Dangun Myth

Zeus and Hera

 

 

 

The Samguk Yusa is the oldest document recording the literary myth and tells the story of the founding of Gojoseon, Buyeo, Goguryeo, Silla, and Gaya.

These include Dangun Myth, Haemosu Myth, Geumwa Myth, Jumong Myth, Hyukgeose Myth, Seoktalhae Myth,

Kim Al-ji Myth, and Surowang Myth. There is also a myth about the founding of Tamna Country in Jeju Island.

 

Dangun Myth is a familiar story that most Koreans have heard from their grandfather or grandmother since they were young, and the story is that Hwanwoong, the son of God, came down to earth and founded a new country.

Hwanwoong, the son of Hwanin, a god, opened a new country under the bacdal tree at the top of Taebaek Mountain in support of the will of heaven and ruled the country, and a bear and a tiger appeared to Hwanwoong and prayed for him to become human. At that time, Hwanwoong gave him a handful of mugwort and 20 garlics and told him to pray without seeing the sun for 100 days, so the bear became a woman with effort, and the tiger could not become human due to lack of patience. When the bear, who became a woman again, prayed for the birth of a child under the cedar tree, Hwanwoong falsely married and made him give birth to a son, and the son was Dangun Wang Geom.

 

The myth of Hwanwoong, who came down to the earth with three rare treasures (a bronze mirror, a bronze bell, and a bronze knife: a seal sent from heaven), can be said to be a myth with the spirit of Hongik people (which benefits humans widely) and the creativity of the nation

What does a bronze mirror mean? This is thought of as a tool to see the invisible, so my true self is always invisible and hiding, and the bronze bell is judged to mean communication because the bell itself is making sound, and the bronze sword means that communication is finished.

It can be said that the idea of Hongik people to achieve the complete human world by shining in the mirror, waving bells, communicating with God, and cutting anguish with a bronze sword is melted into the Dangun myth.