The Bear(-woman) Fell for the Man

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Why don’t we pull back a little? We focused on beings found in Korean folklore and mythology in the past posts, so let’s switch things up a little. All mythologies have an origin, their own story of creation. Korea is no different.

Reading myths, Korea’s foundation and birth is all thanks to a couple of gods that cast their gaze to the Earth and a tenacious bear that wished to be more.

Hwanung Casts His Gaze to the Earth.

An image of a summit from Taekbaeksan National Park, the grounds are covered with snow and many people in winter gear are walking along the path to reach the stone altar at the peak.

Teakbaeksan National Park from This is Korea tours

In the ancient times, Hwanin, known as the Heavenly Emperor, noticed his son, Hwanung, has cast his gaze towards the Earth, and expressed the desire to rule it. In some versions of the myth, Hwanin was the one to cast his gaze upon the Earth and tasked Hwanung to rule. Either way, with his father’s blessing, Hwanung descended onto Mt. Taebaek and sought to build his kingdom.

Though this number can vary depending on the myth, he was accompanied by three thousand devotees and built Sinsi, the holy city where he ruled. Aside from the three thousand followers, the Wind God, Rainfall God, and Cloud God came with Hwanung.

Along with them, Hwanung also had the Three Seals of Heaven (Cheonbuin)—which is said to be a divine mirror, divine sword and a divine rattle or drum—as proof of his rule.

Hwanung, the Bear and Humanity

acarriganart’s depiction of Ungnyeo, emerging from the cave as a woman.

While Hwanung began overseeing the numerous affairs of the human world—from grains to life to diseases to mediating between good and evil—two animals caught his attention.

A bear and a tiger prayed to him with the desire to become human and Hwanung instructed them to stay inside a cave for 100 days, with only mugwort and 20 cloves of garlic as food (in some versions, instead of divine mugwort, they had to eat garlic and wormwood) to earn in their humanity.

Partway through, the tiger grew impatient and left the cave. This left the bear alone, but through perseverance, the bear emerged from the cave as a human woman. She took on the name Ungnyeo meaning Bear-Woman.

Ungnyeo is happy with her new life as a human, but eventually as a result of loneliness, she prays to Hwanung and asks for a child since she had no one. Hwanung having heard her prayers and feeling pity, turned himself to a mortal man and married her. Together they had a son Dangun who eventually established Gojoseon that became the Korean peninsula.

Dangun and Gojoseon

Dangun became known as the first mortal prince of the land. He later established his own kingdom, Gojoseon or the Ancient kingdom Joseon.

Dangun set up capital at Pyeongyang Fortress. The capital moved several times before finding its way back to Pyeongyang Fortress. Dangun continued to rule for approximately a thousand and five hundred years  before the Zhou dynasty, a Chinese dynasty, came into the picture and appointed Jizi to govern Joseon. Dangun moved to different states, Jangdanggyeong then to Asadal, before he went to the mountains nearby Asadal and ascended into godhood as a Sansin or Mountain God at the age of 1,908 years.

Historical Notes

Some suggest that the myth of Dangun actually parallelizes the actual founding of Korea. Hwanung and Ungnyeo’s union representing the union between foreigners—Hwanung, God and Sky—that settled the land that Korea now stands, and one of the Indigenous tribes in proto-Korea—Ungnyeo, bear, woman, and Earth— to unify their people under a marriage alliance, although some say the Bear Tribe Ungnyeo represented was still subjugated by the former.

Some Irony

An image of a family of tigers drawn on a scroll with ink, titled Tiger Family. It is estimated to be from Korea's Joseon Dynasty.

Tiger Family, The Cleveland Museum of Art

Funnily enough, despite referred to as the Dangun Myth, most of the focus of the myth is on Hwanin and Hwanung. The myth does acknowledge Dangun as the founder of Korea. So, while in folklore Dangun can be attributed to the creation of Korea, the creation of Dangun is the focus of the myth itself instead of a detailed account of his life and rule.

Furthermore, it was mentioned earlier in Ungnyeo’s myth that a bear and tiger begged for a human form, the tiger left early due to its impatience and hunger. Despite this portrayal, the tiger is a revered animal in Korea. Portrayals of tigers as creatures that protect humanity against evil spirits is depicted throughout Korean history and artwork. This reverence may be the reason why the tiger is Korea’s national animal.

Rica Equibal, a Philippine-born writer and artist, started Algonquin college with the goal to find her way into publishing. She went into her Algonquin journey with from her literature degree and proofreading experience supporting her, but she’s always up to learn more to add to her knowledge and repertoire. Aside from that, she also writes fiction—with hope to turn those little scenes and moments into a full story or novel—and draws.

She writes as inspiration strikes and primarily draws digital—that is, if she's not distracted by whatever video game she has in reach.

Izanagi and Izanami: Japan's Cursed Creators

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The Beginning of the End

The land and the sky, the forests and the sea; the very earth we inhabit may exist only thanks to a tragic tale of divine lovers. Thus, as my final post, allow me to raise the curtain on Japan’s Izanagi and Izanami, the parent deities of the island nation.

Primordial Soup

A tapestry illustration of two gods standing on clouds, with the right one using a spear to stir the sea below.

Credit: Kobayashi Eitaku

According to the Kojiki, before there was, there was not; in the heavens above an infinite void of formlessness, various elder kami (Japan’s gods) existed in the limitless space. After seven generations, the male kami Izanagi and female kami Izanami were tasked with creating something from the ocean of chaos that surrounded them.

Gifted a jeweled spear from the elders to assist in this task, they used it to stir the sea of chaos below. The drop that fell from the spear once lifted became the first island of Japan, Onogoro. Upon that island, they built a palace they would call home, and from there, they decided to start a family. Through a marital ritual that they first fumbled twice, the two successfully created the islands of Japan and its kami.

The Embers of Tragedy

However, all was not peachy and proper for the parents of this land; whilst Izanami safely gave birth to Japan’s islands and numerous kami of nature, when she birthed the flame kami Kagutsuchi, she was fatally burnt. Izanagi tried to save her, but it was all for naught.

Many more kami were created in her death, but Izanagi didn’t care; outraged by such a tragedy befalling his wife, he took out his rage on Kagutsuchi, cutting him down. Though unnecessary blood was spilt that day, countless more kami spawned from Izanagi’s tears and his bloodied blade.

The Journey to the Worst

Izanagi mourned the loss of his love long after her passing, until, ironically, the flame in his heart was spurred; he quested to Yomi, the land of the dead and darkness, to save Izanami. Through a great many trials and tribulations, Izanagi finally arrived at the palace of the dead.

He snuck in through the back, and deep within the palace’s corridors, he finally found her. Izanami awaited him with open arms, and whilst a loving reunion was had, bad news was quick to follow; she had eaten the food of Yomi, and as such, was no longer capable of leaving.

Izanagi didn’t care, however, and pleaded that she return with him. Whilst she couldn’t comply in that moment, she had an idea: she would appeal to the kami of Yomi, asking to return to the land of the living with him. However, Izanagi would have to remain outside, and not enter the palace no matter what. He agreed, took his leave, and waited eagerly for Izanami’s return… He waited… And waited… And waited.

Soon, an entire day had passed without word from within the palace. Izanagi, worried and impatient, forsook his promise to his wife and barged back into the palace.

That would be his ultimate mistake.

An illustration of a massive boulder blocking a gate in the side of a mountain.

Credit: Caelan Stokkermans Arts on facebook

Making a torch out of his comb’s tooth, he treaded carefully through the pitch black halls of the palace. Indeed, he found Izanami, but she was no longer the same kami that created the world with him; her body lay collapsed, her flesh rotting, swarmed with magots, and various kami of thunder had formed from her limbs. Izanagi was horrified, speechless, and beyond grief stricken.

In the face of such overwhelming horrors, he ran. In his attempt to escape, the warriors of the palace, the thunder kami from his wife’s body, and Izanagi’s decaying corpse itself pursued close behind. Pushing past his fear and limits, he escaped the palace of the dead by a hair, before fleeing Yomi and sealing it behind him with a massive boulder.

Izanami would remain there, eventually gaining the moniker “Goddess of the Dead”, whilst Izanagi would purify himself in the sea. As he did, even more kami came into existence, chief among them being the sun goddess Amaterasu, the moon god Tsukuyomi, and the sea god Susano’o…

An illustration of a robotic-looking spirit wielding a spear.

Izanagi’s looking a little different here… credit: atlus, sega.

Thriving in the Modern Era.

This tale of creation and destruction became the legend at the center of Japan’s greater mythos, being adapted, recreated, and referenced in media all throughout the world:

  • The videogame Smite, a multiplayer game featuring gods from various mythologies, included Izanami as a core character.

  • The protagonist of the game Persona 4 calls on a powerful spirit to aid him in his quest into the Shadow World, with that spirit being aptly named Izanagi.

  • In the hit manga and anime series Naruto, the names of Izanagi, Izanami, Amaterasu, Tsukuyomi, and Susano’o are given to godly techniques and powers used throughout the story.

The End of the End

From the creation of the world to the end of this blog and beyond, the world that the married two kami created, as well as the story they left behind, will live on to be re-experienced and retold long into the future. Thank you for reading.

Sebastian Switzer, best known for his short story Ronin, lives in southern Ontario with his family. Sebastian began writing in 2018, specializing in suspenseful, high-fantasy fiction, and dabbling in as much mystery as he can manage; a sucker for action, his style’s never found standing still. He’s currently aiming his attention towards this very blog, where he covers myths and folklore from Japan’s storied history. Sebastian is often accompanied by his two cats, who frequently find themselves seated stoically between himself and his work.