The Legend of Lady Yuhwa
Apr. 10th, 2018 07:41 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
lotus_genieThe Samguk Sagi (History of the Three Kingdoms), was compiled in 1145 by Kim Busik. It is a comprehensive history of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, Goguryeo, Baekje, and Silla. It traces the kingdoms from their myth-shrouded origins to their unification under Silla. However, since it was compiled during a period when Confucianism held sway, some of the more fantastical elements of the foundation myths have been excised. One of these myths is the foundation of Goguryeo, starting with the birth of its leader, Jumong. Fortunately, a complete version of Jumong and Yuhwa's story can be found in an excerpt of the now lost text Gu Samguk Sagi (Earlier History of the Three Kingdoms).
Translator's Notes: The Goddesses of the Han River are a unique duo in Chinese Mythology. Usually river goddesses are very sensual, always willing to take one lover after another. Only the Goddesses of the Han River are untouchable. It is said that the elder goddess's beauty was so enticing that even Confucius and his students pursued her when she appeared before them, but she politely refused them. Another incident has a young scholar propositioning the two goddesses by comparing them to an orange he wanted to swallow up, peel and all. The girls gave him a jade ornament, but turned him away as well.
Copyright: This work is an amateur translation that I'm doing because I'm bored. Any attempts to pass it off as an work of actual literary merit that you can make money from will probably get you laughed off of whatever site you're using. In other words, copy and sell at your own discretion.
The King of Buyeo, Hae Buru, had reached old age without producing any children. He sacrificed to the mountains and rivers, praying for an heir. The horse that he was riding on took him to Lake Gonyeon. He saw a big rock with water flowing out of it, as if it were crying bitter tears. The King became curious and ordered his retinue to turn the rock over. There was a golden frog-like child under the rock. The King cried out, "Has Heaven sent you to be my son?"
And so he adopted the child. He called him Geumwa (golden frog) and created him Crown Prince.
After that, the Prime Minister Aranbul came to the King and said, "The Sun descended from the sky and told me, 'My descendants shall build a nation on this land. You must evacuate to somewhere else. On the shores of the Eastern Sea, there is a fertile piece of land, perfect for growing crops, called Gaseopwon. You can establish your capital there.'
Aranbul convinced his king to move the capital there and change the nation's name to Eastern Buyeo (Dongbuyeo). In the area of the old Capital, Hae Mosu, the son of Haneullim, established his court.
In the third year, Renxu, of the Shenjue Era of the Han Dynasty, Haneullim sent his Crown Prince down into the former Capital of Buyeo. He gave his name as Hae Mosu. He came from Heaven on a chariot drawn by five dragons. His hundred or so attendants all rode on white cranes. Rainbow clouds floated above them and their music echoed into the clouds. The party stopped at Mount Ungsim and descended after ten or more days. Hae Mosu wore a crown of crow feathers, and at his waist he carried the Ryonggwang Sword, made in the Dragon's Palace. In the morning he governed his kingdom, in the evening he rose to his heavenly abode. Everyone called him Cheonwangrang, Young King of Heaven.
Haebak had three beautiful daughters. The eldest was named Yuhwa, the second Hweonhwa, and the youngest Wulhwa. They came out of the Yalu River to frolic around Lake Ungsim. Their mien of elegant beauty was unparalleled, and their splendid jade ornaments chimed as they swayed along. They were a match for the untouchable goddesses of the Han River.
King Hae Mosu, enthralled by their beauty, said to his attendants, "If I can get these women for my wives, I know they will give me good heirs."
The girls, catching sight of the King, jumped into the water and disappeared.
The King's attendants said, "Your Majesty, why not create a palace, wait for the girls to come in, and then lock the doors?"
The King thought this was a very good idea. He slashed the ground with his horsewhip, and a magnificent copper palace formed in that place. Inside the palace, he set out three tables, each with a barrel of good wine. On his invitation, the girls entered the palace, and each sat down at her own table to eat and drink. They each filled their sisters' cups toasted one another. It was not long until they were all heavily drunk.
When the King saw the three girls were drunk, he quickly closed and barred the doors. The two younger girls started up and slipped out before the doors shut, but the eldest was stopped by the King.
Habaek was enraged at this violation. He sent a messenger to berate the King with, "What manner of man are you? How dare you detain my daughter!"
The King replied, "I am the son of Haneullim, and I would be Habaek's son-in-law."
Habaek sent another message saying, "If you are Haneullim's son asking for my daughter in marriage, then you should have sent the matchmaker and engagement presents and performed all the required ceremonies. But you have abducted my daughter. What severe disgrace!"
The King was ashamed of himself. He would have visited Habaek, but he knew not how to enter the river god's sanctuary. He would have released his bride, but Yuhwa had come to love him and refused to go.
She suggested to the King, "You have a dragon chariot. Use that to fly to Habaek's realm."
The King then prayed to Heaven and summoned his chariot pulled by five dragons. The King and his bride rode in the chariot and, riding the gales, arrived at Habaek's palace.
Habaek welcomed them in with great pomp and honors. Once they were seated, he said to them, "All under heaven observe the same rites of marriage. Why have you so disrespected me and brought disgrace to my household? You, my king, say you are the son of Haneullim. What magical abilities might you have?"
The King replied, "You may test me and see."
Thus, Habaek went outside his palace and transformed into an carp, swimming away with the waves. Hae Mosu became an otter and caught him. Habaek then changed into a deer and escaped. Hae Mosu changed into a wild dog to pursue him. Habaek became a pheasant. Hae Mosu became a pheasant and snatched him out of the sky.
Then Habaek was truly convinced that Hae Mosu was the son of Haneullim. He was compelled to marry his daughter to Hae Mosu with all proper ceremony.
Yet Habaek feared that Hae Mosu had no intention to remain faithful to his daughter. He called for music and festivities, then held a lavish wedding feast for the couple. He filled their cups and toasted them until they were heavily drunk. Then he stuffed the two of them into a cramped leather sack, loaded the sack in the dragon chariot, and spurred the dragons on, ordering them to return to Heaven.
Before the chariot could rise out of the water, Hae Mosu woke up from his stupor. He pulled a gold hairpin from his wife's head, poked a hole in the leather sack, and then escaped through the hole by himself and rose to heaven.
As a result, Habaek angrily scolded his daughter, saying "You did not obey my instructions, and thus brought dishonor to my family!"
He ordered his attendants to stretch his daughter's mouth, until her lips were three chi long. Then he banished her, with only two maids for company, to the waters of Ubal. Ubal was the name of a lake south of Mount Taebaek.
A fisherman named Gangryeok Buchu reported to King Geumwa, "Recently, something has been stealing away all the fish in our nets. I do not know what manner of beast it is."
The King ordered the fishermen of his kingdom to try and catch the creature with a net. However, the net was ripped apart. The King then had a special net of iron wire created, and cast to catch the creature. They caught a woman, who sat down on a rock after she was dragged out. Her lips were so long and drooped so low that she could not speak. Thus, the King ordered her lips to be cut into three segments. Only then could she speak.
She explained that she was the Wife of the Prince of Heaven. Once the King knew this, he had her settled into a secluded chamber in his palace. When the sun shone on her belly, she became pregnant. In the fourth year, Guihai, of the Shenjue era, in the forth month at the start of summer, she gave birth to Jumong. His cries were especially loud, and his handsome form wondrous to behold. When he was first born, he emerged in the form of an egg under his mother's armpit. It was 5 sheng (liters) in size.
The King was perturbed and exclaimed, "A human giving birth to a bird's egg is never an auspicious omen!"
He had his servants throw the egg into the stables, but the horses refused to step on it. He had the egg abandoned in the mountain wilds, but all the beasts protected it. In addition, during dark, overcast days, a single beam of sunlight would break through the cover of cloud and shine on the egg.
The King retrieved the egg and returned it to its mother to raise. The egg finally hatched, producing a boy.
Translator's Notes: The Goddesses of the Han River are a unique duo in Chinese Mythology. Usually river goddesses are very sensual, always willing to take one lover after another. Only the Goddesses of the Han River are untouchable. It is said that the elder goddess's beauty was so enticing that even Confucius and his students pursued her when she appeared before them, but she politely refused them. Another incident has a young scholar propositioning the two goddesses by comparing them to an orange he wanted to swallow up, peel and all. The girls gave him a jade ornament, but turned him away as well.
Copyright: This work is an amateur translation that I'm doing because I'm bored. Any attempts to pass it off as an work of actual literary merit that you can make money from will probably get you laughed off of whatever site you're using. In other words, copy and sell at your own discretion.
The King of Buyeo, Hae Buru, had reached old age without producing any children. He sacrificed to the mountains and rivers, praying for an heir. The horse that he was riding on took him to Lake Gonyeon. He saw a big rock with water flowing out of it, as if it were crying bitter tears. The King became curious and ordered his retinue to turn the rock over. There was a golden frog-like child under the rock. The King cried out, "Has Heaven sent you to be my son?"
And so he adopted the child. He called him Geumwa (golden frog) and created him Crown Prince.
After that, the Prime Minister Aranbul came to the King and said, "The Sun descended from the sky and told me, 'My descendants shall build a nation on this land. You must evacuate to somewhere else. On the shores of the Eastern Sea, there is a fertile piece of land, perfect for growing crops, called Gaseopwon. You can establish your capital there.'
Aranbul convinced his king to move the capital there and change the nation's name to Eastern Buyeo (Dongbuyeo). In the area of the old Capital, Hae Mosu, the son of Haneullim, established his court.
In the third year, Renxu, of the Shenjue Era of the Han Dynasty, Haneullim sent his Crown Prince down into the former Capital of Buyeo. He gave his name as Hae Mosu. He came from Heaven on a chariot drawn by five dragons. His hundred or so attendants all rode on white cranes. Rainbow clouds floated above them and their music echoed into the clouds. The party stopped at Mount Ungsim and descended after ten or more days. Hae Mosu wore a crown of crow feathers, and at his waist he carried the Ryonggwang Sword, made in the Dragon's Palace. In the morning he governed his kingdom, in the evening he rose to his heavenly abode. Everyone called him Cheonwangrang, Young King of Heaven.
Haebak had three beautiful daughters. The eldest was named Yuhwa, the second Hweonhwa, and the youngest Wulhwa. They came out of the Yalu River to frolic around Lake Ungsim. Their mien of elegant beauty was unparalleled, and their splendid jade ornaments chimed as they swayed along. They were a match for the untouchable goddesses of the Han River.
King Hae Mosu, enthralled by their beauty, said to his attendants, "If I can get these women for my wives, I know they will give me good heirs."
The girls, catching sight of the King, jumped into the water and disappeared.
The King's attendants said, "Your Majesty, why not create a palace, wait for the girls to come in, and then lock the doors?"
The King thought this was a very good idea. He slashed the ground with his horsewhip, and a magnificent copper palace formed in that place. Inside the palace, he set out three tables, each with a barrel of good wine. On his invitation, the girls entered the palace, and each sat down at her own table to eat and drink. They each filled their sisters' cups toasted one another. It was not long until they were all heavily drunk.
When the King saw the three girls were drunk, he quickly closed and barred the doors. The two younger girls started up and slipped out before the doors shut, but the eldest was stopped by the King.
Habaek was enraged at this violation. He sent a messenger to berate the King with, "What manner of man are you? How dare you detain my daughter!"
The King replied, "I am the son of Haneullim, and I would be Habaek's son-in-law."
Habaek sent another message saying, "If you are Haneullim's son asking for my daughter in marriage, then you should have sent the matchmaker and engagement presents and performed all the required ceremonies. But you have abducted my daughter. What severe disgrace!"
The King was ashamed of himself. He would have visited Habaek, but he knew not how to enter the river god's sanctuary. He would have released his bride, but Yuhwa had come to love him and refused to go.
She suggested to the King, "You have a dragon chariot. Use that to fly to Habaek's realm."
The King then prayed to Heaven and summoned his chariot pulled by five dragons. The King and his bride rode in the chariot and, riding the gales, arrived at Habaek's palace.
Habaek welcomed them in with great pomp and honors. Once they were seated, he said to them, "All under heaven observe the same rites of marriage. Why have you so disrespected me and brought disgrace to my household? You, my king, say you are the son of Haneullim. What magical abilities might you have?"
The King replied, "You may test me and see."
Thus, Habaek went outside his palace and transformed into an carp, swimming away with the waves. Hae Mosu became an otter and caught him. Habaek then changed into a deer and escaped. Hae Mosu changed into a wild dog to pursue him. Habaek became a pheasant. Hae Mosu became a pheasant and snatched him out of the sky.
Then Habaek was truly convinced that Hae Mosu was the son of Haneullim. He was compelled to marry his daughter to Hae Mosu with all proper ceremony.
Yet Habaek feared that Hae Mosu had no intention to remain faithful to his daughter. He called for music and festivities, then held a lavish wedding feast for the couple. He filled their cups and toasted them until they were heavily drunk. Then he stuffed the two of them into a cramped leather sack, loaded the sack in the dragon chariot, and spurred the dragons on, ordering them to return to Heaven.
Before the chariot could rise out of the water, Hae Mosu woke up from his stupor. He pulled a gold hairpin from his wife's head, poked a hole in the leather sack, and then escaped through the hole by himself and rose to heaven.
As a result, Habaek angrily scolded his daughter, saying "You did not obey my instructions, and thus brought dishonor to my family!"
He ordered his attendants to stretch his daughter's mouth, until her lips were three chi long. Then he banished her, with only two maids for company, to the waters of Ubal. Ubal was the name of a lake south of Mount Taebaek.
A fisherman named Gangryeok Buchu reported to King Geumwa, "Recently, something has been stealing away all the fish in our nets. I do not know what manner of beast it is."
The King ordered the fishermen of his kingdom to try and catch the creature with a net. However, the net was ripped apart. The King then had a special net of iron wire created, and cast to catch the creature. They caught a woman, who sat down on a rock after she was dragged out. Her lips were so long and drooped so low that she could not speak. Thus, the King ordered her lips to be cut into three segments. Only then could she speak.
She explained that she was the Wife of the Prince of Heaven. Once the King knew this, he had her settled into a secluded chamber in his palace. When the sun shone on her belly, she became pregnant. In the fourth year, Guihai, of the Shenjue era, in the forth month at the start of summer, she gave birth to Jumong. His cries were especially loud, and his handsome form wondrous to behold. When he was first born, he emerged in the form of an egg under his mother's armpit. It was 5 sheng (liters) in size.
The King was perturbed and exclaimed, "A human giving birth to a bird's egg is never an auspicious omen!"
He had his servants throw the egg into the stables, but the horses refused to step on it. He had the egg abandoned in the mountain wilds, but all the beasts protected it. In addition, during dark, overcast days, a single beam of sunlight would break through the cover of cloud and shine on the egg.
The King retrieved the egg and returned it to its mother to raise. The egg finally hatched, producing a boy.