Nation's forefather Dangoon's neung

Nation’s forefather Dangoon’s neung

‘Dangoon is the first King of Gojoseon which is origin of our nation. He is also called Dangoonwanggum or Danwungchunwang. Dangoon is a grandson of Hwanin who’s the Emperor of the heaven, and he is son of Hwanwoong. He established Dangoon Joseon in B.C. 2333, in capital of Asadal.

“In ancient times, Hwanwoong who was a child of a concubine of Hwan- in. He aspired to human society to save human beings. His father considered his intension and made him to rule over the human beings by giving him three Chunbuins. Hwanwoong lead three thousands of men in his company and came down to Sindansoo where was the mountaintop of the mountain Taebaek, called that place as Sinsi. He was the Hwanwoongchunwang. He commanded Pungbaek, Woosa and Wonsa, ruled over humans by taking charge of over 360 human businesses such as agriculture, dictation, diseases, punishment, goodness and badness. At that time, a bear and a tiger, stayed in a cave asked him to make them into human beings. Hwanwoong gave them fistful of divine wormwood and 20 pieces of garlic, and told them that if they eat those things and never see sunlights for 100 days, they could turn into humans. The bear and the tiger restrained themselves eating those things inside the cave, the bear turned into a female human in 21 days, but the tiger could not into a human because the tiger lost its patience and got out of the cave. The bear woman prayed under the Sindansoo to have a child as no one wants to marry her. So Hwanwoong turned into human being for a moment and married her. The bear woman gave birth too a child after that, the child was Dangoonwanggum.

Wanggum established the capital in Pyeongyang castle in the year of Gyeongin, which was the year that 50 years later from the Tang dynasty’s first Emperor(Yo) came to the throne, and called the country as Joseon for the first time. Later, he changed the capital to Asadal in mountain Baekak, it is also called mountain Gunghall or Geummidal. Dangoon was being in the throne for 1,500 years, and installed Gija to the King of Joseon in the year of Gimyo, when the King Ho of the Ju dynasty came to the throne. Dan- goon moved to Jangdanggyeong for a while and came back to Asadal later, became the God of a mountain. He was 1,908 years old at the time.”

This story is the birth myth of our nation which is recorded in Samgu- kyoosa, tells us the opinion that Dangoon was a son of bear, and it is the most influential opinion. Originator’s myth in ancient asian tribes has bear worship ideology. Dangoon is the forefather of our nation who found our nation, and the God as well. There is many Dangoonjeon which worshipping the forefather of our nation in many part of the country. The worship developed into Daejonggyo which made Dangoon to the object of worship. Gaechunjeol was a religious ceremony but the government made it to national holiday after the independent. The first year of Dangoon calendar became B.C. 2333, usage of the Dangoon calendar was suspended from 1st Jan 1962, and after that we use A.D.

Newly reconstructed Neung of Dangoon is located in Daebaksanrok, Munheung-ri, Gangdong-gun, Pyeongyang-si, the Dangoon couple buried in the room which made of stones, inside the neung.

Nation's forefather Dangoon's neung

Nation's forefather Dangoon's neung