothes ten thousand troubles), a magical bamboo flute that could 'calm the waters, drive away enemies, heal the sick, and prevent natural disasters'. Many people tried to steal it, and after losing and regaining it, King Hyoso ordered the flute to be hidden in a secret place. It was hidden so well that it was never found again, not even to this day.
Methuselah Syndrome: According to Samguk Yusa, Dangun puts Methuselah to shame by living for Nineteen Hundred And Eight Years (the age varies for each historical record, but still over one thousand years). Plus, he became a Sanshinryeong after leaving the human world, so he could still be living, even now.
This probably means that the ruler's title 'Danggun-Wanggeom' (literally meaning 'Priest-King') got passed down from ruler to ruler, dynasty to dynasty.
Petal Power: Seocheonkkotbaat (Seocheon Flower Field) has flowers that you wouldn't see in your local flower garden. Here's a few:
Flowers that can revive the dead: Revival Flowers are five flowers - black, white, red, yellow, blue - that can bring people back to life, even if their bodies are decayed to the skeleton. Each flower regenerates Bones, Flesh, Blood, Breathing and Spirit (sometimes one of the last two can be replaced by water of life or whacking the body with a cane).
Flowers that causes people who see it to Laugh, Cry, and Fight each other - uncontrollably. The person holding the flower does not seem to be influenced by this.
Flower that kills anyone who looks at it.
And another flower called Destruction Flower can wipe out an entire army. Jacheongbi (a girl who later became Earth goddess) uses it to literally crush a rebellion in Heaven.
It is not surprising, therefore, that Seocheon Flower Field is situated in the border between this world and the other world (afterlife), and heavenly officials and maidens are charged with guarding and looking after it. Only certain humans (usually children of the aforementioned heavenly officials) can enter the field, and going there can take years.
Shrines and Temples: Like the Japanese, Koreans have Sadang (Shrine) and Jeol (Buddhist Temple). Because of syncretism, many Jeols also have sadangs (usually dedicated to Sanshinryeongs and Chilsungshin) as annex buildings.
While there are many big temples currently existing, there aren't many big shrines left, since Mongolian invasions, Japanese invasions and colonization, and the Korean War demolished the whole lot (there are still ruins of them, currently being excavated). While most remaining Sadangs are small or private, the biggest shrine still standing is Jongmyo Shrine (declared UNESCO World Heritage), built in the 14th century to honor the Joseon Kings.
Voluntary Shapeshifting: Many gods, demigods and monsters (Yogwe) can change into humans and other shapes.
This was even used as means of dueling; but instead of turning the other into animals, they fought by turning themselves into an animal superior than the other. For example, when Habaek turned into a fish and a pheasant, Haemosu chased him by turning into an otter and a hawk.
King Yeomra tried to dodge Gamglim-doryeong by turning into a pillar of a palace. Gamglim found this out when the palace scullery maid scolded him for being an idiot.
Whale Egg: Many founding heroes of ancient kingdoms were born from an egg. There's at least five of them:
Go-Jumong (King Dongmyeong), founder of Goguryeo Kingdom, was born as a large egg that his mother (Lady Yuwha) laid. His stepfather (King Geumwha) took this as a bad omen and tried to get rid of it, but all attempts failed (when it was thrown into wilderness, fierce animals and birds kept it warm; and even the strongest warrior couldn't break its shell open). Finally Jumong was born, and he soon grew up to be a master Archer and charismatic hero(which is not surprising, given that his father is the Sun god Haemosu).
There's also Pakhyeokkeose, Seoktalhae and Kimalji, three founders of Silla Kingdom. Plus there's King Kim Suro (and his five brothers), founder of Gaya (a minor kingdom that was later absorbed into Silla).
Samguk-yusa tells the story of a Chicken-dragon(Gyeryong), giving birth to a human baby(with the beak of a chicken) through her armpit. She then flew away, and the old lady watching this adopted the baby and washed her in the nearby stream, causing the beak to fall off. Given the name Al-yeong(named after a well nearby), she grew up to be a kind and beautiful lady, and later married Pakhyokkeose(first king of Silla), thereby becoming Queen Al-yeong.
Myths by kingdoms
Gojoseon
(Early 20th century portrait of Dan'gun)
The foundation myth of Gojoseon[1], the earliest Korean kingdom, is first recorded in two nearly contemporaneous works: Samguk yusa, a history compiled by the Buddhist monk Iryeon around the late 1270s, and Jewang ungi, a Chinese-language epic poem written in 1287.
Iryeon's account is as follows. Hwanung, a younger son of the sky god Hwanin (who the monk identifies with the Buddhist god Indra), desires to rule the human world. Hwanin sees that his son could "broadly benefit the human world," and gives him three unspecified treasures to take with him to earth. Hwanung descends beneath a sacred tree on Mount Taebaek (lit. 'great white mountain'), where he and his three thousand followers found the "Sacred City." With the gods of wind, rain, and cloud, Hwanin supervises various human affairs.
A bear and a tiger then ask that Hwanung turn them into humans. The god gives the animals twenty pieces of garlic and a clump of sacred mugwort, and tells them that they will become humans if they eat them and do not see sunlight for a hundred days. The two animals then fast, and the bear becomes a woman on the twenty-first day. The tiger fails to fast and remains an animal. The bear-turned-woman prays for a child at the sacred tree, and Hwanung grants her wish by becoming a human to marry her. She gives birth to a boy named Dan'gun Wanggeom, who founds the kingdom of Gojoseon at the site of Pyongyang. Dan'gun rules for fifteen centuries, then departs from the kingdom when the Chinese King Wu of Zhou sends Jizi to rule over Korea. The king ultimately becomes a mountain god.
The Dan'gun myth is of the northern type, featuring the founder's birth from a celestial father (Hwanung) and an earthly mother (the bear). It is often interpreted as a mythicized account of interactions between three clans whose totemic symbols or mythological ancestors were a sky god, a bear, and a tiger respectively. The tiger-associated clan was somehow eliminated, but the bear clan joined the dominant sky god clan in the establishment of the Gojoseon polity. Folklorist James H. Grayson draws connections to the Japanese foundation myth. Ninigi-no-Mikoto[2] descends to earth with three treasures as well, and the first Japanese emperor Jinmu[3] is a younger son like Hwanung. Grayson also notes Siberian myths where a bear is the mother of a tribal ancestor
Dan'gun appears to have been worshipped only locally in the Pyongyang area until the thirteenth century, when intellectuals attempted to bolster the legitimacy of the Korean state, then imperiled by Mongol invasion and domination, by establishing him as the ancestor of all Korean polities. By the twentieth century he had become accepted as the mythical founder of the Korean nation and plays an important role in the ideologies of both North and South Korea
Silla
The ancient Silla[4] kingdom was originally dominated by three clans: the Bak, the Seok, and the Kim[5]. At some point the Seok were eliminated from power, and all Silla monarchs from then on were children of a Kim father and a Bak mother. All three clans have associated founding myths.
The Bak foundation myth is given in the fullest detail in Samguk yusa.[6] Six chieftains of the Gyeongju[7] area convene to found a united kingdom. They see a strange light shining on a well. When they go there, they see a white horse kneeling. The horse ascends to heaven, leaving a large egg behind. The chieftains break open the egg and find a beautiful boy inside, who they name Hyeokgeose.[8]
Some time later, a chicken-dragon gives birth to a beautiful girl with a chicken beak from its left rib. When they wash the girl in a nearby stream, the beak falls off. When the boy and the girl are both thirteen years old, the chieftains crown them as the first king and queen of Silla and give the king the clan name of Bak. Hyeokgeose rules for sixty-one years and ascends to heaven. Seven days later, his dead body drops from the sky. The queen dies soon after. A giant snake prevents the people from holding a funeral until they dismember the body into five parts, which is why Hyeokgeose has five different tombs
The Samguk yusa also records the Seok and Kim foundation myths. In the first, a ship surrounded by magpies lands on the Silla coast after sailing away from Gaya[9] for unspecified reasons. There is a giant chest in the ship, and when they open it they find slaves, treasures, and a young boy inside. The boy, Seok Talhae[10], reveals that he is a prince of a country called Yongseong (lit. 'dragon castle'). When he was born in the form of an egg, his father put him inside the chest and sent him away to found his own kingdom abroad. Having settled in Silla, Seok steals the house of the aristocrat Hogong[11] through deceit and marries the eldest daughter of the Silla king, a descendant of Hyeokgeose. He succeeds his father-in-law as king and founds the Seok clan. After his death, he becomes the patron god of a local mountain.A village-shrine bon-puri[12] very similar to the Seok Talhae myth is transmitted by modern shamans in the southern island of Jeju.
Hogong appears prominently in the Kim foundation myth as well. One night, Hogong sees a great light in the woods. When he goes closer, he discovers a golden chest hanging from a tree and a white rooster crowing below. He opens the chest and discovers a boy, who he names Alji[13]. Alji is brought to court and made the Silla king's heir, but he later abdicates his position. Alji would become the mythical founder of the Kim clan, which would later monopolize the patrilineal line of the Silla kings.
I hope these tales of Korean myths caught your interest. Let us know which Korean myth is your favourite in the comments section
That's All She Wrote
Laura Melkonian
[1] also know as Jeoson was the first kingdom on the Korean peninsula [2] Deity in Japanese mythology [3] Was the legendary first emperor of japan according to Nihon shoki and kojiki [4] or otherwise Shilla was as Korean kingdom located on the southern and central parts of the Korean peninsula. Silla along with baekje and gojuryeo formed the three kingdoms of Korea. [5] most common surnames in korea [6] is a collection of legenda, folktales and historical accounts related to the three kingdoms of korea. [7] historically known as seorabeol, a coastal city in the far southeastern corner of north gyeongsang province. [8] founding monarch of Silla [9] Was a Korean confederacy of territorial polities in the Nakdong River basin of southern Korea. [10] Was the 4th king of Silla one of the three kingdoms of Korea. [11] minister of Silla [12]Are Korean shamanic narratives recited in the shamanic rituals of Jeju Island. [13]historical figure in Korean history
이지영 (Lee Ji-young) (2000). Han'guk geon'guk sinhwa-ui silsang-gwa ihae 한국 건국 신화의 실상과 이해 [The Reality and Understanding of Korean State-foundation Myths]. Seoul: Worin. ISBN 89-88297-89-X. Retrieved June 23, 2020. (Lee J. 2000, pp. 54–55, 61–63/ 53,79 / 80 /310 /291-295)
서대석 (Seo Daeseok) (2001). Han'guk sinhwa-ui yeon'gu 한국 신화의 연구 [Studies on Korean Mythology]. Seoul: Jibmundang. ISBN 89-303-0820-1. Retrieved June 23, 2020. Anthology of Seo's papers from the 1980s and 1990s. (Seo D. 2001, p. 35./50/ 110-112/118-120/122-125)
Grayson, James H. (2011). Myths and Legends from Korea: An Annotated Compendium of Ancient and Modern Materials. London: Routledge. ISBN 978-0-700-71241-0. Retrieved June 23, 2020. (Grayson 2011, p. 31. / 37-39 / 135-142)
서영대 (Seo Yeong-dae) (1987). "Dan'gun sungbae-ui yeoksa" 단군 숭배의 역사 [History of Dan'gun worship]. Jeongsin Munhwa Yeon'gu. 32: 19–31. ISSN 1225-4576. Retrieved June 23, 2020. (Seo Y. 1987, pp. 25–28.)
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