Dangun Wanggeom was the legendary founder of
GojoseonGojoseon was an ancient Korean kingdom. Go , meaning "ancient," distinguishes it from the later Joseon Dynasty; Joseon, as it is called in contemporaneous writings, is also romanized as Chosŏn....
, the first
KoreaKorea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
n kingdom, around present-day
Liaoning' is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the northeast of the country. Its one-character abbreviation is "辽" , a name taken from the Liao River that flows through the province. "Níng" means "peace"...
,
ManchuriaManchuria is a historical name given to a large geographic region in northeast Asia. Depending on the definition of its extent, Manchuria usually falls entirely within the People's Republic of China, or is sometimes divided between China and Russia. The region is commonly referred to as Northeast...
, and the
Korean PeninsulaThe Korean Peninsula is a peninsula in East Asia. It extends southwards for about 684 miles from continental Asia into the Pacific Ocean and is surrounded by the Sea of Japan to the south, and the Yellow Sea to the west, the Korea Strait connecting the first two bodies of water.Until the end of...
. He is said to be the "grandson of heaven", and to have founded the kingdom in 2333 BC. The earliest recorded version of the Dangun legend appears in the 13th century
Samguk YusaSamguk Yusa, or Memorabilia of the Three Kingdoms, is a collection of legends, folktales, and historical accounts relating to the Three Kingdoms of Korea , as well as to other periods and states before, during, and after the Three Kingdoms period.The text was written in Classical Chinese, which was...
, which cites China's
Book of WeiThe Book of Wei is a classic Chinese historical writing compiled by Wei Shou from 551 to 554, and serves as an important historical text describing the Northern Wei and Eastern Wei from 386 to 550....
and Korea's lost historical record Gogi (古記).
Legend
Dangun's ancestry legend begins with his grandfather
HwaninHwanin, or "Divine Regent" is a figure in Korean mythology. In the traditional Dangun mythology he is portrayed as the Emperor of Heaven himself, with his son Hwanung 환웅 and his grandson Dangun being the mythical founder of Korea...
(환인; 桓因), the "Lord of Heaven". Hwanin had a son,
HwanungHwanung is an important figure in the mythological origins of Korea. He plays a central role in the story of Dangun Wanggeom , the legendary founder of Gojoseon, the first kingdom of Korea. Hwanung is the son of Hwanin , the "Lord of Heaven"...
, who yearned to live on the earth among the valleys and the mountains. Hwanin permitted Hwanung and 3,000 followers to descend onto
Baekdu MountainBaekdu Mountain, also known in China as Changbai Mountain and Baitou Mountain , is a volcanic mountain on the border between North Korea and China, located at...
, where Hwanung founded Sinsi (신시; 神市, "City of God"). Along with his ministers of clouds, rain, and wind, he instituted laws and moral codes and taught humans various arts, medicine, and agriculture. Legend attributes the development of
acupunctureAcupuncture is a type of alternative medicine that treats patients by insertion and manipulation of solid, generally thin needles in the body....
and
moxibustionMoxibustion is a traditional Chinese medicine therapy using moxa, or mugwort herb. It plays an important role in the traditional medical systems of China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam, Tibet, and Mongolia. Suppliers usually age the mugwort and grind it up to a fluff; practitioners burn the fluff or...
to Dangun, though it was more likely brought into the country from a Chinese colonial prefecture.
A tiger and a bear prayed to Hwanung that they may become human. Upon hearing their prayers, Hwanung gave them 20 cloves of garlic and a bundle of mugwort, ordering them to eat only this sacred food and remain out of the sunlight for 100 days. The tiger gave up after about twenty days and left the cave. However, the bear remained and was transformed into a woman.
The bear-woman (
UngnyeoUngnyeo was a bear that became a woman. She was featured prominently in the creation myth of the Korean nation.-Story:In the tale, a tiger and a bear lived together in a cave and prayed to the divine king Hwanung to be made human...
; 웅녀; 熊女) was grateful and made offerings to Hwanung. However, she lacked a husband, and soon became sad and prayed beneath a "Sindansu" (신단수; 神檀樹, "Divine Betula") tree to be blessed with a child. Hwanung, moved by her prayers, took her for his wife and soon she gave birth to a son, who was named Dangun Wanggeom.
Dangun ascended to the throne, built the walled city of Asadal, situated near
PyongyangPyongyang is the capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, commonly known as North Korea, and the largest city in the country. Pyongyang is located on the Taedong River and, according to preliminary results from the 2008 population census, has a population of 3,255,388. The city was...
(the location is disputed) and called the kingdom Joseon—-referred to today as "Old/Ancient Joseon" (Korean: "Gojoseon") so as not to be confused with the
JoseonJoseon , was a Korean state founded by Taejo Yi Seong-gye that lasted for approximately five centuries. It was founded in the aftermath of the overthrow of the Goryeo at what is today the city of Kaesong. Early on, Korea was retitled and the capital was relocated to modern-day Seoul...
kingdom which occurred much later. He then moved his capital to
AsadalIn Korean mythology and history, Asadal was the capital city of Gojoseon. It is thought that Asadal was located in Manchuria, Hwanghae, or Pyongyang. The first Korean historical work to mention it is the Samguk Yusa, which cites the Chinese Book of Wei. The Samguk Yusa also cites the Go Gi to the...
on Mount Baegak (or Mount Gunghol).
Dating
Emperor Dangun's rule is usually calculated to begin in 2333 BC, based on the description of the
Dongguk TonggamThe Dongguk Tonggam is a chronicle of early Korean history, compiled by Seo Geo-jeong and other scholars in the 15th century. Originally commissioned by King Sejo in 1446, it was completed under the reign of Seongjong of Joseon, in 1485. The official Ch'oe Pu was one of the scholars who helped...
(1485) contemporary to the 50th year of the reign of the legendary
ChineseChinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
Emperor
YaoYao , was a legendary Chinese ruler, one of the Three Sovereigns and the Five Emperors. His ancestral name （姓）is Yi Qi （伊祁） or Qi（祁）,clan name （氏）is Taotang , given name is Fangxun , as the second son to Emperor Ku and Qingdu...
. Other sources vary somewhat, but also put it during Yao's reign (traditional dates: 2357 BC-2256 BC).
Samguk Yusa states Dangun ascended to the throne in the 50th year of Yao's reign, while
Sejong Sillok says the first year and
Dongguk Tonggam says the 25th year.
Until 1961, the official
South KoreaThe Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
n era (for numbering years) was called the
DangiThe Dangi are a Hindu caste found in the states of Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Hariyana, Gujarat, Uttrakhand, Maharastra, Chhatisgarh, Jharkhand, Punjab, and Nepal.-History and origin:...
(단기, 檀紀), which began in 2333 BC. Daejonggyo considered October 3 in the
Korean calendarThe traditional Korean calendar is a lunisolar calendar, like the traditional calendars of other East Asian countries. Dates are calculated from Korea's meridian, and observances and festivals are based in Korean culture....
as
GaecheonjeolGaecheonjeol is a public holiday in South Korea on 3 October. Also known by the English name National Foundation Day, this holiday celebrates the creation of the state of Gojoseon founded by Dangun Wanggeom in the year 2333 BC....
(개천절, 開天節, "Festival of the Opening of Heaven"). This day is now a
national holidayPublic holidays in South Korea each belong to one or more of three categories:*National Celebration Day *National Flag Raising Day *Public Day Off...
in the
Gregorian calendarThe Gregorian calendar, also known as the Western calendar, or Christian calendar, is the internationally accepted civil calendar. It was introduced by Pope Gregory XIII, after whom the calendar was named, by a decree signed on 24 February 1582, a papal bull known by its opening words Inter...
, called National Foundation Day.
North KoreaThe Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
dates Dangun's founding of Gojoseon to early 30th century BC.
15th March in the year 4340 of the Dangun Era is called Eocheonjeol Ceremonies (어천절,御天節), the day that the semi-legendary founder Dangun returned to the heavens, continuing a tradition that has been passed down through the generations without interruption.
Interpretation
The earliest recorded version of the Dangun legend appears in the 13th century
Samguk YusaSamguk Yusa, or Memorabilia of the Three Kingdoms, is a collection of legends, folktales, and historical accounts relating to the Three Kingdoms of Korea , as well as to other periods and states before, during, and after the Three Kingdoms period.The text was written in Classical Chinese, which was...
, which cites China's
Book of WeiThe Book of Wei is a classic Chinese historical writing compiled by Wei Shou from 551 to 554, and serves as an important historical text describing the Northern Wei and Eastern Wei from 386 to 550....
and Korea's lost history text Gogi (古記). This is the best known and most studied version, but similar versions are recorded in the
Jewang Un-gi by the late Goryeo scholar Yi Seung-hyu (이승휴, 李承休, 1224-1300), as well as the
Eungje Siju and
Sejong Sillok of the early
Joseon dynastyJoseon , was a Korean state founded by Taejo Yi Seong-gye that lasted for approximately five centuries. It was founded in the aftermath of the overthrow of the Goryeo at what is today the city of Kaesong. Early on, Korea was retitled and the capital was relocated to modern-day Seoul...
.
Scholars today regard the legend as reflecting the
sun-worshipA solar deity is a sky deity who represents the Sun, or an aspect of it, usually by its perceived power and strength. Solar deities and sun worship can be found throughout most of recorded history in various forms...
and
totemismTotemism is a system of belief in which humans are said to have kinship or a mystical relationship with a spirit-being, such as an animal or plant...
common in the origin myths of Northeast Asia. The bear is often found in origin myths of
ManchuriaManchuria is a historical name given to a large geographic region in northeast Asia. Depending on the definition of its extent, Manchuria usually falls entirely within the People's Republic of China, or is sometimes divided between China and Russia. The region is commonly referred to as Northeast...
and
Russian Far EastRussian Far East is a term that refers to the Russian part of the Far East, i.e., extreme east parts of Russia, between Lake Baikal in Eastern Siberia and the Pacific Ocean...
. The legend therefore may hint at the relationships among various tribes that worshipped the sun, bear, and tiger.
Simply re-interpreted, the legend can become this:
" Around the time of
Emperor Yao'sYao , was a legendary Chinese ruler, one of the Three Sovereigns and the Five Emperors. His ancestral name （姓）is Yi Qi （伊祁） or Qi（祁）,clan name （氏）is Taotang , given name is Fangxun , as the second son to Emperor Ku and Qingdu...
reign in China, a tribal nation which worshipped the sun grew strong and began to incorporate other primitive Korean tribes and began to build a confederacy of tribes. One group, worshipping the bear as its totem, was incorporated. Another, which worshipped the tiger, was excluded from this union. From the union of the Sun tribe (in the legend, Shinshi) and the Bear tribe, Dangun Wanggeom was born, and Dangun later founded a nation, and named it
JoseonJoseon , was a Korean state founded by Taejo Yi Seong-gye that lasted for approximately five centuries. It was founded in the aftermath of the overthrow of the Goryeo at what is today the city of Kaesong. Early on, Korea was retitled and the capital was relocated to modern-day Seoul...
. His descendants ruled Joseon until the rebellion of
WimanWiman was a refugee from the State of Yan who established a kingdom in north-western Korea in the 2nd century BC. He was the first figure in the history of Korea to have been recorded in documents from the same time period.-Biography:...
, or, despite controversy, until the arrival of
JiziJizi was a semi-legendary Chinese sage who is said to have ruled Gojoseon in the 11th century BCE. Early Chinese documents like the Book of Documents and the Bamboo Annals described him as a virtuous relative of the last king of the Shang dynasty who was punished for remonstrating the king...
."
It is widely accepted by present-day historians that at the time of Dangun's reign, his status was deified by placing him in the position of the Grandson of Heaven, and thus, strengthened Dangun's position as the head of a confederacy.
The story further illustrates the importance of knowledge of weather to the early agricultural peoples of Korea.
Dangun as religion
During the late
GoryeoThe Goryeo Dynasty or Koryŏ was a Korean dynasty established in 918 by Emperor Taejo. Korea gets its name from this kingdom which came to be pronounced Korea. It united the Later Three Kingdoms in 936 and ruled most of the Korean peninsula until it was removed by the Joseon dynasty in 1392...
era, the Dangun legend is thought to have played an important role in national unity and patriotic mobilization against the invaders.
Gosindo (고신도; 古神道), a version of
Korean shamanismKorean shamanism, today known as Muism or sometimes Sinism , encompasses a variety of indigenous religious beliefs and practices of the Korean people and the Korean area...
that considered Dangun a god, had a small following, but had largely died out by the 15th century.
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with a resurgence in
Korean nationalismKorean nationalism refers to nationalism among the Korean people. In the Korean context, this encompasses various of movements throughout history to maintain the Korean cultural identity, history, and ethnicity.-History:...
after repeated outside foreign incursions and the beginning of
colonial ruleKorea was under Japanese rule as part of Japan's 35-year imperialist expansion . Japanese rule ended in 1945 shortly after the Japanese defeat in World War II....
in 1910 to 1945, the movement was revived in
Daejonggyo (대종교; 大宗敎). It was promoted by Na Cheol (1864-1916), but could not survive the repression under the occupation (
Taejonggyo (1999)/Tangun), since it conflicted with the Japanese
cultural imperialismCultural imperialism is the domination of one culture over another. Cultural imperialism can take the form of a general attitude or an active, formal and deliberate policy, including military action. Economic or technological factors may also play a role...
policy. After the liberation of Korea, Daejonggyo was revived, although it remains a minor religion.
Dangun is worshipped today as a deity by the followers of Cheondogyo, and Daejonggyo.
Dangun in Taekwondo
Dangun is the second pattern or
tulTul is a Korean martial art form.Tul or TUL may also refer to:*Tuł, Masovian Voivodeship, Poland* Technical University of Łódź* Transnational University Limburg* Technical University of Liberec, Czech Republic...
in the
ITFInternational Taekwon-Do Federation is a Taekwondo organization founded on March 22, 1966, by General Choi Hong Hi in Seoul, South Korea. The ITF exists to promote and encourage the growth of the Korean martial art of Taekwondo...
form of the Korean martial art taekwon-do. Students learn that the tul represents "the holy legendary founder of Korea in the year 2333 BC." Unusually for a tul, all the punches in Dangun are high section (nose level) symbolising Dangun scaling a mountain.
see Dan-Gun Hyung.
Mausoleum of Dangun
The Mausoleum of Dangun is the alleged burial site of the legendary Dangun. The site occupies about 1.8 km² (.70 mi²) on the slope of Taebak Mountain (대박산) in
North KoreaThe Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
. Dangun's grave is shaped like a pyramid, about 22 m (72 ft) high and 50 m (164 ft) on each side. Many observers and historians outside of North Korea, including South Korea, consider the site controversial, and possibly fraudulent.
See also
- Gojoseon
Gojoseon was an ancient Korean kingdom. Go , meaning "ancient," distinguishes it from the later Joseon Dynasty; Joseon, as it is called in contemporaneous writings, is also romanized as Chosŏn....
- History of Korea
The Korean Peninsula was inhabited from the Lower Paleolithic about 400,000-500,000 years ago. Archeological evidence indicates that the presence of modern humans in northeast Asia dates to 39,000 years ago. The earliest known Korean pottery dates to around 8000 BC, and the Neolithic period began...
- List of Korean rulers
- List of Koreans
- List of Korea-related topics
- List of national founders
Further reading
External links