samguk yusa

Samguk Yusa, or Memorabilia of the Three Kingdoms, is a collection of legends, folktales, and historical accounts relating to the Three Kingdoms of Korea (Goguryeo, Baekje and Silla), as well as to other periods and states before, during, and after the Three Kingdoms period. The text was written in Classical Chinese (as used in writing by literate Koreans at that time). It was compiled, at least in part, by the Buddhist monk Illyeon (1206-1289) at the end of the 13th century, a century after the Samguk Sagi. Unlike the more factually-oriented Samguk Sagi, the Samguk Yusa focuses on various folktales, legends, and biographies from early Korean history. Many of the founding legends of the various kingdoms in Korean history are recorded in the book. Illyeon covered legends from many Korean kingdoms, including Gojoseon, Wiman Joseon, Buyeo, Goguryeo, Baekje, Silla, and Gaya. This is the earliest extant record of Dangun, the mythic founder of Ancient Joseon (Gojoseon), and his founding of the Korean nation. The mythical nature of the account of Dangun has led some people to believe that the existence of Gojoseon in the 24th century BCE is more legend than factual history. Some historians say that the story of Dangun was already recorded by historians during the later Silla period, but due the lack of extant historical records (many of the Silla records were destroyed during the Mongol invasions in the 13th and 14th centuries) the factual existence of Gojoseon cannot be proven or disproven.

Samguk Yusa

See also