Chronicle
Samguk Yusa: Legends and History of the Three Kingdoms of Ancient Korea
三國遺事
Iryeon · 1281
Synopsis
The collection opens with the origins: the god Hwanung unites with a bear changed into a woman, and from their union is born Dangun, founder of the first kingdom of the peninsula. There follow the founding kings of the ancient kingdoms, then the legends of Silla, the arrival of Buddhism, the pagodas and statues, the famous masters, the miracles and the hermits, and finally tales of filial piety. Throughout the biographies, ancient songs written down in Chinese characters extend the tales.
Context
The collection, in Classical Chinese, comprises five books and nine sections; the Korean translation library dates it to 1281, other sources to around 1285, and the oldest surviving edition is a printing of 1512. It supplements the official history compiled by Kim Pu-sik in the previous century, adding legends, popular beliefs and Buddhist marvels, and preserves the oldest known version of the myth of Dangun as well as fourteen hyangga of Silla. It appeared in English in 1972 and in French in 2025.
Who it is for
A compilation of stories, genealogies and songs, to be read by sections; translated into French from a modern Korean version.
Prizes and reception
Designated a national treasure under number 306; translated into English, German and, in 2025, French.
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