The idea of hongikingan (translated as devotion to the welfare of
humankind ) is the main theme of the myth of Tan gun, the first founding
myth for the Korean nation. The myth is the story of Gods and humans.
Ancient Koreans had to be sensitive to the kaleidoscopic phenomena of
nature which they were surrounded by, as it was directly affected their
survival. The mighty force of nature was shown to be something divine to
the ancient people, and they began to explain nature and the world with
the names of deities.
Our ancestors left some meaningful records on the natural environment,
on human beings, and on society. The Zen Buddhist master, Iryn (1206-
1289) who was a contemporary of Kim, however, left this noteworthy
record through Samguk Yusa (Memorabilia of the Three Kingdoms. Yi
Seunghyu (1224-1300), the author of Chewang Ungi (Rhymed Record of
Emperors and Kings), had recorded a myth about the foundation of
Kochosun (The Old Chosun). Now, with the help of these writers and others,
we are able to get insightful information regarding the founding nation
on the Korean peninsula. This information will lead us to the ancient
vision of the world that our ancestors envisioned.
We show the idea of the archetypical Utopia as it relates to nature, to
individuals, and to society through the myth of Tan gun. It is a story of
gods, and is the first record of nature and of civilization, the relationship
between man and woman, and the appearance of a desirable community.
Our ancestors expressed it in the four ideographies, hong-ik-in-gan .
Now we should ask why the theme of the story of gods was human
beings (ingan) ? It might be their wishes that they want to speak about
the story of human beings in the form of the myth.
The hongik ingan thought in Tan gun Chosun shows multiculturalism
that modern Korean society needs for. It is not humanism simply to benefit
Korean, but rather the thought of unification between different races
and cultures that pursues the divine world in the human society.
As we see the plot of the myth; that a god descended into the human
world, and both bear and tiger wished to be human, it could be understood
that the ancient Koreans focused on human beings as a harmonious
figure, and on the pursuit of peaceful relationship and the harmonization
among different tribes.
The idea of hongikingan (translated as devotion to the welfare of
humankind ) is the main theme of the myth of Tan gun, the first founding
myth for the Korean nation. The myth is the story of Gods and humans.
Ancient Koreans had to be sensitive to the kaleidoscopic phenomena of
nature which they were surrounded by, as it was directly affected their
survival. The mighty force of nature was shown to be something divine to
the ancient people, and they began to explain nature and the world with
the names of deities.
Our ancestors left some meaningful records on the natural environment,
on human beings, and on society. The Zen Buddhist master, Iryn (1206-
1289) who was a contemporary of Kim, however, left this noteworthy
record through Samguk Yusa (Memorabilia of the Three Kingdoms. Yi
Seunghyu (1224-1300), the author of Chewang Ungi (Rhymed Record of
Emperors and Kings), had recorded a myth about the foundation of
Kochosun (The Old Chosun). Now, with the help of these writers and others,
we are able to get insightful information regarding the founding nation
on the Korean peninsula. This information will lead us to the ancient
vision of the world that our ancestors envisioned.
We show the idea of the archetypical Utopia as it relates to nature, to
individuals, and to society through the myth of Tan gun. It is a story of
gods, and is the first record of nature and of civilization, the relationship
between man and woman, and the appearance of a desirable community.
Our ancestors expressed it in the four ideographies, hong-ik-in-gan .
Now we should ask why the theme of the story of gods was human
beings (ingan) ? It might be their wishes that they want to speak about
the story of human beings in the form of the myth.
The hongik ingan thought in Tan gun Chosun shows multiculturalism
that modern Korean society needs for. It is not humanism simply to benefit
Korean, but rather the thought of unification between different races
and cultures that pursues the divine world in the human society.
As we see the plot of the myth; that a god descended into the human
world, and both bear and tiger wished to be human, it could be understood
that the ancient Koreans focused on human beings as a harmonious
figure, and on the pursuit of peaceful relationship and the harmonization
among different tribes.