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Dangun (; ) or Dangun Wanggeom (; ) was the legendary founder and god-king of Gojoseon, the first Korean kingdom, around present-day
Liaoning province Liaoning () is a coastal provinces of China, province in Northeast China that is the smallest, southernmost, and most populous province in the region. With its capital at Shenyang, it is located on the northern shore of the Yellow Sea, and i ...
in Northeast China and the northern part of the Korean Peninsula. He is said to be the "grandson of heaven" and "son of a bear", and to have founded the kingdom in 2333 BC. The earliest recorded version of the Dangun legend appears in the 13th-century ''
Samguk Yusa ''Samguk yusa'' () or ''Memorabilia of the Three Kingdoms'' is a collection of legends, folktales and historical accounts relating to the Three Kingdoms of Korea (Goguryeo, Baekje, and Silla), as well as to other periods and states before, duri ...
'', which cites China's ''
Book of Wei The ''Book of Wei'', also known by its Chinese name as the ''Wei Shu'', is a classic Chinese historical text compiled by Wei Shou from 551 to 554, and is an important text describing the history of the Northern Wei and Eastern Wei from 386 to 5 ...
'' and Korea's lost historical record ''Gogi (lit. 'Ancient Record')'' (고기, ). However, it has been confirmed that there is no relevant record in the China's''
Book of Wei The ''Book of Wei'', also known by its Chinese name as the ''Wei Shu'', is a classic Chinese historical text compiled by Wei Shou from 551 to 554, and is an important text describing the history of the Northern Wei and Eastern Wei from 386 to 5 ...
''. There are around seventeen religious groups that focus on the worship of Dangun. Koreans regard the day when Dangun founded Gojoseon, Korea's first dynasty, as a national holiday and call it Gaecheonjeol (개천절; 開天節). The Gaecheonjeol is 3 October. It is a religious anniversary started by Daejonggyo (대종교; 大倧教) worshipping Dangun. Gaecheonjeol is a day to commemorate Dangun's founding of Gojoseon, but 3 October is not actually the date when Gojoseon was founded. Many Korean historians regard Dangun and
Tengri Tengri ( zh, 騰格里; otk, 𐰚𐰇𐰚:𐱅𐰭𐰼𐰃, Kök Teŋri/Teŋiri, lit=Blue Heaven; Old Uyghur: ''tängri''; Middle Turkic: تآنغرِ; ky, теңир; tr, Tanrı; az, Tanrı; bg, Тангра; Proto-Turkic *''teŋri / * ...
are etymologically identical.


The mythical record and its interpretation

Dangun's ancestry legend begins with his grandfather Hwanin (환인/), the "Lord of Heaven". Hwanin had a son, Hwanung (환웅/ Hanja: 桓雄), who yearned to live on the earth among the valleys and the mountains. Hwanin permitted Hwanung and 3,000 followers to descend onto Baekdu Mountain, where Hwanung founded the Sinsi (신시/ Hanja: 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 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, ( Hangul; 웅녀/ Hanja: ) 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 "Old/Ancient Joseon" (고조선, Hanja: 古朝鮮) so as not to be confused with the later kingdom of
Joseon Joseon (; ; Middle Korean: 됴ᇢ〯션〮 Dyǒw syéon or 됴ᇢ〯션〯 Dyǒw syěon), officially the Great Joseon (; ), was the last dynastic kingdom of Korea, lasting just over 500 years. It was founded by Yi Seong-gye in July 1392 and re ...
(조선, Hanja: 朝鮮) 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 '' Dongguk Tonggam'' (1485) contrary to the 40th year of the reign of the legendary
Chinese Chinese can refer to: * Something related to China * Chinese people, people of Chinese nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity **''Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic concept of the Chinese nation ** List of ethnic groups in China, people of va ...
Emperor Yao. Other sources vary somewhat, but also put it during Yao's reign (traditional dates: 2357 BC-2256 BC). The ''
Samguk Yusa ''Samguk yusa'' () or ''Memorabilia of the Three Kingdoms'' is a collection of legends, folktales and historical accounts relating to the Three Kingdoms of Korea (Goguryeo, Baekje, and Silla), as well as to other periods and states before, duri ...
'' 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 ''Dongguk Tonggam'' 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 Daejongism ( ko, 대종교, 大倧敎 ''Daejonggyo'' or ''Taejongkyo'', "religion of the Divine Progenitor" or "great ancestral religion") or Dangunism ( ko, 단군교, 檀君敎 ''Dangungyo'' or ''Tangunkyo'', "religion of Dangun") is the name of ...
considered 3 October in the Korean calendar as '' Gaecheonjeol'' ( "Festival of the Opening of Heaven"). 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" ( hangul: 어천절 hanja: romaja: ''eo-cheon-jeol''), the day that the semi-legendary founder Dangun returned to the heavens.


Historical perception

Dangun began to attract attention during the late
Goryeo Dynasty Goryeo (; ) was a Korean kingdom founded in 918, during a time of national division called the Later Three Kingdoms period, that unified and ruled the Korean Peninsula until 1392. Goryeo achieved what has been called a "true national unificati ...
, when Koreans fought wars against the Mongolian Yuan Dynasty. During the Joseon Dynasty they were worshiped as the ancestors of the nation. In the Joseon Dynasty, a shrine dedicated to Dangun of Gojoseon and
King Dongmyeong Chumo (Hangul: 추모, Hanja: 鄒牟), posthumously Chumo the Holy (Hangul: 추모성왕, Hanja: 鄒牟聖王), was the founding monarch of the kingdom of Goguryeo, and was worshipped as a god-king by the people of Goguryeo and Goryeo. ''Chumo ...
of Goguryeo was built in Pyongyang, and the Samseongdang (삼성당/三聖堂), 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 (단군교/檀君敎). 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 Daejonggyo (대종교) powers such as 'Daedong Sagang (대동사강)' and 'Gyuwon Sahwa (규원사화)' 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, he changed his 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 ''Samguk yusa'' () or ''Memorabilia of the Three Kingdoms'' is a collection of legends, folktales and historical accounts relating to the Three Kingdoms of Korea (Goguryeo, Baekje, and Silla), as well as to other periods and states before, duri ...
'' (삼국유사/ Hanja: 三國遺事), which cites China's
Book of Wei The ''Book of Wei'', also known by its Chinese name as the ''Wei Shu'', is a classic Chinese historical text compiled by Wei Shou from 551 to 554, and is an important text describing the history of the Northern Wei and Eastern Wei from 386 to 5 ...
and Korea's lost history text Gogi (고기/ Hanja: ). This is the best known and most studied version, but similar versions are recorded in the '' Jewang Un-gi'' (제왕운기/ Hanja: 帝王韻紀) by the late Goryeo scholar
Yi Seunghyu Yi or YI may refer to: Philosophic Principle * Yì (义; 義, righteousness, justice) among the 三綱五常 Ethnic groups * Dongyi, the Eastern Yi, or Tung-yi (Chinese: , ''Yí''), ancient peoples who lived east of the Zhongguo in ancient C ...
(이승휴/ Hanja: , 1224-1300), as well as the ''Eungje Siju'' (응제시주/ Hanja: 應製詩註) and ''Sejong Sillok'' (세종실록; commonly known as "''Annals of the Joseon Dynasty"'', ''Sejong Jang-heon Dae-wang Shil-lok'' 세종장헌대왕실록/ Hanja: 世宗莊憲大王實錄) 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." Unusually for a hyeong, all the punches in Dan Gun are high section (eye level) symbolising Dangun scaling a mountain (''see Dangun Hyeung)''.


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 publication by North Korea, the
Mausoleum of Dangun The Mausoleum of Tangun is an ancient burial site in Kangdong near Pyongyang, North Korea. It is claimed by North Korea to be the tomb of Tangun, legendary founder of Gojoseon, the first Korean kingdom. A pyramid was built on top of the grave in ...
is the alleged burial site of the legendary Dangun. The site occupies about 1.8 km² (0.70 mi²) on the slope of Taebaek Mountain in
Kangdong Kangdong County, is one of Pyongyang's two suburban counties. In 1983 it was separated from South P'yongan Province and assumed direct governance by the Pyongyang City People's Committee. It is bordered by Sŏngch'ŏn-gun (Songchon County), South ...
, not to be confused with the Taebaek Mountain in South Korea. Dangun's grave is shaped like a pyramid, about 22 m (72 ft) high and 50 m (164 ft) on each side.


See also

*
History of Korea The Lower Paleolithic era in the Korean Peninsula and Manchuria began roughly half a million years ago. Christopher J. Norton, "The Current State of Korean Paleoanthropology", (2000), ''Journal of Human Evolution'', 38: 803–825. The earlies ...
*
List of monarchs of Korea This is a list of monarchs of Korea, arranged by dynasty. Names are romanized according to the South Korean Revised Romanization of Korean. McCune–Reischauer romanizations may be found at the articles about the individual monarchs. Gojoseon ...
*
List of people of Korean descent :''This is a list of notable Korean people, Koreans or notable people of Korean descent.'' In Korean names, the Korean name, family name is placed first (for example, the family name of "Park Ji-Sung" is "Park"), unless the person has decided to ...
* List of national founders


References


Further reading

*


External links


The Legend of Tan-Gun







Korean Tales in French
{{National personifications Mythological kings Gojoseon rulers Hongik Ingan Korean mythology Korean gods Mountain gods Founding monarchs Legendary progenitors Legendary rulers