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Tangum
Myth
 Although
during this age all kinds of natural objects were believed to
have their own sprits , our ancestors revered Heaven the most
based on the belief that heaven ruled all of Nature , including
humankind. It is natural for primitive societies to believe that
Heaven presides over the bountifulness or dearth of the harvest.
but our people*s hope for peace and enlightenment was also included
in this belief system. We can find a
specific case which reveals our admiration for and belief in
Heaven in the founding myth of our country , the Tangun myth.
Because one can detect the value system and
world vies of any people in their foundation myth, we can discover
our ancestors beliefs in the Tangun myth. A synopsis of the
Tangun myth follows;
In a very ancient time , Hwanin(god of heaven)
discovered that one of his sons(Hwanung) desired to live on
earth as a human being. Looking down and surveying the earth
, Hwanin found the T*aebaek Mountain in the east to be the place
that would most benefit mankind. Hwanin, giving the heavenly
signet to the Prince, selected 3000 heavenly helpers to escort
Prince Hwanung and sent them to lofty Mount T*aebaek near Shindansu(a
divine later tree).
Upon arrival , Hwanung built Shinshi(literally
, "Divine City") and led the sprits that controlled
the wind , rain, and clouds. Governing over crops, disease and
punishments , Hwanung enlightened the human world with the principles
of Heaven. One day a bear and tiger came to Hwanung and expressed
their desire to become humans. So Hwanung ordered them to pray
in a dark cave for one hundred days, eating only garlic and
mugwort. While the quick-tempered tiger could not stand the
trial , the bear successfully endured the difficulty and became
a woman. Hwanung married the woman and a son named Tangun Wanggom
was born.
"Tangun" means presider of ancestral
rituals , while "Wanggom" means king. From these two
words , we can understand that in this period the responsibilities
of king and ancestral worship, based on Shamanism, were jointly
held by a single person . What does the Tangun myth tell us
about our ancestor*s view of life and the world?
First , the fundamental thought of the Tangun
myth consist of humanism. In the ideal of Hongik Ingan - maximizing
the welfare of humanity - we can find notions of altruism ,
equal rights and philanthropy.
Second , The Tangun myth contains the basic
goal of creating a utopia by making the heavenly and earthly
worlds harmonious. To enlighten the world of heavenly principles,
in short, is to create another heaven on earth.
Third, the Tangun myth has helped raise our
people*s national consciousness and unify our race into a single
entity. Although repeatedly suffering from external invasion,
Koreans have emerged victorious, maintaining their national
identity and feeling of independence largely sue to the Tangun
myth. |
