Hwarang: Difference between revisions

| hangul={{linktext|화|랑|}}화랑

'''Hwarang''', also({{Korean|hangul=화랑|hanja=花郞|lit=flowering knownyouths}}<ref>{{cite asbook|first=W.-D.|last=Kim|year=2019|chapter=The '''HwarangKing Corps''',Midas andTale '''Floweringin Knights''',<ref>Shin,Ancient C.Korea|title=Global Y.,Perspectives p.on Korean 214Literature|publisher=Palgrave Macmillan|location=Singapore|pages=1–18|doi=10.1007/978-981-13-8727-2_1}}</ref>) were an elite warrior group of male youth in [[Silla]], an ancient kingdom of the [[Korean Peninsula]] that originated from the mid 6th century and lasted until the early 10th century. There were educational institutions as well as social clubs where members gathered for all aspects of study, originally for arts and culture as well as religious teachings stemming mainly from [[Korean Buddhism]]. Chinese sources referred only to the physical beauty of the "Flower Youths".<ref>Rutt, p. 22</ref> The history of the hwarang was not widely known until after the [[National Liberation Day of Korea]] in 1945, after which the hwarang became elevated to a symbolic importance.<ref>Rutt, p. 30</ref>

Information on the Hwarang areis mainly found in the historiographical works ''[[Samguk Sagi]]'' (1145) and ''[[SamgungnyusaSamguk Yusa]]'' (c. 1285), and the partially extant ''[[Haedong Goseungjeon]]'' (1215), a compilation of biographies of famous monks of the [[Three Kingdoms of Korea]].

All three of these works cite primary sources no longer existent, including 1) a memorial stele to Nallang (presumably a Hwarang based upon the suffix ''nang'') by the 9th–10th century Silla scholar [[ChoeCh'oe ChiwonCh'i-wŏn]]; 2) an early [[Tang dynasty|Tang]] account of Silla titled the ''Xinluo guoji'' by the Tang official Ling Hucheng; and 3) ''[[Hwarang Segi]]'' ({{cjkv|k=화랑세기|c=花郞世記}}, ''Chronicle of the Hwarang'') by [[Kim Dae-mun]], compiled in the early eighth century. In the late 1980s, an alleged ''Hwarang Segi'' manuscript was discovered in [[Gimhae]], [[South Korea]]. Scholar Richard McBride regards it as a forgery.<ref>see McBride (2005).</ref>

According to the ''Samguk Sagi'' and ''SamgungnyusaSamguk Yusa'', two groups of women called [[Wonhwa]] ({{hangul|원화}}, {{hanja|源花}}, "original flowers") preceded the Hwarang. The precise nature and activities of the Wonhwa are also unclear, with some scholars positing they may have actually been court beauties or courtesans.<ref>Rutt, 20</ref> However, considering that they were trained in ethics, this may be a later patriarchal reading into the Wonhwa. Women played a much more prominent social role in pre-[[Joseon]] Korea, especially in Silla, which had three reigning queens in its history.

Both sources record that during the reign of [[Jinheung of Silla]], groups of beautiful girls were chosen and taught filial and fraternal piety, loyalty, and sincerity (no firm date is given for this, and some scholars express doubt this even occurred during Jinheung‘sJinheung's reign).<ref>Rutt, 19.</ref> However, the leaders of the two bands of Wonhwa, Nammo (南毛) and Junjeong (俊貞), grew jealous of one another. When Junjeong murdered her rival, the Wonhwa were disbanded. No doubt the details of this origin story are most likely based on myth and legend, despite the facts surrounding the foundation of the sect being true, as supported by various documented sources. First note that the term ''wonhwa'' is composed of won 源, "source", and undoubtedly refers to the founders of the sect, while hwa 花, "flower", is a euphemism for someone who has spent a great deal of time or money in the pursuit of something, i.e. a devotee. In the case of the Wonhwa, devotion to [[philosophy]] and [[the arts]]. Furthermore, while the names ''nammo'' and ''junjeong'' could have been appellations adopted by these two ladies for use in [[court (royal)|court]], one cannot overlook the obvious descriptions they portray. ''Nammo'' hints at one who is careless yet lucky, or perhaps someone who is innately insightful and therefore lackadaisical about further erudition. ''Junjeung'' clearly indicates a person who is talented and virtuous, despite the fact that she was the one who succumbed to homicidal tendencies. It would be logical to assume that if someone had to work hard, maybe even struggle with attaining certain goals, that envy might consume them if their counterpart, especially if viewed more as a rival, seemed to reach the same objectives with substantially less effort.

It is conjectured that the foundation of the Hwarang system originated from the mid 6th century during the King [[Jinheung of Silla]] era, but the exact date of establishment is ambiguous: [[Samguk sagi]] reports the year of 576 AD, [[Dongguk Tonggam]] reports the year of 540 AD, and Sadaham is already recorded as a Hwarang in 562 AD according to [[Samguk sagi#Biographies|Samguk sagi yeoljeon]].<ref>{{cite journal|first1=K.|last1=Park|first2=G.|last2=Ok|year=2016|title=Martial Arts and Ideology of Hwarang, the Ancient Korean Warrior|journal=The International Journal of the History of Sport|volume=33|issue=9|pages=951-962|doi=10.1080/09523367.2016.1218332}}</ref> Although some historians believe that the Hwarang played a big part in the unification of the Three Kingdoms, some historians are unclear about the role that the Hwarang played in the unification; An excerpt about Sadaham in the Samguk Sagi .<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Kim|first=Chong Sun|date=1969|title=Sources of Cohesion and Fragmentation in the Silla Kingdom|jstor=23849477|journal=Journal of Korean Studies (1969-1971)|volume=1|issue=1|pages=41–72|doi=10.1353/jks.1969.0000 |s2cid=143864442 }}</ref> According to the ''Samguk Yusa'', the Silla king, "concerned about the strengthening of the country ... again issued a decree and chose boys from good families who were of good morals and renamed them ''hwarang''."<ref>Translated in Rutt, 18.</ref> The actual word used in this chronicle is ''hwanang'' (花娘), meaning "flower girls".<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.buddhist-canon.com/history/T490995a.htm |title=Archived2039 三國遺事 copy0995a |access-date=2011-06-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170111045123/http://www.buddhist-canon.com/history/T490995a.htm |archive-date=2017-01-11 |url-status=dead }}</ref> This suggests that the Hwarang were not originally military in character, as the Wonhwa were not soldiers.

The youths who were chosen by the Silla Kingdom became the knights and warriors for the Silla Dynastydynasty within the age of the [[Three Kingdoms of Korea]]. A close relationship did exist between the Hwarang and [[Buddhism]] because Buddhism was accepted as a state religion by the royalty and aristocrats within the Silla Kingdom.<ref>Silla Buddhism and the Hwarang Segi Manuscripts, 2007</ref> The Buddhist monks were often mentors for the Hwarang in both physical and spiritual ways. The Hwarang would seek the teachings of these Buddhist monks because they knew that the martial arts practiced by these Buddhist monks were a source through which they could strengthen themselves for greater success in the future and for the benefit of the Silla Kingdom.<ref>Silla Buddhism and the Hwarang, 2010</ref> The monks would train themselves in physical fitness exercises through self-defense techniques, countering the weakening effects of long-term [[Buddhist meditation|meditation]] and enabling them to protect themselves from bandits and robbers who tried to steal the donations and charities that were collected by the monks on their pilgrimages.<ref>ACTA Black Belt Manual, 2007</ref> Both the Buddhist monks and the Hwarang would go on journeys to famous mountains to heighten their training and would seek encounters with supernatural beings for protection and the success/prosperous of the Silla Kingdom. [[Won-gwang|Won Gwang Beop Sa]] (圓光法士) was a Buddhist monk who was asked by the Hwarang to teach them ways to develop ambitionaspirations, bravery, and honor, in order to protect the Silla Kingdom from the other kingdoms inhabiting the peninsula. Won Gwang trained these youths in three areas:

These commandments and teachings of Won Gwang were followed by the Hwarang to protect the Silla Kingdom from rivalingrival kingdoms and helped unify the nation of Ancient Korea until the fall of the Silla Kingdom.

The ''Samguk Sagi'', compiled by the general and official [[GimKim BusikBu-sik]], emphasizes the military exploits of certain Hwarang, while the ''SamgungnyusaSamguk Yusa'' emphasizes the group's Buddhist activities.<ref>Rutt, 21.</ref> The biographies section of the ''Samguk Sagi'' describes young Hwarang who distinguished themselves in the struggles against the [[Gaya confederacy]] and later [[Baekje]] and [[Goguryeo]]. According to the ''Hwarang Segi'', as cited in the ''Samguk Sagi'' and ''Haedong Goseungjeon'', “...able ministers and loyal subjects are chosen from them, and good generals and brave soldiers are born therefrom.” <ref>Peter H. Lee, 67.</ref>

The Hwarang were greatly influenced by [[Korean Buddhism|Buddhist]], [[Korean Confucianism|Confucian]], and [[Taoism in Korea|Daoistshamanistic]] ideals. A Chinese official recorded, "They [Silla] choose fair sons from noble families and deck them out with cosmetics and fine clothes and call them Hwarang. The people all revere and serve them."<ref>Rutt, 17, citing the ''Samguk Sagi'' quoting the no longer extant ''Xinluo guoji'' (Account of the Country of Silla) by the Tang official Linghu Cheng, who had visited Silla in the mid-8th century and later wrote an account of the country.</ref>

* 화랑도–화랑– Hwarang: Members of the Hwarang groups and leaders of the Nangdo (花郞)

Two youths, Gwisan (귀산,貴山) and Chwihang (취항, 取項), approached the Silla monk [[Wongwang|Won Gwang]] (원광, 圓光) seeking spiritual guidance and teaching, saying, “We are ignorant and without knowledge. Please give us a maxim which will serve to instruct us for the rest of our lives.”<ref>Peter H. Lee, 79, citing

The ''Samguk Sagi'', ''SamgungnyusaSamguk Yusa'', and the ''[[Haedong Goseungjeon]]'' (Lives of Eminent Korean Monks, a partially extant compilation of Buddhist hagiographies dated 1215).</ref>

* [[Kim Yu-sin]] (김유신)

* [[Kim Alcheon]] (김알천)

* [[GimKim Won-sul]] (김원술)

*''[[Hwarang: The Poet Warrior Youth]]'' (KBS2, 2016-20172016–2017)

*McBride, Richard D., II. "Silla Buddhism and the ''Hwarang''." ''Korean Studies'' 34 (2010): 54-8954–89.

*McBride II, R. (n.d.). Retrieved 6 December 2014, from Silla Buddhism and the Hwarang segi Manuscripts. Korean Studies. (2007) Vol. 31 Issue 1, 19-3819–38. 20p

*McBride II, R. (n.d.). Retrieved 6 December 2014, from Silla Buddhism and the Hwarang. Korean Studies. Vol. 34 Issue 1. (2010) 54-8954–89. 36p

*Hwarangkwan.org,. (2014). Kwan_Chang. Retrieved 6 December 2014, from http://www.hwarangkwan.org/kwan_chang.htm {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160720230028/http://www.hwarangkwan.org/kwan_chang.htm |date=2016-07-20 }}