Bak Hyeokgeose of Silla
Encyclopedia
Hyeokgeose of Silla commonly called Bak (Park, Pak) Hyeokgeose, was the founding monarch of Silla
, one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea
. He is the progenitor of all Bak (Park, Pak)
clans in Korea.
, the group of chiefdoms in the southeast of the Korean Peninsula
.
His surname was Bak(Park, Pak)
, which comes from the Korean word for "gourd", as legend says that he was born from an egg shaped like a gourd.
"Hyeokgeose" was not a personal name, but the hanja
for his honorific name, pronounced "Bulgeunae" (불그내) in archaic Korean, meaning "bright world."
and Samguk Yusa
describes the founding of Silla by Hyeokgeose.
Refugees of Gojoseon
lived in the valleys of present-day Gyeongsang-do, South Korea
, in six villages called Yangsan (양산촌, 楊山村), Goheo (고허촌, 高墟村), Jinji (진지촌, 珍支村), Daesu (대수촌, 大樹村), Gari (가리촌, 加利村), and Goya (고야촌, 高耶村).
In 69 BC, the heads of the six chiefdoms gathered to discuss forming a kingdom and selecting a king. In the forest, at a well called Najeong (나정, 蘿井) at Yangsan (양산, 楊山), a strange light shone from the sky, and a white horse
was bowed down. Chief Sobeolgong of the Goheo village discovered a large egg there. A boy came out of the egg, and when bathed, his body radiated light and birds and beasts danced.
Sobeolgong raised him, and the six chieftains revered him. The chieftains made him king (Geoseogan) when he became 13 years old. The state was named Seonabeol (서나벌, 徐那伐) (also called as Seorabeol, Seobeol, Sara, or Saro).
Upon becoming king, he married Lady Alyeong (알영, 閼英), who is said to have been born from the ribs of a dragon.
refugees. The story implies the ascendency of the Bak clan over the native peoples, and may indicate horse and sun worship.
During the Samhan
period, the Mahan confederacy
, later absorbed into the Baekje
kingdom, occupied the central and southwestern part of the peninsula, while the Jinhan confederacy
occupied the southeast. During Hyeokgeose's reign, Silla was probably limited to the present-day Gyeongju
city region of Jinhan territory; Silla's expansion would later overtake the Jinhan.
The founding date is widely questioned today, as the Samguk Sagi
was written from the viewpoint of Silla
, claiming Silla's superiority and antiquity over the rival Goguryeo
and Baekje
kingdoms. Silla is thought to have been founded the earliest, followed by Goguryeo, and then Baekje.
, Hyeokgeose and his queen traveled the realm in 41 BC, helping the people improve their harvests. The people praised them as the Two Holies (이성, 二聖).
In 37 BC Hyeokgeose built Geumseong (금성, 金城) in the capital city (present-day Gyeongju
), and in 32 BC he built a royal palace inside.
The Chinese
Lelang commandery
invaded in 28 BC but seeing that the people enjoyed piles of grain and did not lock their doors at night, called Silla a moral nation and retreated.
In 20 BC, the king of the Mahan confederacy
demanded a tribute. Silla sent Hogong
, who was a minister of Silla. The king was angry that Silla sent Hogong and not a tribute. Hogong criticized the king's impoliteness with fortitude. The king was angry at him and tried to kill him, but nearby subordinates stopped the king, and he was permitted to return to Silla.
In 20 BC, Bak Hyeokgeose also sent an emissary upon the death of the Mahan king in 19 BC. In 5 BC, East Okjeo
(a small state to the north, later conquered by Goguryeo
) sent an emissary, and Hyeokgeose presented him with 20 horses.
in 668.
Park Hyeokgeose maintained control over his kingdom and was one of the few Park rulers to hold complete power over Silla. He died at age 73, and was buried in Sareung, north of Dameomsa (south of present-day Namcheon of Gyeongju
). Hyeokgeose was succeeded by his eldest son Namhae
.
clans of Korea
, who are numbered as the third largest group of people with a common last name. Another legacy was the kingdom that he established. Despite the fact that his descendants eventually lost power over Silla
, the fact that he founded it remained under high respects and great consideration.
Silla
Silla was one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, and one of the longest sustained dynasties in...
, one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea
Three Kingdoms of Korea
The Three Kingdoms of Korea refer to the ancient Korean kingdoms of Goguryeo, Baekje and Silla, which dominated the Korean peninsula and parts of Manchuria for much of the 1st millennium...
. He is the progenitor of all Bak (Park, Pak)
Park (Korean name)
Park is a common and time-honoured Korean surname, founded by King Hyeokgeose. All Parks are descendants of him in principle except naturalized people...
clans in Korea.
Name
His title Geoseogan (거서간, 居西干) or Geoseulhan (거슬한, 居瑟邯), means "King" in the language of the Jinhan confederacyJinhan confederacy
Jinhan was a loose confederacy of chiefdoms that existed from around the 1st century BC to the 4th century AD in the southern Korean peninsula, to the east of the Nakdong River valley, Gyeongsang Province. Jinhan was one of the Samhan , along with Byeonhan and Mahan...
, the group of chiefdoms in the southeast of the Korean Peninsula
Korean Peninsula
The Korean Peninsula is a peninsula in East Asia. It extends southwards for about 684 miles from continental Asia into the Pacific Ocean and is surrounded by the Sea of Japan to the south, and the Yellow Sea to the west, the Korea Strait connecting the first two bodies of water.Until the end of...
.
His surname was Bak(Park, Pak)
Park (Korean name)
Park is a common and time-honoured Korean surname, founded by King Hyeokgeose. All Parks are descendants of him in principle except naturalized people...
, which comes from the Korean word for "gourd", as legend says that he was born from an egg shaped like a gourd.
"Hyeokgeose" was not a personal name, but the hanja
Hanja
Hanja is the Korean name for the Chinese characters hanzi. More specifically, it refers to those Chinese characters borrowed from Chinese and incorporated into the Korean language with Korean pronunciation...
for his honorific name, pronounced "Bulgeunae" (불그내) in archaic Korean, meaning "bright world."
Founding legend
The Samguk SagiSamguk Sagi
Samguk Sagi is a historical record of the Three Kingdoms of Korea: Goguryeo, Baekje and Silla. The Samguk Sagi is written in Classical Chinese and its compilation was ordered by Goryeo's King Injong Samguk Sagi (History of the Three Kingdoms) is a historical record of the Three Kingdoms of...
and Samguk Yusa
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 , as well as to other periods and states before, during, and after the Three Kingdoms period.The text was written in Classical Chinese, which was...
describes the founding of Silla by Hyeokgeose.
Refugees of Gojoseon
Gojoseon
Gojoseon was an ancient Korean kingdom. Go , meaning "ancient," distinguishes it from the later Joseon Dynasty; Joseon, as it is called in contemporaneous writings, is also romanized as Chosŏn....
lived in the valleys of present-day Gyeongsang-do, South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
, in six villages called Yangsan (양산촌, 楊山村), Goheo (고허촌, 高墟村), Jinji (진지촌, 珍支村), Daesu (대수촌, 大樹村), Gari (가리촌, 加利村), and Goya (고야촌, 高耶村).
In 69 BC, the heads of the six chiefdoms gathered to discuss forming a kingdom and selecting a king. In the forest, at a well called Najeong (나정, 蘿井) at Yangsan (양산, 楊山), a strange light shone from the sky, and a white horse
White horse (mythology)
White horses have a special significance in the mythologies of cultures around the world. They are often associated with the sun chariot, with warrior-heroes, with fertility , or with an end-of-time saviour, but other interpretations exist as well...
was bowed down. Chief Sobeolgong of the Goheo village discovered a large egg there. A boy came out of the egg, and when bathed, his body radiated light and birds and beasts danced.
Sobeolgong raised him, and the six chieftains revered him. The chieftains made him king (Geoseogan) when he became 13 years old. The state was named Seonabeol (서나벌, 徐那伐) (also called as Seorabeol, Seobeol, Sara, or Saro).
Upon becoming king, he married Lady Alyeong (알영, 閼英), who is said to have been born from the ribs of a dragon.
Historical context
This legend reflects developments in the city-state stage, the six chieftains representing a loose group of GojoseonGojoseon
Gojoseon was an ancient Korean kingdom. Go , meaning "ancient," distinguishes it from the later Joseon Dynasty; Joseon, as it is called in contemporaneous writings, is also romanized as Chosŏn....
refugees. The story implies the ascendency of the Bak clan over the native peoples, and may indicate horse and sun worship.
During the Samhan
Samhan
The Samhan period of Korean history comprises confederacies of Mahan, Jinhan, and Byeonhan in central and southern Korean peninsula, during the final century BCE and the early centuries CE....
period, the Mahan confederacy
Mahan confederacy
Mahan was a loose confederacy of statelets that existed from around the 1st century BCE to 3rd century CE in the southern Korean peninsula in the Chungcheong and Jeolla provinces. Arising out of the confluence of Gojoseon migration and the Jin state federation, Mahan was one of the Samhan , along...
, later absorbed into the Baekje
Baekje
Baekje or Paekche was a kingdom located in southwest Korea. It was one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, together with Goguryeo and Silla....
kingdom, occupied the central and southwestern part of the peninsula, while the Jinhan confederacy
Jinhan confederacy
Jinhan was a loose confederacy of chiefdoms that existed from around the 1st century BC to the 4th century AD in the southern Korean peninsula, to the east of the Nakdong River valley, Gyeongsang Province. Jinhan was one of the Samhan , along with Byeonhan and Mahan...
occupied the southeast. During Hyeokgeose's reign, Silla was probably limited to the present-day Gyeongju
Gyeongju
Gyeongju is a coastal city in the far southeastern corner of North Gyeongsang province in South Korea. It is the second largest city by area in the province after Andong, covering with a population of 269,343 people according to the 2008 census. Gyeongju is southeast of Seoul, and east of the...
city region of Jinhan territory; Silla's expansion would later overtake the Jinhan.
The founding date is widely questioned today, as the Samguk Sagi
Samguk Sagi
Samguk Sagi is a historical record of the Three Kingdoms of Korea: Goguryeo, Baekje and Silla. The Samguk Sagi is written in Classical Chinese and its compilation was ordered by Goryeo's King Injong Samguk Sagi (History of the Three Kingdoms) is a historical record of the Three Kingdoms of...
was written from the viewpoint of Silla
Silla
Silla was one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, and one of the longest sustained dynasties in...
, claiming Silla's superiority and antiquity over the rival Goguryeo
Goguryeo
Goguryeo or Koguryŏ was an ancient Korean kingdom located in present day northern and central parts of the Korean Peninsula, southern Manchuria, and southern Russian Maritime province....
and Baekje
Baekje
Baekje or Paekche was a kingdom located in southwest Korea. It was one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, together with Goguryeo and Silla....
kingdoms. Silla is thought to have been founded the earliest, followed by Goguryeo, and then Baekje.
Reign
According to the Samguk SagiSamguk Sagi
Samguk Sagi is a historical record of the Three Kingdoms of Korea: Goguryeo, Baekje and Silla. The Samguk Sagi is written in Classical Chinese and its compilation was ordered by Goryeo's King Injong Samguk Sagi (History of the Three Kingdoms) is a historical record of the Three Kingdoms of...
, Hyeokgeose and his queen traveled the realm in 41 BC, helping the people improve their harvests. The people praised them as the Two Holies (이성, 二聖).
In 37 BC Hyeokgeose built Geumseong (금성, 金城) in the capital city (present-day Gyeongju
Gyeongju
Gyeongju is a coastal city in the far southeastern corner of North Gyeongsang province in South Korea. It is the second largest city by area in the province after Andong, covering with a population of 269,343 people according to the 2008 census. Gyeongju is southeast of Seoul, and east of the...
), and in 32 BC he built a royal palace inside.
The Chinese
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
Lelang commandery
Lelang Commandery
Lelang was one of the Chinese commanderies which was established after the fall of Gojoseon in 108 BC until Goguryeo conquered it in 313. Lelang Commandery was located in the northern Korean peninsula with the administrative center near modern P'yongyang....
invaded in 28 BC but seeing that the people enjoyed piles of grain and did not lock their doors at night, called Silla a moral nation and retreated.
In 20 BC, the king of the Mahan confederacy
Mahan confederacy
Mahan was a loose confederacy of statelets that existed from around the 1st century BCE to 3rd century CE in the southern Korean peninsula in the Chungcheong and Jeolla provinces. Arising out of the confluence of Gojoseon migration and the Jin state federation, Mahan was one of the Samhan , along...
demanded a tribute. Silla sent Hogong
Hogong
Hogong was a minister of Silla in the age of nation-building. It is recorded that he was originally from the Wa people of Japan, though his family name or clan name was unknown to the compiler of the Historical Records of the Three Kingdoms. He was called Hogong because he was putting on his...
, who was a minister of Silla. The king was angry that Silla sent Hogong and not a tribute. Hogong criticized the king's impoliteness with fortitude. The king was angry at him and tried to kill him, but nearby subordinates stopped the king, and he was permitted to return to Silla.
In 20 BC, Bak Hyeokgeose also sent an emissary upon the death of the Mahan king in 19 BC. In 5 BC, East Okjeo
Okjeo
Okjeo was Korean tribal state which arose in the northern Korean peninsula from perhaps 2nd century BCE to 5th century CE.Dong-okjeo occupied roughly the area of the Hamgyŏng provinces of North Korea, and Buk-okjeo occupied the Duman River region.Dong-okjeo was often simply called Okjeo, while...
(a small state to the north, later conquered by Goguryeo
Goguryeo
Goguryeo or Koguryŏ was an ancient Korean kingdom located in present day northern and central parts of the Korean Peninsula, southern Manchuria, and southern Russian Maritime province....
) sent an emissary, and Hyeokgeose presented him with 20 horses.
Death and succession
Hyeokgeose ruled for around 60 years, and set the foundation for a kingdom that would unify much of the Korean PeninsulaKorean Peninsula
The Korean Peninsula is a peninsula in East Asia. It extends southwards for about 684 miles from continental Asia into the Pacific Ocean and is surrounded by the Sea of Japan to the south, and the Yellow Sea to the west, the Korea Strait connecting the first two bodies of water.Until the end of...
in 668.
Park Hyeokgeose maintained control over his kingdom and was one of the few Park rulers to hold complete power over Silla. He died at age 73, and was buried in Sareung, north of Dameomsa (south of present-day Namcheon of Gyeongju
Gyeongju
Gyeongju is a coastal city in the far southeastern corner of North Gyeongsang province in South Korea. It is the second largest city by area in the province after Andong, covering with a population of 269,343 people according to the 2008 census. Gyeongju is southeast of Seoul, and east of the...
). Hyeokgeose was succeeded by his eldest son Namhae
Namhae of Silla
Namhae of Silla was the second king of Silla, one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea. He is commonly called Namhae Chachaung, chachaung being an early Silla title.Namhae is the only king who is called Chachaung...
.
Legacy
Though not much is known about Bak Hyeokgeose, his many legacies and reminders survive to this day. One of them being his numerous descendants, the ParkPark (Korean name)
Park is a common and time-honoured Korean surname, founded by King Hyeokgeose. All Parks are descendants of him in principle except naturalized people...
clans of Korea
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
, who are numbered as the third largest group of people with a common last name. Another legacy was the kingdom that he established. Despite the fact that his descendants eventually lost power over Silla
Silla
Silla was one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, and one of the longest sustained dynasties in...
, the fact that he founded it remained under high respects and great consideration.
See also
- Three Kingdoms of KoreaThree Kingdoms of KoreaThe Three Kingdoms of Korea refer to the ancient Korean kingdoms of Goguryeo, Baekje and Silla, which dominated the Korean peninsula and parts of Manchuria for much of the 1st millennium...
- List of Korea-related topics
- History of KoreaHistory of KoreaThe Korean Peninsula was inhabited from the Lower Paleolithic about 400,000-500,000 years ago. Archeological evidence indicates that the presence of modern humans in northeast Asia dates to 39,000 years ago. The earliest known Korean pottery dates to around 8000 BC, and the Neolithic period began...
- Korean mythologyKorean mythologyKorean mythology consists of national legends and folk-tales which come from all over the Korean Peninsula. Even within the same ethnic group, myths tend to have slightly different variations...
- The Legend of the Evil LakeThe Legend of the Evil LakeThe Legend of the Evil Lake is a 2003 South Korean fantasy/horror film directed by Lee Kwang-hoon. It is a remake of Shin Sang-ok's 1969 film A Thousand Year-Old Fox...