해모수왕

SerpentKorea · East AsiaLegendFear 3/10

Description

A serpent from the folklore of Korea. Hae Mo-su (Korean: 해모수; Hanja: 解慕漱) was the founder of Buyeo.

Origin & Background

Haemosu-wang is a figure that appears in the founding myths of Buyeo and Goguryeo. In the myth of Buyeo, he is the father of Haeburu-wang, while in the myth of Goguryeo, he is said to be the father of Jumong. Haemosu first appears in the historical texts 'Samguk Sagi' and 'Samguk Yusa', which were compiled after the Goryeo Dynasty, and these texts contain various stories related to Haemosu's birth. Haemosu is depicted as either the son of the Heavenly Lord or the Heavenly Lord himself, and it is said that he descended from the heavens in 59 BC to establish Bukbuyeo.

The Legend

Haemosu is known as the father of Jumong, the founding ancestor of Goguryeo, and is described as having conceived Jumong through his relationship with the daughter of the river god, Yuhwa. There was opposition and conflict from the river god regarding this relationship. Haemosu was taken away from Yuhwa by the river god and ascended to the heavens, but Yuhwa was discovered by King Geumwa and gave birth to Jumong. This myth has become an important story that connects the divinity of Haemosu with the founding of Goguryeo.

Variants

'Samguk Yusa' and 'Samguk Sagi' contain different stories related to Haemosu's birth. In 'Samguk Yusa', Haemosu appears as the father of Haeburu, and it is described that after Haeburu moved the country to Dongbuyeo, Dongmyeongje was established in the remaining land. In contrast, 'Samguk Sagi' records that Haemosu established a country in the remaining land after Haeburu moved the country following a revelation from the heavens. These differences influence the interpretation of Haemosu's role and the founding myth of Goguryeo.

In Popular Culture

Haemosu-wang also appears in modern popular culture. For example, the MBC drama 'Jumong', which aired from 2006 to 2007, featured the story of Haemosu, with actor Heo Jun-ho playing the role of Haemosu. This drama is based on the founding myth of Goguryeo and served as an opportunity to modernize the legend of Haemosu.

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