Dongmyeong of Goguryeo

DeityKorea · East AsiaMythFear 1/10

Description

A deity from the folklore of Korea. Dongmyeong of Goguryeo (Korean: 동명성왕; Hanja: 東明聖王), personal name Ko Chumong (고주몽; 高朱蒙), was the…

Origin & Background

Dongmyeongseongwang is the founding monarch of Goguryeo, known by the personal name Go Jumong. He was revered as a divine king by the people of Goguryeo and Goryeo. Dongmyeongseongwang was also an important figure as the father of Onjo, the founding monarch of Baekje.

The Legend

The legends of Dongmyeongseongwang are considered semi-legendary, and there is controversy over whether his records are historical facts or myths. The founding myth of Goguryeo seems to have borrowed the legend of Dongmyeongwang, the founding monarch of Buyeo, around the 4th century to strengthen the royal lineage of the Goguryeo dynasty. The most well-known version of Dongmyeongseongwang's life can be found in the 'Dongmyeongwangpyeon' of Samguk Sagi, Samguk Yusa, and Dongguk Yisangukjip.

In Popular Culture

The drama 'Jumong', aired on MBC from May 2006 to March 2007, is an 81-episode series that reconstructs the founding story of Goguryeo in a more realistic manner based on historical records and myths. In 'Legend of the Town', aired on KBS1 from 2010 to 2011, Dongmyeongseongwang is depicted as a tyrant who could not accept the sharing of power. The historical animation 'Gojumong', aired on KCTV from 2017, deals with the birth of Dongmyeongseongwang and the founding process of Goguryeo.

This article is based on the Wikipedia article "Dongmyeong of Goguryeo" (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Wikipedia