Hwanung


Hwanung 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". Along with his ministers of clouds, rain, and wind, he instituted laws and moral codes and taught the humans various arts, medicine, and agriculture.

Creation myth

According to the Dangun creation myth, Hwanung yearned to live on the earth among the valleys and the mountains. Hwanin permitted Hwanung and 3000 followers to depart and they descended from heaven to a sandalwood tree on Baekdu Mountain, then called Taebaek Mountain. There Hwanung founded Sinsi and gave himself the title Heaven King. In a cave near the sandalwood tree lived a bear and a tiger who came to the tree every day to pray to Hwanung. One day Hwanung gave the bear and the tiger twenty bulbs of garlic and some divine mugwort. Hwanung promised if they ate only his garlic and mugwort and stayed in the cave out of the sunlight for one hundred days he would make them human.
The tiger and the bear agreed and went back to the cave, but tiger was too hungry and impatient to wait, leaving the cave before the 100 days were done. But the bear remained, and on the 21st day was transformed into a beautiful woman, who gratefully honored Hwanung with offerings. With time the woman grew lonely, and prayed to Hwanung that she might have a child. So Hwanung made her his wife and gave her a son called Dangun, a name which has two meanings: "Altar Prince" and sandalwood. Dangun eventually founded Gojoseon.

Kingdom of ''Sinsi-Baedal''

In the Hwandan Gogi described Gojoseon to have existed and formed in Hwan-guk and Baedal-guk. It is said that both nations were ruled by Hwan-in and Hwan-ung, each spanning from 7 rulers and 18 rulers respectively.
There are descriptions on both the books of "Sinsi Yeokdaegi" in the Samseonggi and the "Sinsi Bon-gi" in the Taebaek Il-sa, about the kingdom of Sinsi-Baedal where Dangun transferred the Korean people in the Kingdom of Gojoseon in Manchuria to establish the nation mainly at the centre of the Korean Peninsula. The kingdom of 18 descendants of Hwan-ung ruled the nation for 1565 years in the annals of these books, as well as the featuring one of emperors, Chiyou which has been traced from Chinese Mythology on record.
The following rulers of the Sinsi-Baedal, dominantly ancient Korean in nature:
Annal/ GenerationKing Name in HanjaKing Name in HangulTitle Transliterated Name
Reign from Reigning YearsAgeRemarks
1居發桓거발한거발한 환웅Geobal-han Hwan-ung3898-380494120
2居佛理거불리거불리 환웅Geobulli Hwan-ung3804-371886102
3右耶古우야고우야고 환웅Uyago Hwan-ung3718-361999135
4慕士羅모사라모사라 환웅Mosara Hwan-ung3619-3512107129
5太虞儀태우의태우의 환웅Tae-u-eui Hwan-ung3512-341993115Tae-u-eui Hwan-ung is the 12 descendant of the clan of Fuxi-shi, in Chinese mythology.
Tae-ho, youngest among the 12 sons of Tae-u-eui Hwan-ung, his descendants lived in present-day Shaanxi, China. In the Hwandangogi, the descendants of Tae-ho has revealed the beginning of the Chinese fundamental principles of Bagua in Taoist cosmology.
6多儀發다의발다의발 환웅Da-eui-bal Hwan-ung3419-332198110
7居連거련거련 환웅Geo-ryeon Hwan-ung3321-324081140
8安夫連안부련안부련 환웅Anbu-ryeon/ Ambu-ryeon Hwan-ung3240-31677394
9養雲양운양운 환웅Yang-un Hwan-ung3167-307193139
10葛古갈고/ 갈고 환웅/ Galgo Hwan-ung/ 3071-2971100125
11居耶發거야발거야발 환웅Geo-yabal Hwan-ung2971-289792149
12州武愼주무신주무신 환웅Jumushin Hwan-ung2897-2774105123
13斯瓦羅사와라사와라 환웅Sawara Hwan-ung2774-280767100
14慈烏支자오지/ 자오지 환웅/ Ja-oji Hwan-ung/
2707-2598109151also known as Chiyou in Chinese Mythology
15蚩額特치액특치액특 환웅Chi-aek-taek/ Chi-aeg-taek Hwan-ung2598-250989118
16祝多利축다리축다리 환웅Chuk-dari/ Chug-dari Hwan-ung2509-24535699
17赫多世혁다세혁다세 환웅Hyeok-dase/ Hyeog-dase Hwan-ung2453-23817297
18居弗檀거불단거불단 환웅Geo-buldan Hwan-ung2381-23334882also known as Hwan-ung, father of Wanggeom Dangun - the founder of the first recorded royal dynastic lineage of the greater Korean empire, Gojoseon

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