Hyeokgeose of Silla

Founding legend

The Samguk sagi and Samguk yusa describe the founding of Silla by Hyeokgeose.

Refugees of Gojoseon lived in the valleys of present-day Gyeongsang Province, South Korea, in six villages called Yangsan (양산촌; 楊山村), Goheo (고허촌; 高墟村), Jinji (진지촌; 珍支村), Daesu (대수촌; 大樹村), Gari (가리촌; 加利村), and Goya (고야촌; 高耶村).

In 69 BC, the heads of the six chiefdoms gathered to discuss forming a kingdom and selecting a king. In the forest, at a well called Najeong at Yangsan, a strange light shone from the sky (some accounts describe the simultaneous rising of the sun and moon, as well as a volcanic eruption), and a white horse descended. Chief Sobeolgong of Goheo discovered a large egg there. A boy came out of the egg, and when bathed, his body radiated light and birds and beasts danced. The egg was gourd-shaped, which has been posited as the origin of the Bak (Park, Pak) name, as it aligns with the Korean word for gourd (박, bak).

Sobeolgong raised him, and the six chieftains revered him. The chieftains made him king when he became 13 years old. The state was named Seorabeol.

Upon becoming king, he married Lady Aryeong, who is said to have been born from the ribs of a dragon.

Historical context

This legend reflects developments in the city-state stage, the six chieftains representing a loose group of Gojoseon refugees. The story implies the ascendency of the Bak clan over the native peoples, and may indicate horse and sun worship.

The founding date is widely questioned today, as the Samguk sagi which was written in 13th century from the viewpoint of Silla, claiming Silla's superiority and antiquity over Goguryeo and Baekje. Silla in this traditional thinking is thought to have been founded first, followed by Goguryeo, and then Baekje. Archaeological evidence, however, paints a different picture, and it is suspected that Goguryeo is the oldest of the three kingdoms, with Silla developing either concurrently with Baekje or after it.

According to the ‘’Samguk Sagi’’, the six surnames of Gojoseon were Lee, Choi, Jeong, Son, Bae, and Seol. However, the Lee surname is actually a surname of the Tang emperor. The earliest record of the Lee surname dates back to the 22nd year of Silla King Gyeongdeok (AD 763). The Bae surname first appeared in AD 608 as the surname of an envoy sent by the Sui Dynasty to Japan. The Tang Dynasty's general who had been Silla was named Xue Rengui, as same as Seol(Zh: Xue) surname to appear in the records. According to modern historiographical studies that classify Chinese history by dynastic periods, the Tang dynasty is regarded as the era with the highest degree of historical manipulation and textual distortion among any other era. Another research conducted by Shiratori Kurakichi, Naka Michiyo, and Imanishi Ryu explores the fabrication of the Gojoseon downward migration myth, which follows the same route as the Sui-Tang Chinese immigration route.

Reign

According to the Samguk sagi, Hyeokgeose and his queen traveled the realm in 41 BC, helping the people improve their harvests. The people praised them as the Two Saints or Two Holy Ones (이성; 二聖).

In 37 BC Hyeokgeose built Geumseong (금성; 金城) in the capital city (present-day Gyeongju), and in 32 BC he built a royal palace inside.

In 20 BC, the king of the Mahan confederacy demanded a tribute. Silla sent Hogong, who was a minister of Silla. The king was angry that Silla sent Hogong and not a tribute. Hogong criticized the king's impoliteness with fortitude. The king was angry at him and tried to kill him, but nearby subordinates stopped the king, and he was permitted to return to Silla.

In 19 BC, Hyeokgeose also sent an emissary upon the death of the Mahan king. In 5 BC, East Okjeo (a small state to the north, later conquered by Goguryeo) sent an emissary, and Hyeokgeose presented him with 20 horses.

According to the Samguk yusa, in the 61st year (4 CE), one day he went up to the sky, and eight days later, his body was scattered on the ground. And the queen also follows the king and dies. The people of the country tried to bury them, but a large snake appeared and disturbed them. Accordingly, the head and limbs were buried separately to create five tombs (五陵), and the name of the tomb was called Sareung. It is called Sareung (蛇陵) because snake (蛇) protect the tomb.

Death and succession

Hyeokgeose ruled for around 60 years, and set the foundation for a kingdom that would unify much of the Korean Peninsula in 668.

Hyeokgeose maintained control over his kingdom and was one of the few Park rulers to hold complete power over Silla. He died at age 73, and was buried in Sareung, north of Dameomsa (south of Namcheon). Hyeokgeose was succeeded by his eldest son Namhae. In 6 CE, Namhae founded the Ancestral Shrine, which worshipped Hyokgeose, and Hyokgeose was deified as the Ancestor god of Silla. According to the Samguk yusa, Namhae had violently usurped Hyeokgeose' throne and killed him. Modern historians also believe that Hyeokgeose's successor Namhae may have actually been a Baekje priest who had been expelled from Baekje and had settled in Silla before becoming king.

Legacy

Though not much is known about Hyeokgeose, his many legacies and reminders survive to this day. One of them being his numerous descendants, the Park clans of Korea, who are numbered as the third largest group of people with a common last name. All the Park clans in Korea trace their ancestry back to the first king of Silla, Bak Hyeokgeose. Another legacy was the kingdom that he established. The fact that he founded the Silla kingdom remained under high respects and great consideration by Gyeongju Gim (Kim) (김; 金) clan and Wolseong Seok (석; 昔) clan throughout Silla's history.

Family

Princess Ahro, his daughter, is not included in the chart below. King Hyeokgeose also had a daughter named Ahro.

In popular culture

• Portrayed by Jang Ho-seon in the 2003 film The Legend of Evil Lake