Haneunim

Haneunim or Hanunim (Korean: 하느님; lit. Heavenly Lord; Lord of Heaven)^[a][1] is the sky God of Cheondoism and Jeungsanism.^[1] In the more Buddhist-aligned parts of these religions, he is identified with Indra. In the more Taoist-aligned parts of these religions, he is also known as Okhwang Sangje (옥황상제; 玉皇上帝; lit. Highest Deity the Jade Emperor) and under that name, he is a deity in the Poncheongyo religion.^[2]

Dangun myth

Dangun is traditionally considered to be the grandson of Hwanin, the "Heavenly King", and founder of the Korean nation.^[3] Myths similar to that of Dangun are found in Ainu^[4] and Siberian cultures.^[5]

The myth starts with prince Hwanung ("Heavenly Prince"), son of Hwanin. The prince asked his father to grant him governance over Korea.^[6] Hwanin accepted, and Hwanung was sent to Earth bearing three Heavenly Seals and accompanied by three thousand followers.^[6] The prince arrived under the Sindansu/Shindansu (신단수; 神檀樹, "Holy Tree of Sandalwood")^[7] on the holy mountain, where he founded his holy city.^[6]

At the time of his reign, Ungnyeo or Ungnye (웅녀, 熊女)^[7]—who was a bear—and a tiger were living in a cave near the holy city, praying earnestly that their wish to become part of humankind might be fulfilled.^[6] Ungnyeo patiently endured weariness and hunger, and after twenty-one days she was transformed into a woman, while the tiger ran away for it could not tolerate the effort.^[6] The woman Ungnyeo was overjoyed, and visiting the sandalwood city she prayed that she might become the mother of a child.^[6]

Ungnye's wish was fulfilled, so that she became the queen and gave birth to a prince who was given the royal name of Dangun, the "Sandalwood King".^[6] Dangun reigned as the first human king of Korea, giving to his kingdom the name of Joseon, "Land of the Morning Calm", in 2333 BC.^[6]

According to some scholars, the name Dangun is related to the Turko-Mongol Tengri ("Heaven"),^[8] while the bear is a symbol of the Big Dipper (i.e. Ursa Major), itself a symbol of the supreme God in many Eurasian cultures, including Chinese theological thought.^[9] Later in the myth, Dangun becomes the Sansin, the "Mountain God" (metaphorically of civilising growth, prosperity).^[10]

See also

• Chinese theology
  • Tian—Shangdi
  • Tao
  • Three Pure Ones

Counterparts of Haneullim in other Asian cultures

• Amenominakanushi, the Japanese counterpart
• Jade Emperor, the Chinese counterpart
• Indra/Trimurti, the Hindu counterpart
• Śakra/Adi Buddha, the Buddhist counterpart
• Tengri, the Turko-Mongolian counterpart
• Thagyamin, the Burmese Buddhist representation of Śakra, a counterpart of the Jade Emperor
• Yuanshi Tianzun, the Taoist counterpart
• Ông Trời, the Vietnamese counterpart

Notes

References

Sources

• Didier, John C. (2009). "In and Outside the Square: The Sky and the Power of Belief in Ancient China and the World, c. 4500 BC – AD 200". Sino-Platonic Papers (192). Victor H. Mair. Volume I: The Ancient Eurasian World and the Celestial Pivot, Volume II: Representations and Identities of High Powers in Neolithic and Bronze China, Volume III: Terrestrial and Celestial Transformations in Zhou and Early-Imperial China.
• Lee, Chi-ran (2010s). "The Emergence of National Religions in Korea" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 April 2014.
• Lee, Jung Young (1981). Korean Shamanistic Rituals. Mouton De Gruyter. ISBN 9027933782.
• Hong, Sung-wook (2009). Naming God in Korea. Wipf & Stock. ISBN 978-1606086261.

This page was last edited on 6 March 2024, at 02:44