Samguk Yusa, “Ancient Joseon”
[三國遺事, 古朝鮮]
魏書에 云,
乃徃二千載에 有壇君王倹이 立都阿斯逹하시고
開國 號朝鮮하시니, 與髙同時니라.
古記에 云,
昔有桓國하니 庻子桓雄이 數意天下하야 貪求人世어늘 父知子意하고
下視三危太伯하니 可以弘益人間이라 乃授天符印三箇하사 遣徃理之하시니라
雄이 率徒三千하사 降於太伯山頂 神壇樹下하시니
謂之神市요 是謂桓雄天王也시니라
將風伯雨師雲師 而主糓主命主病主刑主善惡하사
凡主人間三百六十餘事하사 在世理化시니라.
時에 有一熊一虎가 同穴而居러니,
常祈于神雄하야 願化爲人이어늘
時에 神遺 霊艾一炷와 蒜二十枚하시고 曰, 爾軰食之하라
不見日光百日이라야 便得人形이리라.
熊虎得而食之러니 忌三七日에 熊得女身이나 虎不能忌하야 而不得人身이라
熊女者無與爲婚 故로 每於壇樹下에 呪願有孕이어늘
雄乃假化而㛰之하사 孕生子하시니라
號曰壇君王倹이시니 以唐髙卽位五十年庚寅에 都平壤城하시고 始稱朝鮮하시니라.
又移都於白岳山阿斯逹하시니 又名弓(一作方)忽山 又今旀逹이니
御國一千五百年이라.
周虎王 卽位己卯에 封箕子於朝鮮하니,
壇君이 乃移藏唐亰이라가 後에 還隠於阿斯逹하사
爲山神하시니 壽는 一千九百八歳시니라.
唐裵矩傳에 云, 高麗는 本孤竹國이니
周以封箕子하야 爲朝鮮하고
漢分置三郡 謂玄菟·樂浪·帶方 (北帶方)이라하고
通典도 亦同此說이라.
[Samguk Yusa, “Ancient Joseon”]
In the Book of Wei, it is written, “Two thousand years ago, Dangun Wanggeom established a nation named ‘Joseon’ and made Asadal his capital. This coincided with the era of Emperor Yao’s reign.”
The Gogi (Ancient Records) records: “The Hwanguk nation existed long ago. Hwanung of Seojabu aspired to save all under heaven and bring deliverance to the human world. “Perceiving his son’s aspiration, Hwanin, ruler of Hwanguk, gazed upon Mt. Sanwei and Mt. Taebaeksan and deemed both suitable for fostering wide-reaching benefits for humanity. “Hwanin thus granted his son Hwanung the Heavenly Emblems and Seal—the Three Treasures then sent him forth to rule this region. “Hwanung led three thousand people down to the foot of the Divine Tree on the summit of Mt. Taebaeksan. He named this place ‘Sinsi’ (Divine City), and he was called ‘Heavenly Emperor Hwanung.’
“Hwanung led the Pungbaek, Usa, and Unsa, as well as the ministers of agriculture, imperial decrees, law, health, and morality, in overseeing more than 360 realms of human affairs. He ruled and enlightened the people of the world with the truth of Spirit Teaching.
“During this period, the Bear Clan and Tiger Clan, who lived in the same region, continually beseeched the divine Hwanung to change them into ideal human beings. “In response, Hwanung gave them divine items, which were a bundle of mugwort and twenty cloves of garlic, and he commanded, ‘Eat these and avoid the sunlight for one hundred days. If you do, you will become ideal humans.’
“The Bear Clan and Tiger Clan disciplined themselves for three seven-day periods spanning twenty-one days, consuming only the mugwort and garlic. The Bear Clan members became ideal women. However, the Tiger Clan failed to comply with the precepts and did not attain the ideal human form. “Thereafter, a woman of the Bear Clan, lacking any ideal man to marry, came to the foot of the Divine Tree daily and prayed to be blessed with a baby. Hence, Hwanung granted her provisional acceptance into the Hwan people, married her, and begot with her a son: Dangun Wanggeom.
“Dangun Wanggeom named his nation ‘Joseon’ and established its capital in Pyeongyang-seong. This was during the year of the White Tiger, fifty years after Emperor Yao began his rule. The capital was moved to Asadal at Mt. Baekaksan, also known as Mt. Gungholsan (Mt. Bangholsan) or Geummidal. From Asadal, Dangun Wanggeom ruled the nation for 1500 years.
“King Wu of the Zhou Dynasty became ruler in the year of the Yellow Rabbit (1122 BCE) and assigned Gija to rule Joseon. Dangun thus relocated to Jangdanggyeong. He returned to Asadal only later, and there he entered into seclusion, became a mountain deity, and lived 1,908 years.”