호동왕자와 낙랑공주

FolktaleKorea · East AsiaLegendFear 4/10

Description

A folktale from the folklore of Korea. The Korean legend of Prince Hodong and the Princess of Nakrang is the story of a Princess who…

Origin & Background

The Korean legend of Prince Hodong (호동왕자) and Princess Nakrang (낙랑공주) is a story about a princess who betrays her own country for love of a prince from an enemy nation. This tale is set during the reign of King Daemusin (대무신왕) of Goguryeo (고구려) from 18 to 44 AD and is first mentioned in the Samguk Sagi (삼국사기). Nakrang possessed a sacred drum and trumpet called Jamyeonggo (자명고) that could make sounds to prepare for invasions by outsiders. King Daemusin ordered Prince Hodong to deceive Princess Nakrang into destroying the Jamyeonggo in order to conquer Nakrang.

The Legend

The legend of Prince Hodong and Princess Nakrang contains themes of war, love, betrayal, and death. Prince Hodong is the son of King Daemusin of Goguryeo, and Princess Nakrang is the daughter of the King of Nakrang, Choe Ri (최리). Prince Hodong requested the princess to destroy Nakrang's sacred Jamyeonggo, and the princess betrayed her own country to carry this out. As a result, Goguryeo's army attacked Nakrang, leading to its downfall.

Variants

This story is considered Korea's version of Romeo and Juliet and has inspired various artists and writers. In 1956, the film 'Prince Hodong and Princess Nakrang' directed by Kim So-dong was produced, and in 1962, 'Prince Hodong' directed by Han Hyung-mo was released. In 1988, the ballet 'Prince Hodong' choreographed by Lim Seong-nam was performed, and in 2009, the drama 'Jamyeonggo' written by Jeong Seong-hee and directed by Lee Myung-woo was aired.

This article is based on the Wikipedia article "Prince Hodong and the Princess of Nakrang" (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Wikipedia