Korean mythology

Korean myths are special stories.

Some myths are written in old books. They tell how kings started kingdoms.

One story is about a king named Dangun. He was born from a sky god and a bear.

Other stories are sung out loud. Shamans sing these songs during special times. These songs are part of a living tradition. They tell of many gods and people.

One story is about Princess Bari. She finds a magic flower to help her parents. These stories are still important today.

Korean mythology is a big group of stories.

These stories come in two main types. The first type is written in old books. These are called state-foundation myths. They tell how kings started new kingdoms.

Some myths are from the north. In these stories, a king is born from a sky god and a woman on earth. One famous story is about King Dangun. He founded the kingdom of Gojoseon.

Other myths are from the south. In these stories, a king starts as an object from the sky. The second type of myth is oral. This means people tell them out loud. Shamans sing these stories during special ceremonies.

These songs are a living tradition. They tell of many different gods and humans. One story is about Princess Bari. She finds a flower of life to help her parents. These shamanic stories are very diverse. They are still important to many people today.

Korean mythology is a vast collection of stories. These stories come in two main groups. The first group is the written mythology. These are found in old history books. They mostly tell how kings started new kingdoms.

The second group is the oral mythology. This is much larger and more diverse. These stories are sung by shamans. Shamans are people who lead special religious ceremonies.

Written myths often focus on how a state began. These are called state-foundation myths. They describe a ruler's magical birth. They also tell of how they built a land. Some myths are from the north. In these, a king is born from a sky god and a woman.

Other myths are from the south. In these, a king starts as an object from heaven. He then marries a woman on earth.

One very famous story is about King Dangun. He founded the first kingdom called Gojoseon. The story says a sky god's son came to earth. He met a bear that turned into a woman.

This bear-woman and the sky god's son had a son named Dangun. Dangun ruled for fifteen hundred years. He eventually became a mountain god. This story is very important to the whole Korean nation.

Oral myths are quite different from written ones. They are a living tradition. Shamans sing these songs during religious rituals. These songs can change with each performance. They feature many different gods and humans.

They tell of the very beginning of the world. They also tell of people becoming gods. These stories are considered sacred truth by those who follow them.

There are many different regional versions of these stories. The traditions on Jeju Island are very unique. One story is about the Jeseok triplets. They are born to a woman and a priest. These triplets later become gods.

Another story is about Princess Bari. Her father left her behind because she was a girl. She later finds a flower of life. She uses the flower to bring her parents back to life.

Korean mythology consists of two distinct collections of stories. One group is known as literary mythology. These are written accounts found in traditional historical records. The other group is oral mythology. This collection is much larger and more diverse than the written one. It consists of shamanic narratives sung by shamans during religious ceremonies called gut.

Literary mythology is primarily composed of state-foundation myths. These stories describe the birth and reign of a kingdom's first ruler. They often include supernatural elements regarding the founder's birth or departure. These myths are heavily historicized. This means they are recorded so closely to history that it is hard to separate fact from myth. Many of these stories are preserved in Hanja, which is the writing system used for classical Chinese.

State-foundation myths are categorized into northern and southern types. In northern myths, such as those for Goguryeo, the founder is the child of a celestial male and an earthly female. In southern myths, such as those for Silla, the founder begins as an object that descends from the heavens. This object then marries an earthly woman.

These stories serve to explain the origins of specific dynasties and lineages. They were often used to provide legitimacy to a ruling state.

The myth of Gojoseon is the most significant foundation story. Gojoseon was the first Korean kingdom. The legend features King Dangun, the son of Hwanung and a bear-turned-woman. Hwanung was the son of the sky god Hwanin. He descended to Mount Taebaek with three thousand followers. To become human, a bear and a tiger had to eat garlic and mugwort for one hundred days. The bear succeeded and became a woman.

Dangun eventually became a mountain god after ruling for fifteen centuries.

Oral mythology is considered a "living mythology" by its practitioners. It is a sacred religious truth within the context of shamanic rituals. Unlike written myths, these narratives are regularly revised during each performance. They feature a wide array of gods, humans, and stories about the beginning of the world. These stories often address themes like divine retribution or humans ascending to divinity.

Shamanic mythology is also divided into five distinct regional traditions.

The traditions of Jeju Island are particularly unique and divergent. One major narrative is the Jeseok bon-puri. In this story, a girl is impregnated by a supernaturally potent priest. She gives birth to triplets who eventually become gods.

Another famous tale is that of Princess Bari. Her father abandoned her because she was a girl. She later uses a flower of life to resurrect her dead parents.

These stories remain sacred to those who participate in the rituals.

Academic study of these myths has evolved over time. Early historians like Choe Nam-seon and Yi Pyong-do focused on literary state-foundation myths.

It was not until the 1960s that scholars began studying the oral shamanic corpus. Researchers like Kim Yeol-gyu and Hyeon Yong-jun applied new methods to these songs. Since the 1990s, scholars have also looked at village-shrine myths and feminist interpretations. This helps connect Korean mythology to the broader study of neighboring cultures and social systems.