Yongbi eocheonga
Encyclopedia
Yongbieocheonga literally means Songs of the Dragons Flying to Heaven and was the first work written in hangul
. It was compiled during the reign of Sejong the Great as an official recognition of the Joseon dynasty
and its ancestral heritage as the forerunners of Joseon. The Songs were composed through the efforts of a committee of Confucian philologists and literati
in the form of 125 cantos. This compilation was the first piece of Korean text to depart from a long history reliant on Chinese characters and be recorded in hangul
, the first and official alphabet of Korea. There are several underlying themes in addition to the establishment of the Joseon dynasty which are of significant importance to understanding the events that provoked the creation of these poems: linear events that took place in China, the apotheosis
of virtuous Kings proceeding the fall of the Goryeo dynasty, and Confucian political and philosophical ideologies of the era in rejection to Buddhism
.
, a peace treaty was signed between the Goryeo King and Mongol empire, immediately resulting in a one hundred year period of Mongol influence over Korea. Under Mongol influence, the Korean community suffered contemptible injustices as Mongolian customs were forcibly adopted, corruption overwhelmed the nobility, and political insurgences fruitlessly were thwarted. Around this same time Buddhism, which had been the national religion for nearly eight hundred years, began to wane and would eventually be replaced by Confucianism
. Korea was in desperate need of a figure that could alleviate the cumulating dilemmas and reestablish its blurring national identity.
In the year 1335 Yi Seong-gye was born among such chaos. He had come from a long line of men that had served as government officials familiar with Mongolian customs, and would later prove to be one of Korea’s greatest army generals and kings.
There were a string of successful attacks and counter attacks that led to Yi’s position in the army as a commanding general. Among his numerous victories, there are perhaps three battles that Yi is most well-known for and are given particular emphasis in Korean history: recapturing the old Korean capital Kaesong
from the Red Turbans in 1362, defeating Japanese pirates
at Mt. Hwangsan in 1382, and his rebellion against pro-Mongol government officials after refusing a command to march his troops to Liaotung to capture Ming strongholds in 1388. Subsequent to these and many other successful battles, Yi Seong-gye was able to substantiate himself as a dominant force in the fate of the Korean people. With the help of his sons and neo-Confucianist supporters, Yi continued his pursuit of an independent Korea through eradicating all advocates and previous rulers of the weakening Goryeo dynasty. This was finally accomplished with the execution of Goryeo’s said last minister Jeong Mong-ju
in 1392, and exile of Goryeo’s last king. Not long after the completion of these tasks, Yi Seong-gye rose to the throne as the first king of a new dynasty. In 1393 Korea received a new name and for the next 520 years would be known as Joseon
(brightness of the morning sun). All of these events, and many more, are captured in the songs portraying the history of a new Korea.
It wasn’t until 1418 that the throne was abdicated to Sejong the Great, the third son of Yi Bangwon. It was under Sejong’s kingship that Korea began to experience a significant shift in academics and Confucian philosophical ideologies. Through the establishment of the Academy of Worthies in 1420, Sejong cultivated a generation of scholars who inspired an era of cultural and political enlightenment in Korea. They were primarily responsible for the spread of Confucianism, the creation of hangul, and a number of literary works including the Songs.
(Yi Seonggye), and Taejong (Yi Bangwon). Yongbieocheonga signifies the Joseon dynasty acting accordingly to "the Mandate of Heaven", in which they are imparted with divine support. This not only substantiates the Joseon ancestry as morally and politically virtuous dynasty, but lays the ideological foundation for generations of Joseon rulers to follow.
Hangul
Hangul,Pronounced or ; Korean: 한글 Hangeul/Han'gŭl or 조선글 Chosŏn'gŭl/Joseongeul the Korean alphabet, is the native alphabet of the Korean language. It is a separate script from Hanja, the logographic Chinese characters which are also sometimes used to write Korean...
. It was compiled during the reign of Sejong the Great as an official recognition of the Joseon dynasty
Joseon Dynasty
Joseon , was a Korean state founded by Taejo Yi Seong-gye that lasted for approximately five centuries. It was founded in the aftermath of the overthrow of the Goryeo at what is today the city of Kaesong. Early on, Korea was retitled and the capital was relocated to modern-day Seoul...
and its ancestral heritage as the forerunners of Joseon. The Songs were composed through the efforts of a committee of Confucian philologists and literati
Scholar-bureaucrats
Scholar-officials or Scholar-bureaucrats were civil servants appointed by the emperor of China to perform day-to-day governance from the Sui Dynasty to the end of the Qing Dynasty in 1912, China's last imperial dynasty. These officials mostly came from the well-educated men known as the...
in the form of 125 cantos. This compilation was the first piece of Korean text to depart from a long history reliant on Chinese characters and be recorded in hangul
Hangul
Hangul,Pronounced or ; Korean: 한글 Hangeul/Han'gŭl or 조선글 Chosŏn'gŭl/Joseongeul the Korean alphabet, is the native alphabet of the Korean language. It is a separate script from Hanja, the logographic Chinese characters which are also sometimes used to write Korean...
, the first and official alphabet of Korea. There are several underlying themes in addition to the establishment of the Joseon dynasty which are of significant importance to understanding the events that provoked the creation of these poems: linear events that took place in China, the apotheosis
Apotheosis
Apotheosis is the glorification of a subject to divine level. The term has meanings in theology, where it refers to a belief, and in art, where it refers to a genre.In theology, the term apotheosis refers to the idea that an individual has been raised to godlike stature...
of virtuous Kings proceeding the fall of the Goryeo dynasty, and Confucian political and philosophical ideologies of the era in rejection to Buddhism
Buddhism
Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
.
Historical background
In 1259, following years of natural disasters and conflict erupting in East AsiaEast Asia
East Asia or Eastern Asia is a subregion of Asia that can be defined in either geographical or cultural terms...
, a peace treaty was signed between the Goryeo King and Mongol empire, immediately resulting in a one hundred year period of Mongol influence over Korea. Under Mongol influence, the Korean community suffered contemptible injustices as Mongolian customs were forcibly adopted, corruption overwhelmed the nobility, and political insurgences fruitlessly were thwarted. Around this same time Buddhism, which had been the national religion for nearly eight hundred years, began to wane and would eventually be replaced by Confucianism
Confucianism
Confucianism is a Chinese ethical and philosophical system developed from the teachings of the Chinese philosopher Confucius . Confucianism originated as an "ethical-sociopolitical teaching" during the Spring and Autumn Period, but later developed metaphysical and cosmological elements in the Han...
. Korea was in desperate need of a figure that could alleviate the cumulating dilemmas and reestablish its blurring national identity.
In the year 1335 Yi Seong-gye was born among such chaos. He had come from a long line of men that had served as government officials familiar with Mongolian customs, and would later prove to be one of Korea’s greatest army generals and kings.
There were a string of successful attacks and counter attacks that led to Yi’s position in the army as a commanding general. Among his numerous victories, there are perhaps three battles that Yi is most well-known for and are given particular emphasis in Korean history: recapturing the old Korean capital Kaesong
Kaesong
Kaesŏng is a city in North Hwanghae Province, southern North Korea , a former Directly Governed City, and the capital of Korea during the Koryo Dynasty. The city is near Kaesŏng Industrial Region and it contains the remains of the Manwoldae palace. It was formally named Songdo while it was the...
from the Red Turbans in 1362, defeating Japanese pirates
Wokou
Wokou , which literally translates as "Japanese pirates" in English, were pirates of varying origins who raided the coastlines of China and Korea from the 13th century onwards...
at Mt. Hwangsan in 1382, and his rebellion against pro-Mongol government officials after refusing a command to march his troops to Liaotung to capture Ming strongholds in 1388. Subsequent to these and many other successful battles, Yi Seong-gye was able to substantiate himself as a dominant force in the fate of the Korean people. With the help of his sons and neo-Confucianist supporters, Yi continued his pursuit of an independent Korea through eradicating all advocates and previous rulers of the weakening Goryeo dynasty. This was finally accomplished with the execution of Goryeo’s said last minister Jeong Mong-ju
Jeong Mong-ju
Jeong Mongju , often known by his pen name Poeun, was a Korean civil minister and scholar during the late period of the Goryeo dynasty.-Biography:He was born in Yeongcheon, Gyeongsang province to a family from the Yeongil Jeong clan...
in 1392, and exile of Goryeo’s last king. Not long after the completion of these tasks, Yi Seong-gye rose to the throne as the first king of a new dynasty. In 1393 Korea received a new name and for the next 520 years would be known as Joseon
Joseon Dynasty
Joseon , was a Korean state founded by Taejo Yi Seong-gye that lasted for approximately five centuries. It was founded in the aftermath of the overthrow of the Goryeo at what is today the city of Kaesong. Early on, Korea was retitled and the capital was relocated to modern-day Seoul...
(brightness of the morning sun). All of these events, and many more, are captured in the songs portraying the history of a new Korea.
It wasn’t until 1418 that the throne was abdicated to Sejong the Great, the third son of Yi Bangwon. It was under Sejong’s kingship that Korea began to experience a significant shift in academics and Confucian philosophical ideologies. Through the establishment of the Academy of Worthies in 1420, Sejong cultivated a generation of scholars who inspired an era of cultural and political enlightenment in Korea. They were primarily responsible for the spread of Confucianism, the creation of hangul, and a number of literary works including the Songs.
Implications of the Songs
The dragons spoken of in the title the Songs are a representation of the six ancestors of the Joseon dynasty: Mokjo, Ikjo, Dojo, Hwanjo, TaejoTaejo of Joseon
Taejo of Joseon , born Yi Seong-gye, whose changed name is Yi Dan, was the founder and the first king of the Joseon Dynasty of Korea, and the main figure in overthrowing the Goryeo Dynasty...
(Yi Seonggye), and Taejong (Yi Bangwon). Yongbieocheonga signifies the Joseon dynasty acting accordingly to "the Mandate of Heaven", in which they are imparted with divine support. This not only substantiates the Joseon ancestry as morally and politically virtuous dynasty, but lays the ideological foundation for generations of Joseon rulers to follow.
| Ancient Korean | Modern Korean | Translation by James Hoyt James Hoyt James Francis Hoyt was one of the four American soldiers who discovered the Buchenwald concentration camp. According to military records, Hoyt, then a private first class, was part of a group of four members of the 6th Armored Division, who were the first Americans to discover Buchenwald on April... |
|---|---|---|
| 뎨이쟝 | 제2장 | Canto II |
| 불휘 기픈 남 | 뿌리가 깊은 나무는 | A tree with deep roots, |
| 매 아니 뮐 | 바람에도 흔들리지 아니하므로 | Because the wind sways it not, |
| 곶 됴코 | 꽃이 좋고 | Blossoms Abundantly |
| 여름 하니 | 열매도 많으니. | And bears fruit. |
| 미 기픈 므른 | 샘이 깊은 물은 | The water from a deep spring, |
| 래 아니 그츨 | 가뭄에도 그치지 않고 솟아나므로 | Because a drought dries it not, |
| 내히 이러 | 냇물이 되어서 | Becomes a stream |
| 바래 가니 | 바다에 이르니 | And flows to the sea. |
External links
- Brief information about Yongbieocheonga at Cultural Heritage Administration of South Korea The complete texts and analysis on Yongbieocheonga The complete texts of Yongbieocheonga in Ancient and Modern Korean