Foundational Myths of the World: The Story of Dangun 단군／檀君

Every country and culture seems to have an important founding myth, a defining story which talks about how the people were created or came to be. This myth helps to unify people, to build self-identity, and to sustain culture for generations to come. Today, we are discussing the founding myth of Korea, the story of Dangun. This story was originally written in an important Korean text known as the Samguk Yusa or the Memorabilia of the Three Kingdoms. It is a collection of folktales, stories, and legends which help paint a picture of Korea. A long time ago, there was a god named Hwanun who was the king of heaven. Hwanun had a son named Hwanung who wanted to go and live down on earth to learn and to spread knowledge. So his father allowed him to go and to bring 3,000 followers with him. They arrived at Mount Taebaek, where they established the sacred city of Shinchi. Hwanung took this opportunity to spread knowledge among the inhabitants like farming, arts, and medicine, as well as instituting laws of governance. One day, Hwanung was visited by a bear and a tiger. The two of them wished to become human as they were inspired by Hwanung's teachings and wished to learn more. So Hwanung told them that they could become human if they followed his instructions. One, to stay in a cave for 100 days away from the sunlight. Two, to eat only mugwort and garlic during this time. The tiger tried to endure these conditions but gave up only after a short time. However, the bear continued to eat the garlic and mugwort until she eventually transformed into a human woman named Ungnyeo. Even though Ungnyeo was happy with her transformation, she was lonely. She desired companionship as there were no humans willing to be with her. So she went to Hwanung himself. Thus, Hwanung decided to become human and the two bore a That child was Dangun who went on to become the founder of the very first kingdom of Korea, Joseon, in 2333 BC. To distinguish from the later Korean dynasty Joseon, we call this kingdom Gojoseon. It is said that Dangun ruled Gojoseon for over a thousand years. Afterwards, Dangun The historical veracity of this story is debated. A story of gods, talking animals, and transforming? Sounds rather unrealistic, don't you think? Nevertheless, it is believed to hold a large amount of symbolism in the modern day. It is speculated that the tiger and the bear actually represent two different tribes that resided in and around Korea at that time. The tiger may represent a tribe that was driven away, while the union between Hwanung and Ungnyeo represents the union of two different tribes who willingly came together. Some suspect that the figure of Dangun himself actually represents a long lineage of rulers. Above all, the Dangun story provides an important common story for many Koreans to draw upon and helps distinguish Korea from their neighbors. Today, both North and South Korea celebrate the founding of the first Korean kingdom and the Korean people themselves on October 3rd, called Gyecheonjeol or National Foundation Day. This story teaches us multiple themes, the importance of perseverance and the importance of unity creating something greater. If Hwanung did not come down from the heavens, nothing would be shared. Without the bear persisting, there would be no Ungnyeo. And without Hwanung and Ungnyeo coming together, there would be no Dangun.