웅녀

DeityKorea · East AsiaMythFear 2/10

Description

쑥과 마늘만 먹으며 100일간 동굴에서 버텨 인간 여인이 된 곰. 환웅과 혼인하여 단군을 낳았다. 인내와 변화의 상징으로, 한국 건국신화의 핵심 존재.

The Legend

Ungnyeo (웅녀) is a bear that transformed into a woman in Korean creation mythology, playing a significant role as the wife of Hwanung (환웅), the king of the gods, and the mother of Dangun (단군), the legendary founder of Korea. In the story, a tiger and a bear live together in a cave and pray to become human. Hwanung hears their prayers and gives them 20 cloves of garlic and a bundle of mugwort, commanding them to avoid sunlight and eat this food for 100 days. Due to hunger, the tiger leaves the cave after about 20 days, but the bear remains. After 21 days, she transforms into a woman. Ungnyeo thanks Hwanung and performs a ritual, but feeling depressed about being without a husband, she prays under the sacred tree for a child. Hwanung, moved by her prayer, takes Ungnyeo as his wife, and soon she gives birth to Dangun.

In Popular Culture

The story of Ungnyeo is a crucial element in the founding myth of ancient Korea, serving to convey a political message through the sacred union of male and female. This myth is found in its earliest form in the Samguk Yusa (삼국유사) and is considered a foundational myth emphasizing Korea's independence. As the mother of Dangun, Ungnyeo is regarded as a symbol of Korean nationalism, and she is sometimes interpreted as a representative of an ancient tribe that worshipped the bear as a totem. In modern Korea, Ungnyeo's story is interpreted as an ideal representation of women, emphasizing her patience and obedience being rewarded.

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