Tamna


The state of Tamna or Tamna-guk ruled Jeju Island from ancient times until it was absorbed by the Korean Joseon Dynasty in 1404. This kingdom is also sometimes known as Tangna, Seomna, and Tammora. All of these names mean "island country".

Legends of founding

There is no historical record of the founding or early history of Tamna. One legend tells that the three divine founders of the country—Go, Yang, and Bu —emerged from three holes in the ground in the 24th century BC. These holes, known as the Samseonghyeol, are still preserved in Jeju City.
According to legend, after Yang Eulna came to Jeju Island, a semi-mythical box washed up on the shore of the island. Yang Ul-la searched in the box and found three women, horses, cows, and agricultural seeds such as rice, corn, grain, millet, barley, and bamboo. From these beginnings, the three men established the kingdom of Tamna. He is regarded as the legendary ancestor of Yang Tang, the founder of the Jeju Yang bon-gwan.

Historical and archaeological records

Archaeological evidence indicates that the people of Tamna were engaging in active trade with Han Dynasty China and Yayoi Japan, South-east-Asian nations, with the Tamil Chola dynasty, as well as mainland Korea, by the 1st century AD. The first historical reference to the kingdom may come in the 3rd century AD, in the chronicle of the Chinese Three Kingdoms period called the Sanguozhi. The Sanguozhi reports a strange people living on a large island near Korea, which it calls Juho. These people, who had a distinctive language and culture, engaged in trade with the Mahan people of the mainland. However, the identity of Juho with Tamna has been disputed by authorities such as the North Korean scholar Lee Ch'i-rin, who claims that Juho was a small island in the Yellow Sea. Tamna is pronounced Dānluó in Standard Mandarin Chinese.
In 476, according to the Samguk Sagi, Tamna entered into a tributary relationship with Baekje, which controlled the southwestern Korean peninsula as Tamna gave military aide with some sort of money, and enjoyed strong ties with Japan. It was thus a natural partner for Tamna. As Baekje waned, Tamna turned to Silla instead. At some point near the end of the Three Kingdoms period, Tamna officially subjugated itself to Silla. Silla then conferred on the three princes of Tamna the titles which they would hold for the remainder of the kingdom's history: Seongju, Wangja, and Donae. Some sources indicate that this took place during the reign of King Munmu of Silla in the late 7th century AD.
Tamna briefly reclaimed its independence after the fall of Silla in 935. However, it was subjugated by the Goryeo Dynasty in 938, and officially annexed in 1105. However, the kingdom maintained local autonomy until 1404, when Taejong of Joseon placed it under firm central control and brought the Tamna kingdom to an end. One interesting event that took place during these later years of Tamna was the Sambyeolcho Rebellion, which came to a bloody end on Jeju Island in 1274.
Alexander Vovin notes that the old name for Jeju Island is tammura, which can be analyzed in Japanese as tani mura たにむら or tami mura たみむら. Thus, Vovin concludes that Japonic speakers were present on Jeju Island before being replaced by Koreanic speakers sometime before the 15th century.

Sovereigns and governors of Tamna

Go is the family name of the kings that ruled Tamna, and the first king was one of the three who emerged from the ground. His descendants became the future kings and governors of Tamna.
Kings of TamnaHangulHanja
King Go Eulla고을라왕高乙那王
King Geon건왕建王
King Samgye삼계왕三繼王
King Ilmang일망왕日望王
King Doje도제왕島濟王
King Eon-gyeong언경왕彦卿王
King Bomyeong보명왕寶明王
King Haengcheon행천왕幸天王
King Hwan환왕歡王
King Sik식왕湜王
King Uk욱왕煜王
King Hwang황왕惶王
King Wi위왕偉王
King Yeong영왕榮王
King Hu후왕厚王
King Dumyeong두명왕斗明王
King Seonju선주왕善主王
King Jinam지남왕知南王
King Seongbang성방왕聖邦王
King Munseong문성왕文星王
King Ik익왕翼王
King Jihyo지효왕之孝王
King Suk숙왕淑王
King Hyeonbang현방왕賢方王
King Gi기왕璣王
King Dam담왕聃王
King Ji-un지운왕指雲王
King Seo서왕瑞王
King Damyeong다명왕多鳴王
King Dam담왕談王
King Cheseam체삼왕體參王
King Seongjin성진왕聲振王
King Hong홍왕鴻王
King Cheoryang처량왕處良王
King Won원왕遠王
King Pyoryun표륜왕表倫王
King Hyeong형왕逈王
King Chido치도왕致道王
King Uk욱왕勖王
King Cheonwon천원왕天元王
King Hogong호공왕好恭王
King So소왕昭王
King Gyeongjik경직왕敬直王
King Min민왕岷王
King Jagyeon자견왕自堅王

Governors of TamnaHangulHanja
Go Jagyeon고자견高自堅
Go Mallo고말로高末老
Go Yu고유高維
Go Jogi고조기髙兆基
Go Jeongik고정익髙挺益
Go Jeok고적髙適
Go Yeorim고여림髙汝霖
Go Jeongan고정간髙貞幹
Go Sun고순髙巡
Go Boksu고복수髙福壽
Go Indan고인단髙仁旦
Go Sujwa고수좌髙秀佐
Go Seok고석髙碩
Go Sunryang고순량髙順良
Go Sunwon고순원髙順元
Go Myeongeol고명걸髙明傑
Go Singeol고신걸髙臣傑
Go Bong-ye고봉예高鳳禮