Dan_Gun_Hist - DrysdaleTKD

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The History of Dan Gun

Named after the legendary holy Korean hero Dan Gun, who reportedly founded Korea in 2334 BC.

Like most Asian nations, Korea has a myth about the origins of their people. China has the legend of the Yellow Emperor and Japan has the myth of the Sun Goddess. Korea has the legend of their descent from Dan Gun, which is still taught today to students at elementary school level.

When heaven and earth were one and at a time when animals could speak like humans, the God Hwanin sent his son Hwang-Ung to the East to build a new country. Hwang-Ung settled in what is now North Korea, at the highest point on the peninsula, in the 25th reign of the Yao Emperor in China (roughly 2333 B.C.).

One day a tiger and a bear appeared in front of Hwang-Ung and asked to be made into human form. After great deliberation Hwang-Ung informed the animals that their wish could be granted, but it would be difficult and take much patience. The animals agreed that they would undergo whatever it took to become human.

Hwang-Ung gave the bear and the tiger 20 cloves of garlic and some mugworts. They were told to eat them, stay in a cave for 100 days, and pray earnestly.

After 20 days the tiger became hungry and could no longer persevere, so he left the cave in search of food. When the 100 days were almost at an end, the bear began to lose its fur and its back feet began to change, until at the end of the 100th day the bear was fully transformed into a beautiful woman. She became known as Ung-Yo, which means, "the girl incarnated from a bear".

Hwang-Ung then married Ung-Yo, and she gave birth to a son, who was named Dan-Gun. This child gave rise to the first Korean Dynasty.

The 12th century scholar-statesman-general Kim Pu-Sik in his historical work Sam-Guk-Sagi first recorded the legend of Dan-Gun, Annals of the Three Kingdoms, the earliest and most important surviving source of history on the three kingdoms of Korea. This work tells of the earliest Korean people, believed to have come from present day Manchuria, northern China, and Mongolia. These people eventually formed tribal leagues, which collectively became ancient Korea or Joseon, literally meaning, "Land of the Morning Calm."
They ruled the territory between the Liac River in southern Manchuria and the Taedong River in central North Korea. Among these people, the most powerful clan was the Bear Totem family, which provided most of the rules for this tribal league. This may have had some influence on the part of the bear in the Legend of Dan-Gun. Since the word "Gom" means both King and Bear in old Korean languages, it is not unnatural for this legend to have originated during the more primitive culture of Korea.

In this version of the legend, Hwang-Ung gathered spirits under the Pak-Tal (Sandalwood) Tree and declared himself the King of the Universe. Although he governed his kingdom with the help of the "Wind General," the "Rain Governor," and the "Cloud Teacher," he realized that to reign over a human kingdom, one day he would need to be in a human form.

This need was fulfilled when Hwang-Ung overheard a bear and a tiger that said, "Would that we might become men." Hwang-Ung said to them, "Here are 20 pieces of garlic and a stick of artermisia (a type of sagebrush) for each of you. Eat them and retire from the sunlight for 21 days and you will become men." Both did as they were told and retreated into a cave. The tiger, because of his fierceness, could not endure the entire 21 days and came out. The bear, with greater patience and faith, stayed for the duration and was transformed into a perfect woman. Her first wish was for motherhood, and she cried out, "Give me a son!" At that moment, Hwang-Ung was passing by on the wind and saw her sitting by a stream. He circled around her, breathed on her, and she became pregnant. Her son was born on Mount Myo-Hyang under the Pak-Tal Tree and was named Dan-Gun Wang-Gum, Lord of the Pak-Tal Tree.

Years later, men of the " nine wild tribes," called the Ku-I, found Dan-Gun sitting under the Pak-Tal. These people wore clothes made with grasses and ate fruits, berries, nuts, and roots. They lived beneath the trees during the summer and in holes in the ground in the winter. Into their simple life Dan-Gun was introduced the rite of marriage, the subject-king relationship, the arts of cooking and house building, cutting of trees and agriculture, and how to bind up their hair with cloth. He also introduced religious worship and is said to have built the first altar on Kang-Wha Island in 2265 B.C. This altar today is atop the island's highest peak, Muni-San, and is known as Dan-Gun's Altar. Dan-Gun lived with his wife, Pi So-Ap, and his sons, who are said to have built the fortress of Sam- Nang at Chung-Dung Island.

In 1122 the uncle of the Shang King of China, Ki-Ja, escaped the overthrow Shang Dynasty and migrated to Korea with 5000 followers. According to the legend, after reigning for 1,211 years, Dan-Gun fled from the Ki-Ja forces to the town of Mun-Wha, resumed his spirit form, and disappeared from the earth. The shrine to the "Trinity" in Mun-Wha today contains his 410-foot circumference "grave." The Ki-Ja assumed the rule of Korea from 1122 B.C. to 193 B.C., teaching the people Chinese culture in the form of letters, reading, writing, medicine, and art.

After the Silla unification of Korea, the myth of Dan Gun became widely respected. The Koryo dynasty viewed Dan-gun as the sole founder of the Korean kingdom and used the legend to demonstrate Korean superiority over the Mongolian tribes who had invaded and conquered Korea several times. By maintaining the Korean culture, the myth of Dan Gun played an important role in protecting Korean from invasion for several thousand years. October 3rd is celebrated as a national holiday, commemorating the founding father, Dan Gun.

In 1909, the legend of Dan-Gun again increased in popularity in the form of the Tae-Jong-Gyo, or Great Dan-Gun Teaching. As a spiritual figure, Dan-Gun is still worshipped today as the first ancestor of the Korean people, and remains in the people's minds the firm spiritual root of the Korean nation.

From the Tae Kwon Do Tudor

Edited by Master David D. Drysdale Sr. VII Dan ITF/DSOTKD/USITF

Mrs. Joan M. Drysdale VI Dan ITF/DSOTKD/USITF

16266 King Road

Riverview, Michigan 48193

1-734-479-6255

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