Dangun

Dangun or Tangun (; ), also known as Dangun Wanggeom (; ), was the legendary founder and first king of Gojoseon, the first Korean kingdom. He founded the first kingdom around the northern part of the Korean Peninsula. He is said to be the "grandson of heaven", "son of a bear", and to have founded the first kingdom in 2333 BC.

The earliest recorded version of the Dangun legend appears in the 13th-century ''Samguk yusa'', which purportedly cites Korea's lost historical record, ''Gogi'' (; 'Ancient Record') and China's ''Book of Wei''. However, there is no records related to Dangun in the current surviving version of the ''Book of Wei''.

Koreans celebrate Dangun's founding of Gojoseon, Korea's first dynasty, on 3 October as a national holiday known as National Foundation Day (''Gaecheonjeol''). It is a religious anniversary started by Daejongism (), worshipping Dangun.

Many Korean historians regard Dangun and Tengri as being etymologically identical.

Myth and interpretations

In Korean mythology, Dangun's ancestry legend begins with his grandfather Hwanin (), the "Lord of Heaven". Hwanin had a son, Hwanung, who yearned to live on the earth among the valleys and the mountains. Hwanin permitted Hwanung and 3,000 followers to descend onto Taebaeksan (written as Myohyang-san in ''samguk sagi'', but now believed to be Paektu Mountain), where Hwanung founded Sinsi (, "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 acupuncture and moxibustion to Dangun.

A tiger and a bear prayed to Hwanung that they might become human. Upon hearing their prayers, Hwanung gave them twenty 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 persevered and was transformed into a woman. The bear and the tiger are said to represent two tribes that sought the favor of the heavenly prince.

The bear-woman, Ungnyeo, was grateful and made offerings to Hwanung. However, she lacked a husband, and soon became sad and prayed beneath a "divine birch" 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 named Dangun Wanggeom.

Dangun ascended to the throne, built the walled city of Asadal situated near Pyongyang (the location is disputed), and called the kingdom Joseon—referred to today as Gojoseon so as not to be confused with the later kingdom of Joseon that was established roughly 2000 years later. He then moved his capital to Asadal on Mount Paegak or Mount Gunghol.

Dangun's biography reflected the interest of the people of Dangun Joseon (Gojoseon) at the time in establishing the legitimacy of the kingship of Gojoseon and the dignity of the country. The king of Gojoseon conducted a ritual in honor of his ancestral god every year. Soon, the myth of Dangun was the political ideology of the Gojoseon period, and the ritual had a function of political assembly.

Dating

Emperor Dangun's rule is usually calculated to begin in 2333 BCE, based on the description of the '' Tongguk t'onggam'' (1485) contrary to the 40th year of the reign of the legendary Chinese Emperor Yao. Other sources vary somewhat, but also put it during Yao's reign (traditional dates: 2357 BC-2256 BC). The ''Samguk yusa'' states Dangun ascended to the throne in the 50th year of Yao's reign, while ''Annals of the Joseon Dynasty'' says the first year and ''Tongguk t'onggam'' says the 25th year.

Until 1961, the official South Korean era (for numbering years) was called the ''Dangi'' (), which began in 2333 BC. Followers of Daejongism considered 3 October in the Korean calendar as '' Gaecheonjeol''. This day is now a public holiday in South Korea in the Gregorian calendar called "National Foundation Day". North Korea dates Dangun's founding of Gojoseon to the early 30th century BC.

15 March in the year 4340 of the Dangun Era is called "Royal Day Festival" (), the day that the semi-legendary founder Dangun returned to the heavens.

Historical perception

Dangun began to attract attention during the late Goryeo dynasty, when Koreans fought wars against the Mongolian Yuan dynasty. During the Joseon period they were worshiped as the ancestors of the nation. In the Joseon dynasty, a shrine dedicated to Dangun of Gojoseon and King Chumo of Goguryeo was built in Pyongyang, and the Samseongdang (), dedicated to the gods of Hwanin, Hwanung, and Dangun, was built.

In Korea at the end of the 19th century, it was greatly emphasized to highlight the resistance of the Joseon people against Imperialist invasion, and it developed into a religion, Dangunkyo (). Dangun, who emerged as the central figure of nationalism, played a large role in the spiritual foundation of the independence movement during the Japanese colonial period. In addition, the history of the Dangun era was compiled by followers of Daejongism, such as 'Daedong Sagang' () and 'Gyuwon Sahwa' () and the independence movement, emphasizing the history of the Dangun period.

The study of Dangun in South Korea focused on the historical significance of the Gojoseon society. In South Korea, Dangun Wanggeom is regarded as the head of the Gojoseon society, with many characteristics of the role of high priest. Wanggeom has the meaning of an overlord who governs the country.

In North Korea, the Dangun and Dangun myths were previously established as the founding myth to justify the process of establishing the Gojoseon regime. However, after the excavation of the Mausoleum of Tangun in 1994, North Korea changed its position and claimed that the Dangun myth reflects historical facts and that Dangun is a real person. Also, Dangun claims that the first king of Gojoseon, founded by the Korean people, had all of his birth, founding, and tombs in Pyongyang. There is a tomb of Dangun that North Korea excavated and reconstructed near the city directly under Pyongyang.

Appearances

The earliest recorded version of the Dangun legend appears in the 13th century ''Samguk yusa'', which cites China's Book of Wei and Korea's lost history text ''Gogi'' (). 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 Seunghyu (, 1224–1300), as well as the ''Eungje Siju'' () and ''Sejong Sillok'' (; commonly known as "''Annals of the Joseon Dynasty"'', ''Sejong Jang-heon Dae-wang Shil-lok''; ) of the early Joseon. Dangun is worshipped today as a deity by the followers of Cheondoism and Daejongism.

In taekwondo

Dangun is the second pattern or hyeong in the International Taekwon-Do Federation form of the Korean martial art taekwondo. Students learn that the hyeong represents "the holy legendary founder of Korea in the year 2333 BC."

Mausoleum of Dangun

North Korea's leader Kim Il Sung insisted that Dangun was not merely a legend but a real historical person. As a consequence, North Korean archaeologists were compelled to locate the purported remains and grave of Dangun.

According to a North Korean publication, the Mausoleum of Dangun is the alleged burial site of the legendary Dangun.

See also

* Tengri
* Musok
* Daejongism
* History of Korea
* Religion in Korea
* Yellow Shamanism
* Manchu shamanism
* Shamanism in Siberia
* Turco-Mongol tradition
* Tungusic creation myth
* List of national founders

References

Further reading

*

{{Legendary progenitors

Gojoseon monarchs
Hongik Ingan
Korean mythology
Korean gods
Mountain gods
Founding monarchs in Asia
Legendary progenitors
Legendary monarchs
Mythological Korean kings
Deified Korean people
Year of death unknown