[KS] Re: Korean myth

[Mia Yun]

Mr. Miller and Mr. Buzo, thanks for your help.  


What was I thinking!  Of course, T'aebaeksan is located in South Korea.  I had Paektusan in mind when I posted the question and Mr. Howe must have also confused T'aebaek with Paektu.  


My question should have been: Was Paektusan ever called Myohangsan?  Although according to the latitudes-longitudes Mr. Miller gave, the two mountains(Paektu and Myohang) seem to be geographically apart.  


Thanks.


Mia Yun


At 12:23 AM 8/7/1998 -0500, you wrote:

>This is hardly clarity for the identity of T'aebaksan versus Myohyangsan,

>but I always understood that Hwangun descended to Paektusan itself, hence

>the sacred nature of that peak.

>

>It's worth noting, by the way, the mythology wrought in North Korea

>connecting Kim Il-sun and, especially, Kim Jong-il to Paektusan, the latter

>who even claims to have been born on that mountain. I can't help thinking

>that this story is mostly an attempt to hitch a ride on Korean mythology,

>constructing a lineage for him extended back to the beginning of the Korean

>people.

>

>Lautensach's geography of Korea clearly lists T'aebaksan and Myohangsan as

>two different mountains, one at latitude-longitude  37N-128E, and the other

>at 40N-126E. That puts T'aebaksan in Chungchongb ukdo (which, we might

>observe, is not part of North Korea),and Myohyangsan in P'yeonganbukdo

>(which is part of North Korea). Paektusan is listed at 41N-128E, just for

>the sake of completeness.

>

>Perhaps Howe is confusing the Tang'un myth with that of Pak Hyeokkeose,

>first king of Silla? Rumour has it that he was born from a golden

>egg...that egg must have been laid somewhere near Silla, and of the three

>mountains, T'aebaksan is the closest.

>

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>                

>

>--Richard C. Miller

>--UW School of Music

>--rcmiller at students.wisc.edu

>

Mia Yun

Author of <italic>House of the Winds

</italic>http://www.pipeline.com/~miayun


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