This has
become the main Story of Korean National Origin
and basis of
the Gaecheon-jeol [Opening Heaven Day]
National Holiday
(now
Officially October 3rd, Lunar
Calendar: 3rd Day of the Tenth Moon)
It tells the
founding of legendary Gojoseon [Ancient Joseon Kingdom], probably
in southern
Manchuria, by Dan-gun, now regarded as the “Founder of Korea”
This is the
very first story in the Samguk-Yusa
[Supplementary Tales of the Three Kingdoms],
"Korea's
Old Testament", compiled and written by Monk Iryeon 일연 in the late 1200s
Hwan-in 환인 桓因, the King of Heaven or Jeseok (note #1), was
asked by one of his younger sons Hwan-ung to send him
down to earth to govern his own land.(#2)
Hwanin surveyed the mountains of the earth and chose Mount Taebaek-san 태백산 太白山 (#3) [Grand White Mountain] as the best site, Opened Heaven (gaecheon) and sent down his son
To Benefit Humanity (hongik-ingan).
Hwanung
descended with three heavenly seals or treasures and 3000 followers, to a
sacred sandalwood tree on the peak of
Taebaek-san. Here he established a sacred city (Shinshi 신시 神市 spirit-city). He marshaled
the noble spirits of
Wind, Rain and Clouds as his Ministers.
A government was established with 360 departments to rule with laws and
moral codes about agriculture, grain-storage, hunting, fishing, sickness and
medicine, education, the arts, family-life,
determination of good and evil, and etc.(4)
A bear and a
tiger both came to Holy Hwanung and prayed (begged) to become human
beings. The Heavenly Prince decided to
give them a chance, and gave them a
bundle of mugwort and twenty bulbs of garlic (5) and told them that if they ate
only these sacred food and stayed in the cave (out of the sunlight) for one
hundred days (6) then they would become
human.
The tiger
shortly gave up in impatient hunger and left the cave. The bear remained and after 21 days was
transformed into a
woman.
The
bear-woman Ungnyeo 웅녀; 熊女
was very grateful and made offerings to Hwanung at the stone altar by
the sacred tree
on the peak. She had no husband,
however, and prayed for a son. Hwanung
was moved by her prayers to transform
himself as a human man, and mated with her.
Nine months
later she gave birth to a son, who was named Dan-gun Wanggeom 단군 왕검 檀君王儉 (7).
Dan-gun
founded the first Korean kingdom, with its capital nearby what is now
Pyeongyang and then moved to Asadal, probably at
Mt. Guwol-san in Hwanghae Province, and named it Joseon (8) in the 50th year of the reign of the Emperor Yao
(China’s mythical sage-emperor ).
Dan-gun reigned over Joseon (Gojoseon) for 1,500 years.(9)
At the end
of his reign, in the year 1122 BCE, Founding-King Wu (10) of the Zhou Dynasty
enfeoffed Jizi (11) to Joseon. King Dangun
moved his capital again, but then returned to Asadal and abdicated his throne,
hiding himself in the mountains,
becoming an immortal Sanshin (12) [a Mountain-spirit] (13) at the age of
1,908.(14)
NOTES:
(1) Jeseok-bul is a quasi-Buddha deity representing Indra, the Hindu "king of the gods" (leader/manager of the devas and "Lord of Heaven") -- a common deity in Korean Shamanism, and always appearing at the center of Chil-seong Seven-Stars icons -- significantly for what comes later, he is also the Hindu deity of Storms, Rainfall and War. Author Iryeon is trying to identify this peripheral-Buddhist figure with the ancient Korean-Shamanic "Lord of Heaven" Hwan-in, whose name rarely appears elsewhere in any historic literature.
(1) Jeseok-bul is a quasi-Buddha deity representing Indra, the Hindu "king of the gods" (leader/manager of the devas and "Lord of Heaven") -- a common deity in Korean Shamanism, and always appearing at the center of Chil-seong Seven-Stars icons -- significantly for what comes later, he is also the Hindu deity of Storms, Rainfall and War. Author Iryeon is trying to identify this peripheral-Buddhist figure with the ancient Korean-Shamanic "Lord of Heaven" Hwan-in, whose name rarely appears elsewhere in any historic literature.
(2) what's interesting
here is that it's NOT his eldest, primary son, the Crown Prince, but
specifically named by a term denoting a younger son, or a son by a
secondary wife, anyway a "junior prince". Perhaps he was bright
and talented for leadership, but had no hope of kingship or other
first-level office, and so he desired his own far-away territory in which
to try to make a new kingdom -- and his father thought it wise to send him,
avoiding conflict with his elder brothers.
(3) The exact
mountain that this title "Taebaek-san" refers to
remains unknown. Iryeon wrote in his notes that it is probably what
is now called Myohyang-san , and this remains the
strongest candidate -- Taebaek is known by scholars to have been an
alternate name for it, and a site named “Dan-gun Cave” is indicated on it on
20th-& 21st-Century maps. Guwol-san in the North and the actual Taebaek-san of the South are legitimate but weaker contenders
-- the latter is not taken very seriously by scholars but is by groups of local
nationalists, and is probably only heavily-used for worship of Dan-gun and
his forefathers because of the identical name and the tragedy of national
division which has made North Korea inaccessible. Most contemporary
Koreans and a few of their ancestors believe it to be Baekdu-san , one of Korea's holiest
mountains, for geomantic, locational, political and topographical reasons,
more on popular-nationalist-consciousness grounds than on evidence. It is
usually depicted as the site in 20th-& 21st-Century artworks and
re-tellings of this myth, and it may indeed have been the intended site of
the myth when it was told in Manchurian lands more than 2000 years ago.
However, it was under the control of the Jurchens (sacred to them,
and later their descendants the Manchu), and seemed remote from the Goryeo Kingdom
with no special significance at the time Iryeon wrote; he wanted a closer
‘sacred origin’ mountain, and
Myohyang-san was already by then highly-sacred to Korean Buddhism; he only mentioned Baekdu-san once in all of his Samguk-yusa, and that was unrelated to Dan-gun. Baekdu-san was so remote that it seems to have played very little role in Korean history or religious traditions, even after the Joseon Dynasty gained control over it, until the cultural-nationalism wave of the 1920’s.
Myohyang-san was already by then highly-sacred to Korean Buddhism; he only mentioned Baekdu-san once in all of his Samguk-yusa, and that was unrelated to Dan-gun. Baekdu-san was so remote that it seems to have played very little role in Korean history or religious traditions, even after the Joseon Dynasty gained control over it, until the cultural-nationalism wave of the 1920’s.
(4) Seems to indicate a pre-literate
Bronze-age government, with one topic of policy-decision designated for each
day of a solar year, with about 5 days left over, probably as holidays.
(5) Both are medicinal herbs native to NE Asia. Perhaps they were pickled in salt as a winterlong vegetable, warding off diseases and making the dried meats & fish easier to chew -- was this the first Kimchi...?
(6) About the length of a Winter in northern Korea and sothern Manchuria; seems to reference a bear's hibernation.
(7) This term Dan-gun probably first meant "Altar King" (gun being a later term used for a minor, illegitimate, failed or primitive king), the monarch who came from the altar for venerating Heaven, which would be an appropriate Korean-Shamanic title. However, it seems that this character dan (壇, altar) was switched to the similar character with same pronunciation dan (檀, sandalwood, a fragrant tree from which incense is made, native to India but not to NE Asia), making "Sandalwood-King", which is more Buddhist in meaning, probably a change made during the
Goryeo Dynasty. No way to know whether this was intentional or just a mistake that endured. The suffix-title Wang-geom is a combination of Chinese "King" with an ancient term for a Bronze-Age tribal-leader.
(8) The term here "Joseon" [previously spelled Choson] may have meant "Human-Land" at that time, according to one linguistic-archaeologist, which makes sense for Bronze-Age tribes conquering Stone-Age people whom they would consider less-than-human. In 1390 a new dynasty established in Korea chose (with approval from the Ming Emperor) it's name "Joseon" with the same pronunciation in Korean but different Chinese characters that mean "Morning Calm", a reference to the teaching of Mencius. We now call this legendary (or mythical?) prehistoric kingdom "Gojoseon" - that go is a prefix meaning old, ancient or former, so "Gojoseon" = "Ancient Joseon". There is
no archaeological evidence that any such "Joseon Kingdom" ever existed, despite increasing claims by both Korean governments shown in their publications and national-museum exhibits. Additionally, we can be sure that in 2333 BCE there were no "Kings" or "kingdoms" at all in East Asia -- that political concept had not yet been invented even in the Yellow River watershed, there were only tribes and, at best, the formation of tribal federations. A sadly typical and absurd (but by now common) claim that this mythical "first kingdom" was a reality.
(9) Some of the 20th-Century religious-nationalists have claimed that the standard written myth that Dan-gun Wanggeom lived to 1908 years old and ruled for over 1500 years is incorrect, corrupted -- they say that he & his "Gojoseon" Kingdom were REAL, not mythical, and he was a real person (tho semi-divine / super-human) (North Korea supports this view, -- that "Dan-gun" was a monarch-title and there were 33 of them in a dynasty, that this ruler's personal name was "Wanggeom" and the next 32 Dan-guns had other names (which they list and assign reign-dates for, from 2333 BCE onwards). The problem is, there is absolutely zero valid evidence for
this scenario, and the standard myth (above) written in the 12th Cen CE says otherwise. This revisionism can just an attempt by these 20th-Century Korean religious-nationalists to claim that an old myth is actual "history".
(10) also known as "King Wen", especially to westerners as the original author of the I Ching / Classic of Changes. To Chinese he is Zhōu Cháo Wuwang 周朝武王. China's fabled Zhou Dynasty is called Ju-nara by Koreans. 1122 BCE is the accepted historical year of its founding, and thus the first "real" date of this myth, bordering on legend.
(11) Jizi (箕子 ji1 zi3, Gija 기자 in Korean, “Viscount of Ji”, was a semi-legendary Chinese sage who is said to have ruled Korea in the 12th century BCE. His family name was Zi (子) and given name was Xuyu (胥餘). Since the title of Viscount of Ji was bestowed on him, he is usually called Jizi. He may have been a prince or wise noble of the corrupt Shang Dynasty, who helped Zhou King Wu overthrow it -- perhaps Wu then sent him to conquer Korea as both reward and exile? (normally, all members of a former-royal-family would be killed). At any rate, he can be
seen as the advent of, perhaps the first carrier of, Chinese Iron-Age culture to the Korean areas -- begining the transformation of the original Bronze-Age shamanic tribal culture. He is said to have taught his proto-Korean subjects rites, agriculture, sericulture and weaving (probably also brought primitive literacy).
(12) The mountain that he is believed to have become the spirit of is Guwol-san in what is now Hwanghae-namdo Province of North Korea, based on Iryeon's notes and other traditions. A weaker contender for this is Myohyang-san
(5) Both are medicinal herbs native to NE Asia. Perhaps they were pickled in salt as a winterlong vegetable, warding off diseases and making the dried meats & fish easier to chew -- was this the first Kimchi...?
(6) About the length of a Winter in northern Korea and sothern Manchuria; seems to reference a bear's hibernation.
(7) This term Dan-gun probably first meant "Altar King" (gun being a later term used for a minor, illegitimate, failed or primitive king), the monarch who came from the altar for venerating Heaven, which would be an appropriate Korean-Shamanic title. However, it seems that this character dan (壇, altar) was switched to the similar character with same pronunciation dan (檀, sandalwood, a fragrant tree from which incense is made, native to India but not to NE Asia), making "Sandalwood-King", which is more Buddhist in meaning, probably a change made during the
Goryeo Dynasty. No way to know whether this was intentional or just a mistake that endured. The suffix-title Wang-geom is a combination of Chinese "King" with an ancient term for a Bronze-Age tribal-leader.
(8) The term here "Joseon" [previously spelled Choson] may have meant "Human-Land" at that time, according to one linguistic-archaeologist, which makes sense for Bronze-Age tribes conquering Stone-Age people whom they would consider less-than-human. In 1390 a new dynasty established in Korea chose (with approval from the Ming Emperor) it's name "Joseon" with the same pronunciation in Korean but different Chinese characters that mean "Morning Calm", a reference to the teaching of Mencius. We now call this legendary (or mythical?) prehistoric kingdom "Gojoseon" - that go is a prefix meaning old, ancient or former, so "Gojoseon" = "Ancient Joseon". There is
no archaeological evidence that any such "Joseon Kingdom" ever existed, despite increasing claims by both Korean governments shown in their publications and national-museum exhibits. Additionally, we can be sure that in 2333 BCE there were no "Kings" or "kingdoms" at all in East Asia -- that political concept had not yet been invented even in the Yellow River watershed, there were only tribes and, at best, the formation of tribal federations. A sadly typical and absurd (but by now common) claim that this mythical "first kingdom" was a reality.
(9) Some of the 20th-Century religious-nationalists have claimed that the standard written myth that Dan-gun Wanggeom lived to 1908 years old and ruled for over 1500 years is incorrect, corrupted -- they say that he & his "Gojoseon" Kingdom were REAL, not mythical, and he was a real person (tho semi-divine / super-human) (North Korea supports this view, -- that "Dan-gun" was a monarch-title and there were 33 of them in a dynasty, that this ruler's personal name was "Wanggeom" and the next 32 Dan-guns had other names (which they list and assign reign-dates for, from 2333 BCE onwards). The problem is, there is absolutely zero valid evidence for
this scenario, and the standard myth (above) written in the 12th Cen CE says otherwise. This revisionism can just an attempt by these 20th-Century Korean religious-nationalists to claim that an old myth is actual "history".
(10) also known as "King Wen", especially to westerners as the original author of the I Ching / Classic of Changes. To Chinese he is Zhōu Cháo Wuwang 周朝武王. China's fabled Zhou Dynasty is called Ju-nara by Koreans. 1122 BCE is the accepted historical year of its founding, and thus the first "real" date of this myth, bordering on legend.
(11) Jizi (箕子 ji1 zi3, Gija 기자 in Korean, “Viscount of Ji”, was a semi-legendary Chinese sage who is said to have ruled Korea in the 12th century BCE. His family name was Zi (子) and given name was Xuyu (胥餘). Since the title of Viscount of Ji was bestowed on him, he is usually called Jizi. He may have been a prince or wise noble of the corrupt Shang Dynasty, who helped Zhou King Wu overthrow it -- perhaps Wu then sent him to conquer Korea as both reward and exile? (normally, all members of a former-royal-family would be killed). At any rate, he can be
seen as the advent of, perhaps the first carrier of, Chinese Iron-Age culture to the Korean areas -- begining the transformation of the original Bronze-Age shamanic tribal culture. He is said to have taught his proto-Korean subjects rites, agriculture, sericulture and weaving (probably also brought primitive literacy).
(12) The mountain that he is believed to have become the spirit of is Guwol-san in what is now Hwanghae-namdo Province of North Korea, based on Iryeon's notes and other traditions. A weaker contender for this is Myohyang-san
(13) Famed British Korean-Studies Professor James Grayson maintains that mythical founding-king Dan-gun became the "general or collective Sanshin, of all Korean mountains, at some particular mountain". However, I cannot agree with this view, having found no supporting evidence for it in all my research. It seems to me that Dan-gun became a Sanshin, at one particular mountain, just like all the translations say (including Grayson’s own). There are many cases in Korean myths & folktales of human heroes becoming "a Sanshin" of a particular mountain, I see no reason why this case should be radically different nor any evidence that Iryeon intended it to be radically different -- if so, he would have said it. Also, if Dan-gun had become “the Universal Sanshin” then I would expect that his iconography and deity-status would have merged with that of Sanshin, and this has not happened, only a few cases of conflation.
(14) If 2333 BCE is taken as Dan-gun's birth and then he is said to have spiritualized at 1908 years old, then he became a Sanshin in 425 BCE -- the traditional-religious date for this is the Third Full Moon or March 15th on the modern Solar Calendar -- and this does not match-up with 1122 BCE. Are we to assume that the transition from Gija's arrival to Dan-gun's spiritualization, with moving the capitals, took 697 years? If 2333 BCE is taken as the date of Gojoseon's foundation (with Dan-gun already an immortal adult, at 408 years old, as some sources claim), then if he ruled for 1500 years that puts his end at 833 BCE, at least substantially closer to the beginning of the Zhou
Dynasty. If 2333 BCE is taken as the date that "Heaven Opened" and Hwan-eung descended, as many writers understand it, then these numbers make even less sense. This simply remains unclear and contradictory -- as myths often are.
This is a typical portrait of King
Dan-gun from a temple in South Korea. He
sits in a Chinese-style wooden chair with 'rustic' legs, wears a white robe and
unadorned crown, and has black hair and beard although he lived for over 900
years (indicating his 'immortal' status, or perhaps it is supposed to be a
portrait at the time of his enthronement.
He usually has a halo around his head,
indicating divine status -- in the left icon it's a silver disk that
looks like the Moon is behind him,
while in the program's icon it's just a glowing of holy light. In these images there is no background -- he
is seen as now existing in a "Heavenly" realm.
He wears a mantle of willow leaves on
his shoulders, and another of paulownia leaves around his waist (both Willow
and Paulownia are "sacred" trees, their excellent wood used to make
religious-ritual implements, musical instruments and fine furniture such as
chests) -- these are symbols of "a man of nature", a ruler in primitive
time. Throughout this website there are several examples of this motif echoed
in San-shin paintings or statues. Two
bust-portraits installed at reconstructed Guwol-san shrines by NK authorities do not include any
leaves on his shoulders, however.
All these iconograghic elements are
borrowed from Chinese portraits of Fuxi , the mythical founder of Bronze-Age
Sinitic civilization (and designer of the I Ching Trigrams), a very important
deity for Daoists. King Dan-gun is intended as a Korean counterpart of this
Fuxi; some Korean spiritual-nationalists claim that Fuxi IS actually Dan-gun,
and the Chinese appropriated him (tho
this is ridiculous).
A modern religious painting shows the Founding-King in similar
motifs (but no halo at all) sitting
Anyway, it is very rare to show him sitting in a real natural
setting -- this moves closer to the motifs
of San-shin paintings.
Map of "Gojoseon Kingdom"
printed in the Korea Times in 2011
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