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Hwandan Gogi

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Korean historical text believed to be fake

Hwandan Gogi (Korean: 환단고기; Hanja: 桓檀古記), also called Handan Gogi, is a pseudohistorical compilation of texts on ancient Korean history. It is a bound volume of four supposedly historical records.

According to its introduction, the text was compiled in 1911 by Gye Yeon-su (계연수, 桂延壽; died 1920) and supervised by Yi Gi (이기, 李沂; 1848–1909). The entire set of texts, of which the only extant version is a modern transcription by Yi Yu-rip [ko] published in 1979, is widely regarded as a forgery among academics.

Contents

The Hwandan Gogi comprises the following four books:

  • Samseonggi, a two-volume book which describes an ancient kingdom called Hwan-guk that lasted for 3301 years and Hwanung's 1565-year rule of Baedalguk (倍達國).
  • Dangun Segi (단군세기; 檀君世紀), a chronicle of Gojoseon through 47 generations of Dangun rulers.
  • Bukbuyeogi, a book about the six kings of Bukbuyeo (North Buyeo).
  • Taebaek Ilsa, a book about the histories of Hwan-guk, Baedalguk, Samjoseon, Goguryeo, Balhae, and Goryeo; also includes the text of Cheonbu-gyeong.

Dispute regarding authenticity

Support

Some historians view the Hwandan Gogi as worthy of further scholarly scrutiny, believing that it is at least partly based on historically valuable, ancient (if not literally accurate) texts.

  • The astronomical record alleging five stars had been arranged in a straight line in 1733 BCE (오성취루; 五星聚婁) was confirmed by Professor Park Changbeom, who published his findings in a journal. He showed that the five stars would have been arranged in straight line in 1734 BCE, under the assumption that Gojoseon had been established in 2333 BCE.
  • Law professor Junhwan Go offered several reasons as to why he found Hwandan Gogi worthy of consideration.
  • The territory of Gojoseon described in Hwandan Gogi corresponds to the distribution area of the mandolin-shaped dagger culture in Korea. The distribution area of mandolin shaped daggers are advocated by Yoon et al. and Yi Pyong-do.

Criticism

Most historians in South Korea, North Korea and Japan consider the text to have been created in recent times due to the following reasons:

  • The document contains modern phrases and concepts. For example, it includes references to gender equality (男女平權, 'men's and women's rights') and patriarchy (父權, 'father's rights').
  • The manner in which Hwandan Gogi was first published is unclear:
    • There are no historical records which support the existence of Samseonggi's two alleged authors, An Ham-ro and Won Dong-jung. It is believed that a group of three people by the name of An Ham, Ro Won, and Dong Jung were mistaken as two individuals.
    • Yi Gi could not have supervised the compilation of Hwandan Gogi in 1911, as he had already passed away in 1909.
    • The contents of Cheonbu-gyeong could not have been included in Taebaek Ilsa before 1911, because the Cheonbu-gyeong was first discovered and known to the Daejonggyo in 1916.
    • Gye Yeon-su, the person who is said to have compiled the Hwandan Gogi, may not have existed. No reliable historical records support his existence.
    • The 1911 first edition of the Hwandan Gogi (or any edition published before 1979) has never been found. Yi Yu-rip claimed that the 1911 edition was burned during the Korean War or had been lost by flood, and asserted he had "restored the Hwandan Gogi through memory."

Other criticisms targeted unrealistic descriptions found in the texts, for example:

  • When calculated with modern measures, the alleged territory of Hwan-guk spans from the North Pole to the South Pole.
  • The rulers of Baedalguk are said to have lived for an average of 120–150 years.
  • Hwan-guk is said to have had intricate bureaucratic systems during the Stone Age.
  • Some records in Hwandan Gogi contradict each other.

See also

References

  1. Mason, David A. (24 April 2016). "The Cheonbu-gyeong, Holy Seondo Scripture". Solitary Sage: The Profound Life, Wisdom and Legacy of Korea's "Go-un" Choi Chi-won. ISBN 978-1-365-06780-8. This text seems to have first appeared in the Hwandan Gogi as a modern forgery.
  2. 박창범, 라대일, "단군조선시대 천문현상기록의 과학적 검증 (Scientific proof of astronomical record in Gojoseon), 한국상고사학보, vol 14 Archived 2012-09-08 at archive.today
  3. Hwandan Gogi explains why the Mausoleum of Dangun is in Kangdong near Pyongyang, North Korea - 고준환, "단군신화설은 식민사학자들의 왜곡.농간", (경기대 법학과 교수), 개천절에 되새겨 보는 '실증적' 단군조선사, 오마이뉴스, 2003-10-03 13:15 조인성(경희대 사학과 교수). It states that the fifth Dangun Gueul died while travelling the south area of Gojoseon, and then he has been buried at Daebaksan. The Daebaksan is located at current Pyongyang.
  4. Hwandan Gogi explained that the era name of Mun-wang of Balhae was Daeheung (대흥, 大興) before the era name of Mun-wang was discovered in the tombstone of Princess Jeonghyo (정효공주묘비, 貞孝公主墓碑) in 1980 - Retrieved from Empas Korean Information 엠파스 한국학 지식
  5. Hwandan Gogi states that era name of Jangsu Taewang of Goguryeo was Geonheung (건흥, 建興). This era name is used in a Buddhist statue in Chungju of Chungbuk. Before Hwandangogi was published, the statue was considered to be from Baekje - 고준환, 신명나는 한국사, 인간과자연사 (2005) ISBN 8987944433
  6. 윤내현, 박선희, 하문식, 고조선의 강역을 밝힌다 (The Territory of Gojoseon) (2006) ISBN 8942310893
  7. 이병도, 최태영, 한국상고사 입문 (Introduction to the Ancient Korean History) (1989)
  8. 엠파스 한국학 지식 - 한국의 인물 - 이 기(李沂)
  9. History Special: The Handan Chronicle, KBS 1999
  10. Am-Ro Ahn ed., Handan Gogi
  • 계연수(이유립 복원본), 환단고기, 한뿌리 출판사, 2005
  • 『환단고기(桓檀古記)』에 대한 새로운 이해』, Land Portal
  • 정영훈(The Academy of Korean Studies 한국학중앙연구원), '환단고기' 토대로 상고사 연구 보류해야 - 검증안 된 내용 왜곡 우려, The Cheju National University Press 제주대 신문, 2004-03-31
  • 김정배, 한국사 권4 - 초기국가 – 고조선.부여.삼한, National Institute of Korean History 국사편찬위원회, 1997. pp. 53
  • 안창범(제주대 명예교수), 桓檀古記 僞書論 批判, 한국종교사연구 통권 제10호 (2002. 2)
  • 이도학(한양대 강사), 桓檀古記, 민족지성 9('86.11), 民族知性社
  • 조인성, 韓末 檀君關係史書의 再檢討 :《神檀實記》·《檀奇古史》·《桓檀古記》를 中心으로, 국사관논총 제3집, National Institute of Korean History 국사편찬위원회, 1969.10
  • 한영우(서울대 국사학과 교수) 외, 행촌 이암의 생애와 사상, 일지사, 2002
  • 이상시(변호사), 檀君實史에 관한 文獻考證, 고려원, 1990
  • 송호수(Baylor Univ. a professor emeritus), 韓民族의 뿌리思想, 가나출판사, 1985
  • 金庠基, 李海鶴의 生涯와 思想에 대하여, 李瑄根華甲紀念論叢, 1965
  • 전병훈, 정신철학 통편(精神哲學 通編), 1919
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