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Ne-no-kuni

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Ne-no-kuni ( 根の国 , lit. "Land of roots; Land of origin") or Soko-tsu-ne-no-kuni ( 底根之國 , lit. "Distant land of roots") in the Nihon Shoki , also called Ne-no-kata-su-kuni ( 根之堅洲國 , lit. "Borderland of roots") or Haha-no-kuni ( 妣國 , lit. "Land of my late mother") in the Kojiki , refers to a netherworld in Japanese mythology . It is sometimes considered to be identical to Yomi , another netherworld in the myths as well as Tokoyo no kuni ( 常世国 , lit. "Eternal land") . There is no clear consensus on the relationship between these three realms.

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131-627: The god Susanoo is described as the ruler of Ne-no-kuni. There are differing accounts on how he assumed this position: According to the Kojiki when Izanagi tasked his children with the rule over the various realms: Amaterasu got the "Plain of the High Heaven" ( Takamagahara ), Tsukuyomi got the "Dominion of the Night" ( Yoru-no-wosu-kuni ), and Susanoo got the "Sea Plain" ( 海原 , Una-bara ) . Susanoo ignored this command and kept crying over

262-518: A centrally planned industrial economy. South Korea is a multi-party state with a capitalist market economy , alongside membership in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and the Group of Twenty . The two states have greatly diverged both culturally and economically since their partition, though they still share a common traditional culture and pre-Cold War history. Since

393-528: A Korean toponym meaning 'Bull's ( so ) Head ( mari )'. The name 'Susanoo' itself has been interpreted as being related to the Middle Korean title susung ( transliterated as 次次雄 or 慈充), meaning 'master' or 'shaman', notably applied to Namhae , the second king of Silla, in the Samguk Sagi . Susanoo is thus supposed in this view to have originally been a foreign god (蕃神, banshin ), perhaps

524-619: A Silla prince whose influence made Mount Jiuhua one of the Four Sacred Mountains of Chinese Buddhism. Later Silla fell apart in the late 9th century, giving way to the tumultuous Later Three Kingdoms period (892–935), and Balhae was destroyed by the Khitans in 926. Goryeo unified the Later Three Kingdoms and received the last crown prince and much of the ruling class of Balhae, thus bringing about

655-433: A child named Yashimajinumi-no-Kami (八島士奴美神). He then took another wife named Kamu-Ōichihime (神大市比売), the daughter of Ōyamatsumi , the god of mountains, and had two children by her: Ōtoshi-no-Kami (大年神), the god of the harvest, and Ukanomitama -no-Kami (宇迦之御魂神), the god of agriculture. The Shoki 's main narrative is roughly similar: Susanoo appoints Ashinazuchi and Tenazuchi to be the keepers of his palace and gives them

786-554: A class system that consisted of yangban the noble class, jungin the middle class, yangin the common class, and cheonin the lowest class, which included occupations such as butchers, tanners, shamans, entertainers, and nobi , the equivalent of slaves, bondservants, or serfs . In 1592 and again in 1597, the Japanese invaded Korea ; the Korean military at the time was unprepared and untrained, due to two centuries of peace on

917-504: A connection between the god and the Korean Peninsula . Indeed, some scholars have hypothesized that the deities who were eventually conflated with Susanoo, Mutō Tenjin, and Gozu Tennō, may have had Korean origins as well, with the name 'Mutō' (武塔, historical orthography : mutau ) being linked with the Korean word mudang "shamaness," and 'Gozu' being explained as a calque of 'Soshimori', here interpreted as being derived from

1048-497: A connection between the god and this region. In addition, a few other myths also hint at a connection between Susanoo and the Korean Peninsula . Susanoo's name is variously given in the Kojiki as 'Takehaya-Susanoo-no-Mikoto' ( 建速須佐之男命 ) , 'Haya-Susanoo-no-Mikoto' ( 速須佐之男命 ) , or simply as 'Susanoo-no-Mikoto' ( 須佐之男命 ) . -no-Mikoto is a common honorific appended to the names of Japanese gods; it may be understood as similar to

1179-597: A coup and defeated General Ch'oe Yŏng . Yi Seong-gye named his new dynasty Joseon and moved the capital from Kaesong to Hanseong (formerly Hanyang; modern-day Seoul ) and built the Gyeongbokgung palace. In 1394, he adopted Confucianism as the country's official ideology, resulting in much loss of power and wealth by the Buddhists . The prevailing philosophy of the Joseon dynasty was Neo-Confucianism , which

1310-404: A deified shaman, whose origins may be traced back to Korea. Emilia Gadeleva (2000) sees Susanoo's original character as being that of a rain god – more precisely, a god associated with rainmaking – with his association with the harvest and a number of other elements from his myths ultimately springing from his connection with rainwater. He thus serves as a contrast and a parallel to Amaterasu,

1441-472: A drunken stupor. From within the serpent's tail Susanoo discovered the sword Ame-no-Murakumo-no-Tsurugi (天叢雲剣, "Sword of the Gathering Clouds of Heaven"), also known as Kusanagi -no-Tsurugi (草薙剣, "Grass-Cutting Sword"), which he then presented to Amaterasu as a reconciliatory gift. [Susanoo-no-Mikoto] said to Ashinazuchi and Tenazuchi-no-Kami: "Distill thick wine of eight-fold brewings; build

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1572-400: A fence, and make eight doors in the fence. At each door, tie together eight platforms, and on each of these platforms place a wine barrel. Fill each barrel with the thick wine of eight-fold brewings, and wait." They made the preparations as he had instructed, and as they waited, the eight-tailed dragon came indeed, as [the old man] had said. Putting one head into each of the barrels, he drank

1703-517: A foreign import but must have had Japanese roots at his core. In Gadeleva's view, while the god certainly underwent drastic changes upon his introduction in the imperial myth cycle, Susanoo's character already bore positive and negative features since the beginning, with both elements stemming from his association with rain. As the right quantity of rainwater was vital for ensuring a rich harvest, calamities caused by too much or too little rainfall (i.e. floods, drought, or epidemics) would have been blamed on

1834-559: A monstrous serpent known as the Yamata no Orochi (八俣遠呂智 / 八岐大蛇, "eight-forked serpent") and it was nearing time for their eighth, Kushinadahime (櫛名田比売; also called Kushiinadahime, Inadahime, or Makami-Furu-Kushiinadahime in the Shoki ). Sympathizing with their plight, Susanoo hid Kushinadahime by transforming her into a comb ( kushi ), which he placed in his hair. He then made the serpent drunk on strong sake and then killed it as it lay in

1965-461: A monstrous serpent, or as a local deity linked with the harvest and agriculture. Syncretic beliefs of the Gion cult that arose after the introduction of Buddhism to Japan also saw Susanoo becoming conflated with deities of pestilence and disease. Susanoo, alongside Amaterasu and the earthly kami Ōkuninushi (also Ōnamuchi) – depicted as either Susanoo's son or scion depending on the source –

2096-465: A new renaissance of the Joseon dynasty during the 18th century. In the 19th century, the royal in-law families gained control of the government, leading to mass corruption and weakening of the state, with severe poverty and peasant rebellions spreading throughout the country. Furthermore, the Joseon government adopted a strict isolationist policy, earning the nickname "the hermit kingdom ", but ultimately failed to protect itself against imperialism and

2227-516: A peaceful, simple kami of the rice fields. In Matsumura's view, Susanoo's character was deliberately reversed when he was grafted into the imperial mythology by the compilers of the Kojiki . Matsumoto Nobuhiro , in a similar vein, interpreted Susanoo as a harvest deity. While the Izumo Fudoki claims that the township of Susa in Izumo is named after its deity Susanoo, it has been proposed that

2358-601: A petulant young man, then as an unpredictable, violent boor who causes chaos and destruction before turning into a monster-slaying culture hero after descending into the world of men, while in the Izumo Fudoki , he is simply a local god apparently connected with rice fields, with almost none of the traits associated with him in the imperial mythologies being mentioned. Due to his multifaceted nature, various authors have had differing opinions regarding Susanoo's origins and original character. The Edo period kokugaku scholar Motoori Norinaga , in his Kojiki-den ( Commentary on

2489-400: A place called (Soko-tsu-)Ne-no-kuni . According to the Kojiki when Ōkuninushi visited Ne-no-kuni and insulted Susanoo he was submitted to overcome three ordeals, one being described to sleep in a house infested with snakes, centipedes and wasps. This is sometimes taken as another hint that Ne-no-kuni is a subterranean realm. One explanation of the myth contrasts the trials of Ōkuninushi to

2620-618: A result. The Korean Peninsula remained divided, the Korean Demilitarized Zone being the de facto border between the two states. In June 1950 North Korea invaded the South, using Soviet tanks and weaponry. During the Korean War (1950–53) more than 1.2 million people died and the three years of fighting throughout the nation effectively destroyed most cities. The war ended with an armistice agreement at approximately

2751-449: A song : Man'yogana ( Kojiki ): 夜久毛多都 伊豆毛夜幣賀岐 都麻碁微爾 夜幣賀岐都久流 曾能夜幣賀岐袁 Old Japanese : yakumo 1 tatu / idumo 1 yape 1 gaki 1 / tumago 2 mi 2 ni / yape 1 gaki 1 tukuru / so 2 no 2 yape 1 gaki 1 wo Modern Japanese : yakumo tatsu / izumo yaegaki / tsumagomi ni / yaegaki tsukuru / sono yaegaki o Donald L. Philippi (1968) translates the song into English thus: The many-fenced palace of I DUMO Of

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2882-505: A symbolic death through rites of initiation that cause one to become reborn into a new life. In this story, death does not pollute; it regenerates. The land of the dead also contains the forces of life, tama . The Michiae no matsuri ( 道饗祭 ) norito is an ancient Shinto prayer asking the gods to prevent the evil beings from Ne-no-kuni-Soko-no-kuni ( 根國底國 ) to do any harm. The Minatsuki no tsugomori no ōharae (no norito) ( 六月晦大祓[祝詞] ) , also short Ōharae no kotoba ( 大祓詞 ) , which

3013-568: A thousand tables of restitutive gifts, and also, cutting off his beard and the nails of his hands and feet, had him exorcised and expelled him with a divine expulsion. After this, Sosa no wo no Mikoto said:—'All the Gods have banished me, and I am now about to depart for ever. Why should I not see my elder sister face to face; and why take it on me of my own accord to depart without more ado?' So he again ascended to Heaven, disturbing Heaven and disturbing Earth. Now Ame no Uzume, seeing this, reported it to

3144-457: A unification of the two successor nations of Goguryeo . Goryeo was founded in 918 and replaced Silla as the ruling dynasty of Korea. Goryeo's land was at first what is now South Korea and about 1/3 of North Korea, but later on managed to recover most of the Korean peninsula. Momentarily, Goryeo advanced to parts of Jiandao while conquering the Jurchens , but returned the territories due to

3275-495: A wealthy man, but was turned down. He then went to the home of a poor man (sometimes identified as the rich man's brother) named Somin Shōrai, who gave him food and shelter. Years later, Mutō returned and slew the rich man and his family but spared Somin Shōrai's house. Some versions of the story have Mutō repaying Somin Shōrai for his hospitality by giving the poor man's daughter a wreath of susuki ( Miscanthus sinensis ) reeds that she

3406-702: Is a peninsular region in East Asia consisting of the Korean Peninsula ( 한반도 , Hanbando in South Korea, or 조선반도 , Chosŏnbando in North Korea), Jeju Island , and smaller islands. Since the end of World War II in 1945, it has been politically divided at or near the 38th parallel ; in 1948, two states declared independence, both claiming sovereignty over the entire region: North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea; DPRK) in its northern half and South Korea (Republic of Korea; ROK) in

3537-422: Is a regional power and a developed country , with its economy ranked as the world's fourteenth-largest by GDP (PPP) . Its armed forces are one of the world's strongest militaries, with the world's second-largest standing army by military and paramilitary personnel . South Korea has been renowned for its globally influential pop culture, particularly in music ( K-pop ) and cinema , a phenomenon referred to as

3668-445: Is a modern usage to distinguish the ancient Joseon from the later dynasty. It is unclear whether Joseon was a transcription of a native Korean name ( OC * T[r]awser , MC Trjewsjen ) or a partial translation into Chinese of the Korean capital Asadal ( 아사달 ), whose meaning has been reconstructed as "Morning Land" or "Mountain". The Korean Academy claimed ancient hominid fossils originating from about 100,000 BCE in

3799-471: Is now believed to have been the last kingdom to develop. By the 2nd century, Silla existed as a large state in the southeast, occupying and influencing its neighbouring city-states. In 562, Silla annexed the Gaya confederacy , which was located between Baekje and Silla. The Three Kingdoms of Korea often warred with each other and Silla was often dominated by Baekje and Goguryeo. Silla was the smallest and weakest of

3930-509: Is one of the central deities of the imperial Japanese mythological cycle recorded in the Kojiki ( c.  712 CE) and the Nihon Shoki (720 CE). One of the gazetteer reports ( Fudoki ) commissioned by the imperial court during the same period these texts were written, that of Izumo Province (modern Shimane Prefecture ) in western Japan, also contains a number of short legends concerning Susanoo or his children, suggesting

4061-560: Is performed in the great purification ( harae ) ceremony of the sixth month locates Ne-no-kuni-Soko-no-kuni in the "Great Sea Plain" ( 大海原 , Ō-una-bara ) , i.e. the ocean. Kunio Yanagita compared Ne no Kuni to the Nirai Kanai of the Ryukyuan religion . This paradisical land is situated beyond the seas. Susanoo-no-Mikoto Susanoo ( スサノオ ; historical orthography : スサノヲ , 'Susanowo' ), often referred to by

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4192-464: Is styled Isaoshi-no-Kami (有功之神, 'Meritorious Deity'). In the Kojiki , a sixth-generation descendant of Susanoo, Ōnamuji-no-Kami (大穴牟遅神), ends up in Ne-no-Kuni to escape his wicked elder brothers who make repeated attempts on his life. There he meets and falls in love with Susanoo's daughter Suseribime (須勢理毘売). Upon learning of their affair, Susanoo imposes four trials on Ōnamuji: After Susanoo

4323-512: Is the fourth-largest in the world, consisting of 4.9% of its population. North Korea is widely considered to have the worst human rights record in the world. "Korea" is the modern spelling of "Corea", a name attested in English as early as 1614. "Corea" is derived from the name of the ancient kingdom of Goryeo . Korea was transliterated as Cauli in The Travels of Marco Polo , of

4454-415: Is the sword Kusa-nagi . Amaterasu later bequeathed the sword to Ninigi , her grandson by Ame-no-Oshihomimi, along with the mirror Yata no Kagami and the jewel Yasakani no Magatama . This sacred sword, mirror, and jewel collectively became the three Imperial Regalia of Japan . While most accounts place Susanoo's descent in the headwaters of the river Hi in Izumo (肥河 / 簸之川, Hi-no-Kawa , identified with

4585-450: Is to wear while declaring, "[I am] the descendant of Somin Shōrai" (蘇民将来之子孫也, Somin Shōrai no shison nari ). By doing so, she and her descendants would be spared from pestilence. The deity in this story, Mutō, is often conflated with Gozu Tennō (who, as his name implies, was born with the head of an ox) in later retellings, though one version identifies Gozu Tennō as Mutō Tenjin's son. The earliest known version of this legend, found in

4716-462: The Ama-no-Iwato ("Heavenly Rock Cave"), plunging heaven and earth into total darkness. The gods, led by Omoikane-no-Kami (思金神), eventually persuade her to come out of the cave, restoring light to the world. As punishment for his misdeeds, Susanoo is thrown out of Takamagahara: At this time the eight-hundred myriad deities deliberated together, imposed upon Haya-Susanoo-no-Mikoto a fine of

4847-571: The Chinese 高麗 ( MC : Kawlej , mod. Gāolì ). This was the Hanja for the Korean kingdom of Goryeo ( Korean :  고려 ; MR :  Koryŏ ), which ruled most of the Korean peninsula during the 12th century. Korea's introduction to the West resulted from trade and contact with merchants from Arabic lands, with some records dating back as far as the 9th century. Goryeo's name

4978-644: The Fudoki of Bingo Province (modern eastern Hiroshima Prefecture ) compiled during the Nara period (preserved in an extract quoted by scholar and Shinto priest Urabe Kanekata in the Shaku Nihongi ), has Mutō explicitly identify himself as Susanoo. This suggests that Susanoo and Mutō Tenjin were already conflated in the Nara period, if not earlier. Sources that equate Gozu Tennō with Susanoo only first appear during

5109-597: The Han dynasty defeated Gojoseon and installed four commanderies in the northern Korean peninsula. Three of the commanderies fell or retreated westward within a few decades, but the Lelang Commandery remained as a center of cultural and economic exchange with successive Chinese dynasties for four centuries. By 313, Goguryeo annexed all of the Chinese commanderies. The Proto–Three Kingdoms period, sometimes called

5240-607: The Han dynasty in 108 BC. It was followed by the Three Kingdoms period, in which Korea was divided into Goguryeo , Baekje , and Silla . In 668 AD, Silla conquered Baekje and Goguryeo with the aid of the Tang dynasty , forming Unified Silla ; Balhae succeeded Goguryeo in the north. In the late 9th century, Unified Silla collapsed into three states, beginning the Later Three Kingdoms period. In 918, Goguryeo

5371-533: The Hii River in modern Shimane Prefecture ), with the Kojiki specifying the area to be a place called Torikami (鳥髮, identified with Mount Sentsū in eastern Shimane), one variant in the Shoki instead has Susanoo descend to the upper reaches of the river E (可愛之川, E-no-kawa ) in the province of Aki (identified with the Gōnokawa River in modern Hiroshima Prefecture ). Kushinadahime's parents are here given

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5502-466: The Kamakura period (1185–1333), although one theory supposes that these three gods and various other disease-related deities were already loosely coalesced around the 9th century, probably around the year 877 when a major epidemic swept through Japan. The image of Susanoo that can be gleaned from various texts is rather complex and contradictory. In the Kojiki and the Shoki he is portrayed first as

5633-630: The Khitans and the Mongols . Goryeo had a hostile relationship with the Khitans, because the Khitan Empire had destroyed Balhae , also a successor state of Goguryeo. In 993, the Khitans, who had established the Liao dynasty in 907, invaded Goryeo , demanding that it make amity with them. Goryeo sent the diplomat Sŏ Hŭi to negotiate, who successfully persuaded the Khitans to let Goryeo expand to

5764-578: The Korean Peninsula . Toyotomi Hideyoshi intended to conquer China and India through the Korean Peninsula, but was defeated by strong resistance from the Righteous Army , the naval superiority of Admiral Yi Sun-sin and his turtle ships , and assistance from Wanli Emperor of Ming China . However, Joseon experienced great destruction, including a tremendous loss of cultural sites such as temples and palaces to Japanese pillaging, and

5895-541: The Korean Wave . North Korea follows Songun , a " military first " policy which prioritizes the Korean People's Army in state affairs and resources. It possesses nuclear weapons , and is the country with the highest number of military personnel , with a total of 7.8 million active , reserve , and paramilitary personnel, or approximately 30% of its population. Its active duty army of 1.3 million soldiers

6026-670: The Military Demarcation Line , but the two governments are officially still at war. In 2018, the leaders of North Korea and South Korea officially signed the Panmunjom Declaration , announcing that they will work to end the conflict. In November 2020, South Korea and China agreed to work together to mend South Korea's relationship with North Korea. During a meeting between President Moon and China's foreign minister, Wang Yi , Moon expressed his gratitude to China for its role in helping to foster peace in

6157-565: The Mongol Empire . Goryeo overthrew Mongol rule before falling to a coup led by General Yi Seong-gye , who established the Joseon dynasty in 1392. The first 200 years of Joseon were marked by peace; the Korean alphabet was created and Confucianism became influential. This ended with Japanese and Qing invasions , which brought devastation to Joseon and led to Korean isolationism. After

6288-487: The Nihon Shoki , where a similar story is told of Tsukuyomi and the goddess Ukemochi . After his banishment, Susanoo came down from heaven to Ashihara-no-Nakatsukuni (葦原中国, the 'Central Land of Reed Plains', i.e. the earthly land of Japan), to the land of Izumo , where he met an elderly couple named Ashinazuchi (足名椎 / 脚摩乳) and Tenazuchi (手名椎 / 手摩乳), who told him that seven of their eight daughters had been devoured by

6419-543: The Samhan period. Located in the southern part of Korea, Samhan referred to the three confederacies of Mahan , Jinhan , and Byeonhan . Mahan was the largest and consisted of 54 states. Byeonhan and Jinhan both consisted of twelve states, bringing a total of 78 states within the Samhan . These three confederacies eventually developed into Baekje , Silla , and Gaya . The Three Kingdoms of Korea consisted of Goguryeo , Silla , and Baekje . Silla and Baekje controlled

6550-747: The Shandong Peninsula and the mouth of the Yangtze River . Later Silla was a prosperous and wealthy country, and its metropolitan capital of Gyeongju was the fourth largest city in the world. Later Silla experienced a golden age of art and culture, as evidenced by the Hwangnyongsa , Seokguram , and Emille Bell . Buddhism flourished during this time, and many Korean Buddhists gained great fame among Chinese Buddhists and contributed to Chinese Buddhism, including: Woncheuk , Wonhyo , Uisang , Musang , and Kim Gyo-gak ,

6681-576: The Yuan capital to swear allegiance to the Mongols; Kublai Khan accepted, and married one of his daughters to the Korean crown prince, and the dynastic line of Goryeo continued to survive under the overlordship of the Mongol Yuan dynasty as a semi-autonomous vassal state and compulsory ally. The two nations became intertwined for 80 years as all subsequent Korean kings married Mongol princesses, and

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6812-705: The last empress of the Yuan dynasty was a Korean princess. In the 1350s, King Gongmin was free at last to reform the Goryeo government when the Yuan dynasty began to crumble. Gongmin had various problems that needed to be dealt with, which included the removal of pro-Mongol aristocrats and military officials, the question of land holding, and quelling the growing animosity between the Buddhists and Confucian scholars. During this tumultuous period, Goryeo momentarily conquered Liaoyang in 1356, repulsed two large invasions by

6943-466: The opening of Korea in the late 19th century, the spelling "Korea" appeared and gradually grew in popularity. The name Korea is now commonly used in English contexts by both North and South Korea. In South Korea, Korea as a whole is referred to as Hanguk ( 한국 ; lit.  country of the Han , [haːnɡuk] ). The name references Samhan , referring to the Three Kingdoms of Korea , not

7074-648: The surrender of Japan , the United Nations developed plans for a trusteeship administration, the Soviet Union administering the peninsula north of the 38th parallel and the United States administering the south . The politics of the Cold War resulted in the 1948 establishment of two separate governments, North Korea and South Korea. The aftermath of World War II left Korea partitioned along

7205-774: The 17th century, and had a small enclave in the Ryukyu Kingdom that engaged in trade with Siam and Java. During the 15th and 16th centuries, Joseon enjoyed many benevolent rulers who promoted education and science. Most notable among them was Sejong the Great (r. 1418–50), who personally created and promulgated Hangul , the Korean alphabet. This golden age saw great cultural and scientific advancements, including in printing, meteorological observation , astronomy, calendar science, ceramics , military technology, geography, cartography, medicine, and agricultural technology, some of which were unrivaled elsewhere. Joseon implemented

7336-596: The 1960s, the South Korean economy has grown enormously and the economic structure was radically transformed. In 1957, South Korea had a lower per capita GDP than Ghana , and by 2008 it was 17 times as high as Ghana's. According to R. J. Rummel , forced labour , executions, and concentration camps were responsible for over one million deaths in North Korea from 1948 to 1987; others have estimated 400,000 deaths in concentration camps alone. Estimates based on

7467-403: The 38th parallel on 2 September 1945, with the north under Soviet occupation and the south under US occupation supported by other allied states. Consequently, North Korea, a Soviet-style socialist republic was established in the north, and South Korea, a Western-style regime, was established in the south . North Korea is a one-party state , now centred on Kim Il Sung 's Juche ideology, with

7598-508: The 4th century during the rule of Geunchogo when its influence extended across the sea to Liaoxi and Shandong in China, taking advantage of the weakened state of Former Qin , and Kyushu in the Japanese archipelago; however, Baekje was critically defeated by Gwanggaeto the Great and declined. Although later records claim that Silla was the oldest of the Three Kingdoms of Korea , it

7729-572: The Allies , and the Soviet Union and United States agreed to divide Korea into two military occupation zones divided by the 38th parallel, with the Soviet zone in the north and American zone in the south. The division was meant to be temporary, with plans for Korea to be reunited under a single government. In 1948, the DPRK and ROK were established with the backing of each power, and ongoing tensions led to

7860-538: The Central Land of Reed-Plains. But if my intentions are pure, then I shall produce male children, and in that case they must be made to rule the Heavens. The same oath will also hold good as to the children produced by my elder sister.' The two then perform the ukehi ritual; Susanoo produces six male deities from the magatama beads on his hair knots. Declaring that his intentions were indeed pure, Susanoo gives

7991-691: The English honorific 'the Great'. He is meanwhile named in the Nihon Shoki as 'Susanoo-no-Mikoto' ( 素戔嗚尊 ) , 'Kamu-Susanoo-no-Mikoto' ( 神素戔嗚尊 ) , 'Haya-Susanoo-no-Mikoto' ( 速素戔嗚尊 ) , and 'Take-Susanoo-no-Mikoto' ( 武素戔嗚尊 ) . The Fudoki of Izumo Province renders his name both as 'Kamu-Susanoo-no-Mikoto' ( 神須佐能袁命 ) and 'Susanoo-no-Mikoto' ( 須佐能乎命 ) . In these texts the following honorific prefixes are attached to his name: take- ( 建/武 , "brave") , haya- ( 速 , "swift") , and kamu- ( 神 , "divine") . The susa in Susanoo's name has been variously explained as being derived from either of

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8122-569: The Gorguryeo forces were decimated by the Tang at the Battle of Mount Jupil . Taizong was later defeated at the Battle of Ansi and withdrew his forces from Goguryeo. After the death of Tang Taizong, his son Emperor Tang Gaozong allied with the Korean kingdom of Silla and invaded Goguryeo again, but were forced to withdraw in 662. However, Yeon Gaesomun died of a natural cause in 666 and Goguryeo

8253-446: The Japanese brought back to Japan an estimated 100,000–200,000 noses cut from Korean victims. Less than 30 years after the Japanese invasions, the Manchus took advantage of Joseon's war-weakened state and invaded in 1627 and 1637, and then went on to conquer the destabilised Ming dynasty. After normalising relations with the new Qing dynasty , Joseon experienced a nearly 200-year period of peace. Kings Yeongjo and Jeongjo led

8384-623: The Japanese military. In 1993, Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yohei Kono acknowledged the terrible injustices faced by these euphemistically named " comfort women ". During the Japanese annexation, the Korean language was suppressed in an effort to eradicate Korean national identity. Koreans were forced to take Japanese surnames, known as Sōshi-kaimei . Traditional Korean culture suffered heavy losses, as numerous Korean cultural artefacts were destroyed or taken to Japan. To this day, valuable Korean artefacts can often be found in Japanese museums or among private collections. One investigation by

8515-424: The Japanese people, Emilia Gadeleva instead proposes that the two locales, while similar in that both were subterranean realms associated with darkness, differed from each other in that Yomi was associated with death, while Ne-no-Kuni, as implied by the myth about Ōnamuji, was seemingly associated with rebirth. Ne-no-Kuni being a land of revival, as per Gadeleva's theory, is why Susanoo was connected to it: Susanoo, as

8646-570: The Kojiki ), characterized Susanoo as an evil god in contrast to his elder siblings Amaterasu and Tsukuyomi, as the unclean air of the land of the dead still adhered to Izanagi's nose from which he was born and was not purified completely during Izanagi's ritual ablutions. The early 20th century historian Tsuda Sōkichi , who put forward the then-controversial theory that the Kojiki 's accounts were not based on history (as Edo period kokugaku and State Shinto ideology believed them to be) but rather propagandistic myths concocted to explain and legitimize

8777-399: The Korean Peninsula, Goguryeo had many military conflicts with various Chinese dynasties, most notably the Goguryeo–Sui War , in which Goguryeo defeated a huge force said to number over a million men. In 642, the powerful general Yeon Gaesomun led a coup and gained complete control over Goguryeo. In response, Emperor Tang Taizong of China led a campaign against Goguryeo , in which

8908-427: The Korean Peninsula, most of the Goguryeo territories to the north of the Korean Peninsula were ruled by Balhae . Former Goguryeo general or chief of Sumo Mohe Dae Jo-yeong led a group of Goguryeo and Mohe refugees to the Jilin and founded the kingdom of Balhae , 30 years after the collapse of Goguryeo, as the successor to Goguryeo. At its height, Balhae's territories extended from southern Manchuria down to

9039-404: The Korean Peninsula. There was significant emigration to the overseas territories of the Empire of Japan during the Japanese occupation period, including Korea . By the end of World War II, there were over 850,000 Japanese settlers in Korea. After World War II, most of these overseas Japanese repatriated to Japan. Migrants who remained squatted in informal settlements . In 1945, with

9170-402: The Korean peninsula . Korea under Japanese rule was marked by industrialization and modernization, economic exploitation, and brutal suppression of the Korean independence movement , as reflected in the 1919 March First Movement . The Japanese suppressed Korean culture, and during World War II forcefully mobilized millions of Koreans to support its war effort. In 1945, Japan surrendered to

9301-424: The Moon and the Dark Star are siblings and the Dark Star plays an antagonistic role (cf. Rahu and Ketu from Hindu religion ); Ōbayashi thus also interprets Susanoo as a bad hero. Other scholars, however, take the position that Susanoo was not originally conceived of as a negative deity. Mythologist Matsumura Takeo for instance believed the Izumo Fudoki to more accurately reflect Susanoo's original character:

9432-558: The Multiple States Period, is the earlier part of what is commonly called the Three Kingdoms Period , following the fall of Gojoseon but before Goguryeo , Baekje , and Silla fully developed into kingdoms. This time period saw numerous states spring up from the former territories of Gojoseon, which encompassed northern Korea and southern Manchuria . With the fall of Gojoseon, southern Korea entered

9563-566: The Red Turbans in 1359 and 1360, and defeated the final attempt by the Yuan to dominate Goryeo when General Ch'oe Yŏng defeated a Mongol tumen in 1364. During the 1380s, Goryeo turned its attention to the Wokou threat and used naval artillery created by Ch'oe Mu-sŏn to annihilate hundreds of pirate ships. In 1392, the general Yi Seong-gye overthrew the Goryeo dynasty after he staged

9694-649: The Serpent' or 'Flashing Sword of the Serpent'), and Ame-no-Haekiri-no-Tsurugi (天蝿斫剣, 'Heavenly Fly Cutter', also Ame-no-Hahakiri 'Heavenly Serpent ( haha ) Cutter'). In the Kogo Shūi it is dubbed Ame-no-Habakiri (天羽々斬, also Ame-no-Hahakiri). This sword is said to have been originally enshrined in Isonokami Futsumitama Shrine in Bizen Province (modern Okayama Prefecture ) before it

9825-625: The Small Rice Field of Susa. That is why it is called Susa. There are tax granaries in this township. The syncretic deity Gozu Tennō (牛頭天王, "Ox-Headed Heavenly King"), originally worshiped at Yasaka Shrine in Kyoto and at other shrines such as Tsushima Shrine in Aichi Prefecture, was historically conflated with Susanoo. Originally a deity of foreign import (India and Korea have all been suggested as possible origins), Gozu Tennō

9956-580: The South Korean government identified 75,311 cultural assets that were taken from Korea, 34,369 in Japan and 17,803 in the United States. However, experts estimate that over 100,000 artefacts actually remain in Japan. Japanese officials considered returning Korean cultural properties, but to date this has not occurred. Both Koreas and Japan still dispute the ownership of the Dokdo islets, located east of

10087-537: The Sun-Goddess. The Sun-Goddess said:—'My younger brother has no good purpose in coming up. It is surely because he wishes to rob me of my kingdom. Though I am a woman, why should I shrink?' So she arrayed herself in martial garb, etc., etc. Thereupon Sosa no wo no Mikoto swore to her, and said:—'If I have come up again cherishing evil feelings, the children which I shall now produce by chewing jewels will certainly be females, and in that case they must be sent down to

10218-488: The ancient confederacies in the southern Korean Peninsula. Although written in Hanja as 韓 , 幹 , or 刊 , this Han has no relation to the Chinese place names or peoples who used those characters but was a phonetic transcription ( OC : * Gar , MC : Han or Gan ) of a native Korean word that seems to have had the meaning "big" or "great", particularly in reference to leaders. It has been tentatively linked with

10349-654: The banks of the Amnok (Yalu) River , citing that in the past the land belonged to Goguryeo, the predecessor of Goryeo. During the Goryeo–Khitan War , the Khitan Empire invaded Korea twice more in 1009 and 1018 , but was defeated. After defeating the Khitan Empire, which was the most powerful empire of its time, Goryeo experienced a golden age that lasted a century, during which the Tripitaka Koreana

10480-661: The birthplace of Susanoo worship, pointing out that there was also a settlement in Kii named Susa (須佐). (In the Kojiki , Ōnamuji enters Susanoo's realm, Ne-no-Kuni, through the fork of a tree in Kii. ) Matsumae proposed that the worship of Susanoo was brought to other places in Japan by seafaring peoples from Kii, a land rich in timber (the province's name is itself derived from the word ki meaning 'tree'). A few myths, such as that of Susanoo's descent in Soshimori in Silla, seem to suggest

10611-526: The capital. During this period, laws were codified and a civil service system was introduced. Buddhism flourished and spread throughout the peninsula. The development of celadon industries flourished in the 12th and 13th centuries. The publication of the Tripitaka Koreana onto more than 80,000 wooden blocks and the invention of the world's first metal movable type in the 13th century attest to Goryeo's cultural achievements. Goryeo had to defend frequently against attacks by nomadic empires, especially

10742-525: The fall of Goguryeo, a Goguryeo general by the name of Dae Joyeong founded the Korean-Mohe state of Balhae and successfully expelled the Tang presence from much of the former Goguryeo territories. The southwestern Korean kingdom of Baekje was founded around modern-day Seoul by a Goguryeo prince , a son of the founder of Goguryeo . Baekje absorbed all of the Mahan states and subjugated most of

10873-575: The fight for Korea following the conclusion of the Russo-Japanese War (1904–1905). Korea became a protectorate of Japan shortly afterwards. In Manchuria on 26 October 1909, An Jung-geun assassinated the former Resident-General of Korea , Itō Hirobumi , for his role in trying to force Korea into occupation. In 1910, an already militarily occupied Korea was a forced party to the Japan–Korea Annexation Treaty . The treaty

11004-487: The following etiological legends which feature Susanoo and his children: Township of Susa. It is 6.3 miles west of the district office. The god Susanowo said, "Though this land is small, it is good land for me to own. I would rather have my name [associated with this land than] with rocks or trees." After saying this, he left his spirit to stay quiet at this place and established the Great Rice Field of Susa and

11135-599: The following words: The Kojiki ( c.  712 CE) and the Nihon Shoki (720 CE) both agree in their description of Susanoo as the son of the god Izanagi and the younger brother of Amaterasu , the goddess of the sun , and of Tsukuyomi , the god of the moon . The circumstances surrounding the birth of these three deities, collectively known as the "Three Precious Children" ( 三貴子 , Mihashira-no-Uzunomiko, Sankishi ) , however, vary between sources. Before Susanoo leaves, he ascends to Takamagahara, wishing to say farewell to his sister Amaterasu. As he did so,

11266-420: The following year. Beginning in the 6th century, Silla 's power gradually extended across the Korean Peninsula. Silla first annexed the adjacent Gaya confederacy in 562. By the 640s, Silla formed an alliance with the Tang dynasty of China to conquer Baekje and later Goguryeo . After conquering Baekje and Goguryeo, Silla repulsed Tang China from the Korean peninsula in 676. Even though Silla unified most of

11397-619: The god that brought rain and with it, the harvest, was needed in Ne-no-Kuni to secure the rebirth of crops. In time, however, the two locations were confused with each other, so that by the time the Kojiki and the Shoki were written Ne-no-Kuni came to be seen like Yomi as an unclean realm of the dead. Gadeleva argues that this new image of Ne-no-Kuni as a place of evil and impurity contributed to Susanoo becoming more and more associated with calamity and violence. Korean Peninsula Korea ( Korean : 한국 , romanized :  Hanguk in South Korea, or 조선 , Chosŏn in North Korea)

11528-473: The goddess of the sun. Gadeleva also acknowledges the foreign elements in the god's character by supposing that rainmaking rituals and concepts were brought to Japan in ancient times from the continent, with the figure of the Korean shaman ( susung ) who magically controlled the abundance of rain eventually morphing into the Japanese Susanoo, but at the same time stresses that Susanoo is not completely

11659-442: The harsh climate and difficulties in defending them. The name "Goryeo" (高麗) is a short form of " Goguryeo " (高句麗) and was first used during the time of King Jangsu . Goryeo regarded itself as the successor of Goguryeo, hence its name and efforts to recover the former territories of Goguryeo. Wang Geon , the founder of Goryeo, was of Goguryeo descent and traced his ancestry to a noble Goguryeo clan. He made Kaesong , his hometown,

11790-414: The honorific title Susanoo-no-Mikoto , is a kami in Japanese mythology . The younger brother of Amaterasu , goddess of the sun and mythical ancestress of the Japanese imperial line , he is a multifaceted deity with contradictory characteristics (both good and bad), being portrayed in various stories either as a wild, impetuous god associated with the sea and storms , as a heroic figure who killed

11921-607: The invasions, an isolated Joseon experienced another nearly 200-year period of peace and prosperity, along with cultural and technological development. In the final years of the 19th century, Japan forced Joseon to open up and Joseon experienced turmoil such as the Gapsin Coup , Donghak Peasant Revolution , and the assassination of Empress Myeongseong . In 1895, Japan defeated China in the First Sino-Japanese War and China lost suzerainty over Korea and Korea

12052-471: The land of Susanoo's deceased mother Izanami, who is stated earlier in the narrative to have become the ruler of Yomi, and calls the slope serving at its exit the Yomotsu Hirasaka, the 'Flat Slope of Yomi'), it would seem that the two were originally considered to be different locations. While Matsumura Takeo suggested that Ne-no-Kuni originally referred to the dimly remembered original homeland of

12183-603: The lava at a stone city site in Korea. Fluorescent and high-magnetic analyses indicate the volcanic fossils may be from as early as 300,000 BCE. The best preserved Korean pottery goes back to the paleolithic times around 10,000 BCE and the Neolithic period begins around 6000 BCE. Beginning around 300 BC, the Japonic -speaking Yayoi people from the Korean Peninsula entered the Japanese islands and displaced or intermingled with

12314-492: The loss of his dead mother Izanami , such that his weeping led to death and destruction. As Susanoo wished, Izanagi expelled him to be near his mother in Ne-no-kata-su-kuni. In the previous episodes about Izanami's death this land is called Yomi. The Nihon Shoki mentions Ne-no-kuni in passing when describing an episode where Susanoo was banished from Takama-ga-hara for various evil acts he committed, and went to

12445-513: The male deities were hers because they were born of her necklace, and that the three goddesses were Susanoo's. Susanoo, announcing that he had won the trial, thus signifying the purity of his intentions, "raged with victory" and proceeded to wreak havoc by destroying his sister's rice fields, defecating in her palace and flaying the 'heavenly piebald horse' (天斑駒, ame-no-fuchikoma ), which he then hurled at Amaterasu's loom, killing one of her weaving maidens. A furious Amaterasu in response hid inside

12576-558: The many clouds rising— To dwell there with my spouse Do I build a many-fenced palace: Ah, that many-fenced palace! The Kojiki adds that Susanoo appointed Kushinadahime's father Ashinazuchi to be the headman of his new dwelling, bestowing upon him the name Inada-no-Miyanushi-Suga-no-Yatsumimi-no-Kami (稲田宮主須賀之八耳神, 'Master of the Palace of Inada, the Eight-Eared Deity of Suga'). With his new wife Kushinadahime, Susanoo had

12707-640: The most recent North Korean census suggest that 240,000 to 420,000 people died as a result of the 1990s famine and that there were 600,000 to 850,000 unnatural deaths in North Korea from 1993 to 2008. In South Korea, as guerrilla activities expanded, the South Korean government used strong measures against peasants, such as forcefully moving their families from guerrilla areas. According to one estimate, these measures resulted in 36,000 people killed, 11,000 people wounded, and 432,000 people displaced. The Korean War broke out when Soviet-backed North Korea invaded South Korea, though neither side gained much territory as

12838-410: The mountains and rivers shook and the land quaked. Amaterasu, suspicious of his motives, went out to meet him dressed in male clothing and clad in armor, but when Susanoo proposed a trial by pledge ( ukehi ) to prove his sincerity, she accepted. In the ritual, the two gods each chewed and spat out an object carried by the other (in some variants, an item they each possessed). Amaterasu declares that

12969-516: The names Ashinazu-Tenazu (脚摩手摩) and Inada-no-Miyanushi-Susa-no-Yatsumimi (稲田宮主簀狭之八箇耳); here, Kushinadahime is not yet born when Susanoo slew the Yamata no Orochi. The ten-span sword Susanoo used to slay the Yamata no Orochi, unnamed in the Kojiki and the Shoki 's main text, is variously named in the Shoki 's variants as Orochi-no-Aramasa (蛇之麁正, 'Rough [and] True [Blade] of the Serpent'), Orochi-no-Karasabi-no-Tsurugi (蛇韓鋤之剣, 'Korean ( Kara ) Sword of

13100-479: The north, parts of Inner Mongolia to the west, parts of Russia to the east, and the Seoul region to the south. Goguryeo experienced a golden age under Gwanggaeto the Great and his son Jangsu , who both subdued Baekje and Silla during their times, achieving a brief unification of the Three Kingdoms of Korea and becoming the most dominant power on the Korean Peninsula. In addition to contesting for control of

13231-538: The northern Korean peninsula. Balhae was called the "Prosperous Country in the East". Later Silla carried on the maritime prowess of Baekje , which acted like the Phoenicia of medieval East Asia , and during the 8th and 9th centuries dominated the seas of East Asia and the trade between China, Korea and Japan, most notably during the time of Jang Bogo ; in addition, Silla people made overseas communities in China on

13362-514: The opposite might have actually been the case and Susanoo was named after the place, with his name being understood in this case as meaning "Man ( o ) of Susa." While both Matsumura and Matsumoto preferred to connect Susanoo with rice fields and the harvest, Matsumae Takeshi put forward the theory that Susanoo was originally worshiped as a patron deity of sailors. Unlike other scholars who connect Susanoo with Izumo, Matsumae instead saw Kii Province (the modern prefectures of Wakayama and Mie ) as

13493-636: The original Jōmon inhabitants. The linguistic homeland of Proto- Koreans is located somewhere in Southern Siberia / Manchuria, such as the Liao river area or the Amur region. Proto-Koreans arrived in the southern part of the Korean Peninsula at around 300 BC, replacing and assimilating Japonic-speakers and likely causing the Yayoi migration. According to Korean legend, Dangun , a descendant of Heaven , established Gojoseon in 2333 BCE. In 108 BCE,

13624-436: The outbreak of the Korean War in 1950, which came to involve U.S.-led United Nations and communist Chinese forces. The war ended in stalemate in 1953, but without a peace treaty. A demilitarized zone was created between the countries, approximating the original partition. This status contributes to the high tensions that divide the peninsula, and both states claim to be the sole legitimate government of Korea. South Korea

13755-509: The rain god for not doing his job properly. This, according to Gadeleva, underlies the occasional portrayal of Susanoo in a negative light. In the Kojiki and the Nihon Shoki , Susanoo is repeatedly associated with Ne-no-Kuni ( Japanese : 根の国; the "Land of Roots"). While sometimes seemingly considered to be more or less identical to Yomi, the Land of the Dead (the Kojiki speaks of Ne-no-Kuni as

13886-450: The rule of the imperial dynasty, also saw Susanoo as a negative figure, arguing that he was created to serve as the rebellious opposite of the imperial ancestress Amaterasu. Ethnologist Ōbayashi Taryō , speaking from the standpoint of comparative mythology , opined that the stories concerning the three deities were ultimately derived from a continental ( Southeast Asian ) myth in which the Sun,

14017-398: The sea in a boat made of clay until they arrived at Torikami Peak (鳥上之峯, Torikami no mine ) by the upper waters of the river Hi in Izumo. After slaying the Yamata no Orochi, Susanoo looked for a suitable place in Izumo to live in. Upon arriving at a place called Suga (須賀 / 清), he declared, "Coming to this place, my heart is refreshed ( sugasugashi )." He then erected a palace there and made

14148-413: The six gods to Amaterasu's care and departs. The Kojiki relates that during his banishment, Susanoo asked the goddess of food, Ōgetsuhime -no-Kami (大気都比売神), to give him something to eat. Upon finding out that the goddess produced foodstuffs from her mouth, nose, and rectum, a disgusted Susanoo killed her, at which various crops, plants and seeds spring from her dead body. This account is not found in

14279-488: The slopes of Yomotsu Hirasaka (黄泉比良坂, the 'Flat Slope of Yomi '). As the two departed, Susanoo grudgingly gave his blessing to Ōnamuji, advising him to change his name to Ōkuninushi-no-Kami (大国主神, "Master of the Great Land"). Using the weapons he obtained from Susanoo, Ōkuninushi defeats his brothers and becomes the undisputed ruler of Ashihara-no-Nakatsukuni. The Fudoki of Izumo Province (completed 733 CE) records

14410-479: The south, which fought the Korean War from 1950 to 1953. The region is bordered by China to the north and Russia to the northeast, across the Amnok (Yalu) and Duman (Tumen) rivers, and is separated from Japan to the southeast by the Korea Strait . Known human habitation of the Korean peninsula dates to 40,000 BC. The kingdom of Gojoseon , which according to tradition was founded in 2333 BC, fell to

14541-603: The southern half of the Korean Peninsula , maintaining the former Samhan territories, while Goguryeo controlled the northern half of the Korean Peninsula, Manchuria and the Liaodong Peninsula , uniting Buyeo , Okjeo , Dongye , and other states in the former Gojoseon territories. Goguryeo was a highly militaristic state, and a large empire in East Asia, reaching its zenith in the 5th century when its territories expanded to encompass most of Manchuria to

14672-551: The three, but it used cunning diplomatic means to make opportunistic pacts and alliances with the more powerful Korean kingdoms, and eventually Tang China, to its great advantage. In 660, King Muyeol ordered his armies to attack Baekje . General Kim Yu-shin , aided by Tang forces, conquered Baekje after defeating General Gyebaek at the Battle of Hwangsanbeol . In 661, Silla and Tang attacked Goguryeo but were repelled. King Munmu , son of Muyeol and nephew of General Kim Yu-shin, launched another campaign in 667 and Goguryeo fell in

14803-503: The title khan used by the nomads of Manchuria and Central Asia . In North Korea, Korea as a whole is referred to as Joseon ( 조선 ; lit.  [land of the] Morning Calm, [tɕosʰʌn] ). Joseon is the modern Korean pronunciation of the Hanja 朝鮮 , which is also the basis of the word for Korea as a whole in Japan ( 朝鮮 , Chōsen ), China ( 朝鮮 ; Cháoxiǎn ), and Vietnam ( Triều Tiên ). "Great Joseon "

14934-416: The title Inada-no-Miyanushi. The child born to Susanoo and Kushiinadahime in this version is identified as Ōnamuchi-no-Kami (大己貴神, the Kojiki 's Ōkuninushi ). After having thus lived for a time in Izumo, Susanoo at length finally found his way to Ne-no-Kuni. One variant in the Shoki has Susanoo pulling out hairs from different parts of his body and turning them into different kinds of trees. Determining

15065-539: The use of each, he then gives them to his three children – Isotakeru-no-Mikoto, Ōyatsuhime-no-Mikoto (大屋津姫命), and Tsumatsuhime-no-Mikoto (枛津姫命) – to spread in Japan. Susanoo then settled down in a place called Kumanari-no-Take (熊成峯) before going to Ne-no-Kuni. The myth of Susanoo's descent in Soshimori has Isotakeru bringing seeds with him from Takamagahara which he did not choose to plant in Korea but rather spread throughout Japan, beginning with Tsukushi Province . The narrative adds that it is, for this reason, why Isotakeru

15196-490: The western Korean peninsula (including the modern provinces of Gyeonggi , Chungcheong , and Jeolla , as well as parts of Hwanghae and Gangwon ) to a centralised government; during the expansion of its territory, Baekje acquired Chinese culture and technology through maritime contacts with the Southern Dynasties . Baekje was a great maritime power; its nautical skill, which made it the Phoenicia of East Asia,

15327-594: The wine; then, becoming drunk, he lay down and slept. Then Haya-Susanoo-no-Mikoto unsheathed the sword ten hands long which he was wearing at his side, and hacked the dragon to pieces, so that the Hi river ran with blood. When he cut [the dragon's] middle tail, the blade of his sword broke. Thinking this strange, he thrust deeper with the stub of his sword, until a great sharp sword appeared. He took this sword out and, thinking it an extraordinary thing, reported [the matter] and presented [the sword] to Amaterasu-Ōmikami. This

15458-517: Was a continuation of Goguryeo (Koguryŏ) the northernmost of the Three Kingdoms of Korea , which was officially known as Goryeo beginning in the 5th century. The original name was a combination of the adjectives ("high, lofty") with the name of a local Yemaek tribe, whose original name is thought to have been either " Guru" ( 溝樓 , 'Walled City', inferred from some toponyms in Chinese historical documents) or " Gauri" ( 가우리 , 'Center'). With expanding British and American trade following

15589-505: Was assassinated by Japanese agents. In 1897, the Joseon dynasty proclaimed the Korean Empire (1897–1910). King Gojong became emperor. During this brief period, Korea had some success in modernising the military, economy, real property laws, education system, and various industries. Russia , Japan, France , and the United States all invested in the country and sought to influence it politically. The Russians were pushed out of

15720-446: Was completed, and there were great developments in printing and publishing, promoting learning and dispersing knowledge on philosophy, literature, religion, and science; by 1100, there were 12 universities that produced famous scholars and scientists. Goryeo was invaded by the Mongols in seven major campaigns from the 1230s until the 1270s, but was never conquered. Exhausted after decades of fighting, Goryeo sent its crown prince to

15851-615: Was epitomised by the seonbi class, scholars who passed up positions of wealth and power to lead lives of study and integrity. Joseon was a nominal tributary state of China but exercised full sovereignty, and maintained the highest position among China's tributary states, which also included countries such as the Ryukyu Kingdom , Vietnam, Burma, Brunei, Laos, Thailand, and the Philippines, among others. In addition, Joseon received tribute from Jurchens and Japanese until

15982-578: Was forced to open its borders, beginning an era leading into Japanese imperial rule . Beginning in 1871, Japan began to exert more influence in Korea, forcing it out of China's traditional sphere of influence. As a result of the First Sino-Japanese War (1894–95), the Qing dynasty had to give up such a position according to Article 1 of the Treaty of Shimonoseki , which was concluded between China and Japan in 1895. That same year, Empress Myeongseong of Korea

16113-433: Was instrumental in the dissemination of Buddhism throughout East Asia and continental culture to Japan. Historic evidence suggests that Japanese culture, art, and language were influenced by the kingdom of Baekje and Korea itself; Baekje also played an important role in transmitting advanced Chinese culture to the Japanese archipelago. Baekje was once a great military power on the Korean Peninsula, most notably in

16244-428: Was lulled to sleep, Ōnamuji tied Susanoo's hair to the hall's rafters and blocked the door with an enormous boulder. Taking his new wife Suseribime as well as Susanoo's sword, koto , and bow and arrows with him, Ōnamuji thus fled the palace. The koto brushed against a tree as the two were fleeing; the sound awakens Susanoo, who, rising with a start, knocks his palace down around him. Susanoo then pursued them as far as

16375-607: Was placed under further Japanese influence. In 1897, the centuries old Joseon was replaced by the Korean Empire with the Joseon's last king, Gojong , becoming the Emperor of the Korean Empire. Japan's further victory in the 1904–1905 Russo-Japanese War , expelled Russian influence in Korea and Manchuria. In 1905, the Korean Empire became a protectorate of the Empire of Japan . In 1910, the Empire of Japan officially annexed

16506-407: Was resurrected as Goryeo , which achieved what has been called a "true national unification" by Korean historians, as it unified both the Later Three Kingdoms and the ruling class of Balhae after its fall. Goryeo, whose name developed into the modern exonym "Korea", was highly cultured and saw the invention of the first metal movable type . During the 13th century, Goryeo became a vassal state of

16637-948: Was signed by Lee Wan-Yong , who was given the General Power of Attorney by the Emperor. However, the Emperor is said to have not actually ratified the treaty according to Yi Tae-jin. There is a long dispute whether this treaty was legal or illegal due to its signing under duress, threat of force and bribes. Korean resistance to the brutal Japanese occupation was manifested in the nonviolent March First Movement of 1919, during which 7,000 demonstrators were killed by Japanese police and military. The Korean liberation movement also spread to neighbouring Manchuria and Siberia . Over five million Koreans were conscripted for labour beginning in 1939, and tens of thousands of men were forced into Japan's military. Nearly 400,000 Korean labourers died. Approximately 200,000 girls and women, mostly from China and Korea, were forced into sexual slavery for

16768-461: Was the name of the kingdom ruled by the Joseon dynasty from 1392 until their declaration of the short-lived Great Korean Empire in 1897. King Taejo had named them for the earlier Gojoseon ( 고조선 ), who ruled northern Korea from its legendary prehistory until their conquest in 108 BCE by China's Han Empire . The Go- in Gojoseon is the Hanja word 古 and simply means "ancient" or "old"; it

16899-507: Was thrown into chaos and weakened by a succession struggle among his sons and younger brother, with his eldest son defecting to Tang and his younger brother defecting to Silla. The Tang-Silla alliance conquered Goguryeo in 668. After the collapse of Goguryeo, Tang and Silla ended their alliance and fought over control of the Korean Peninsula. Silla succeeded in gaining control over most of the Korean Peninsula, while Tang gained control over Goguryeo's northern territories. However, 30 years after

17030-482: Was transferred to Isonokami Shrine in Yamato Province (modern Nara Prefecture ). A variant account in the Shoki relates that after Susanoo was banished due to his bad behavior, he descended from heaven, accompanied by a son named Isotakeru-no-Mikoto (五十猛命), to a place called 'Soshimori' (曽尸茂梨) in the land of Shiragi (the Korean kingdom of Silla ) before going to Izumo. Disliking the place, they crossed

17161-493: Was widely revered since the Heian period as a god of pestilence, who both caused disease and cured them. Gozu Tennō became associated with another deity called Mutō-no-Kami ( 武塔神 ) or Mutō Tenjin (武塔天神), who appears in the legend of Somin Shōrai ( 蘇民将来 ). This legend relates that Mutō, a god from the northern sea, embarked on a long journey to court the daughter of the god of the southern seas. On his way he sought lodging from

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