[Author’s Note: This essay was first published in Goddesses in Myth, History and Culture, published in 2018 by Mago Books.]
In the coventional interpretation of the Korean foundation myth, “Ungnyeo (熊女)” is the name given to the bear (Gom) who received a female body upon enduring the trial of the cave initiation, married Hanung, and gave birth to a son who later became the founder of the ancient Korean state, Joseon (2333 BCE – 232 BCE). As such, “Ungnyeo” and “Gom” are unequivocally identified as the same figure. Nonetheless, the notability of “Ungnyeo” remains secular to most modern Koreans. That Gom is also involved with the bear constellation, the Northern Dipper in particular, remains esoteric at best. The bear mytheme of the Goma myth offers an insight to the etymology of both words, “Mago” and “Goma.” Given the mythological evidence that associates both Goma and Mago with the bear constellation, we may establish that the syllable “Go (姑 Ancient Goddess)” in “Mago” and “Goma” is derived from “Gom,” which means the bear in Korean. Modified by “Ma,” a universal sound for “mother,” both “Goma” and “Mago” refer to the Bear Mother. This assessment merits, among others, an explanation for the bear mytheme in the Goma myth in which Goma is depicted as the head of the royal bear clan.
The bear is one of the most prominent symbols of Goma and Mago together with the nine and the tree. Goma, as the bear Goddess, holds together the animal bear, the bear worshipping people, and the circumpolar constellation of the Bears (Ursa Major and Ursa Minor) in the Northern Hemisphere. Indicating the bear totem and the bear constellation, the bear symbol runs through her myths and linguistics. In the story, the cave initiation that Goma proposed intimates the ancient bear worshippers associated with the bear’s cyclic behaviors including hibernation for the long winter months in a cave. The bear symbol is important in that it connects Goma (the queen of the bear clan), Mago (the Goddess of the bear constellation), and their devotees, “the royal bear clan,” broadly recognized across cultures.
It is not surprising to note that Goma and Mago appear conflated in cultural and devotional practices. Doumu (斗母 Mother of the Northern Dipper) is a prominent example of the amalgamated divine, Magoma. Doumu is well noted for her conflating manifestations among kindred Goddesses in Daoism. Marnix Wells states that Doumu is alternatively identified as Taiyi Yuanjun (太一元君 Goddess of the Great One) and Jiuhuang Daji (九皇大帝 the Great Emperor of Nine Emperors). Doumu is considered as “Mother of Dipper” known as Doumu Yuanjun (斗母元君 “Goddess of the Chariot”) and conflated with Taiyi Yuanjun (太一元君 “Goddess of the Great One”), who is one of the Three Pure Ones. She is considered the mother of the seven stars of the Dipper and two not visible ones, the Jiuhuang Daji (九皇大帝 “Nine Great Divine Kings”).[1] Here Taiyi Yuanjun corresponds to Mago (or the Mago Triad) and Jiuhuwang Daji to Goma (or the Nine Mago Creatrix). As such, Doumu is also related to the number nine symbol, which connects Mago and Goma, a topic to be explained below. Suffice it to say that Doumu, representing Magoma, is a female personification of the inter-cosmic reality unfolded through the circumpolar constellation of the Bears in the Northern Hemisphere in sync with the eco-biotic behavior of bears, as such venerated by their devotees.
Goma’s alternative names include “Ungnyeo (Female Sovereign),” “Hanung (Han Sovereign),” “Cheonung (Heavenly Soverein),” “Daeung (Great Sovereign),” “Seonhwang (Immortal Emperess),” and “Daein (Great Person)” as well as “Ungssi-ja (Decendant of the Goma Clan), “Ungssi-wang” (Ruler of the Goma Clan), and “Ungssi-gun” (Head of the Goma Clan). The Goma words also include such modifiers as “Ung,” “Gom (Gam, Geum, Geom, Kami)” and “Baedal (Barkdal, Baekdal), “Dan.” Given that her worship is old in origin and non-ethnocentric in nature, the Goma epithets are not limited to the above. It is conjectured that she was revered by other names including the aforementioned Goddesses across cultures. In fact, the Magoist hermeneutic of the Goma myth enables us to reassess variant Halmi (Great Mother/Grandmother/Crone) stories in Korea that have the Magoma mytheme. Among them are Gaeyang Halmi, Seogu Halmi, Angadak Halmi, Dangsan Halmi, to name a few. In any case, the epithet “Goma” is by no means a modern invention. Intriguingly, they are found in place-names, state-names and clan-names, to be discussed shortly.
The link between “Ung” and “Gom” is not something unfamiliar to most Koreans. Researchers note that “Goma-seong (Goma Stronghold)” better known “Ungjin-seong” was the capital of ancient Baekje Korea from 475 to 538 CE.[2] However, “Gom” as an alternative epithet of “Goma” remains unfamiliar to many modern Koreans. Furthermore, little known is that “Ungnyeo” is derived from “Goma,” the queen of the bear clan. Korean linguists infer that “Ungsim (熊心)” is an Idu word and should be read “Goma.”[3] Accoding to them, the second character “Sim (心)” meaning “Maeum (마음)” in “Ungsim” is an indicator of its phonetic sound, “Ma.” Following the first character “Go” in “Gom (곰), “Ungsim” should be read as “Goma.” A compound of “Ung (熊)” and “Nyeo (Woman),” “Ungnyeo” is a euphemism for “Ungsim (熊心).” Idu (吏讀 Official’s Script) is an ancient Korean writing system that uses logographic characters for the Korean spoken language. Its use is noted during the early three states (Silla, Goguryeo, Baekje) to Joseon (1392-1919) periods. That Goma is the Idu word for Ungsim offers no small insight. It holds key to unlock a broad range of the Goma words found trans-nationally in East Asia and elsewhere.
The Idu word “Ungsim” for “Goma” holds the key to unlock the Goma words that permeate ancient Korean history, language, and culture. Ungsim-yeon (熊心淵 Goma Lake) and Ungsim-san (熊心山Goma Mountain) and Ungsim-guk (熊心國 Goma State) are the most prominent examples. These place-names show how Goma mythology has shaped the landscape of ancient Korean mytho-histories. Ungsim-yeon (Goma Lake) is associated with Yuhwa (Willow Tree Flower), mother of Jumong, in the foundation myth of Goguryeo (ca. 37 BCE-668 CE). [4] It is told that Yuhwa, one of the three daughters of Habaek, the river deity, met and tied the knot with Haemosu, the son of Heavenly Sovereign. Haemosu, the founder of Buyeo (239 BCE-494 CE), is said to have risen to the throne in Ungsim-san (Goma Mountain). [5] Because of this, Yuhwa was exiled by Habaek. Nonetheless, the story goes that Yuhwa was impregnated by the sunlight and gave birth to an egg from which Jumong, the founder of Goguryeo was born. Undoubtedly, Yuhwa’s story alludes to and echoes Goma’s virgin birth.
Ungsim-san (Goma Mountain) is known as the birth place of Buyeo and Goguryeo, ancient Korean states. For Buyeo (239 BCE-494), Goma Mountain is credited with the place wherein its founder Haemosu rose to the throne. For Goguryeo (37 BCE-668 CE), Goma Mountain is associated with Yuhwa, mother of its founder Jumong. Like “Goma Mountain,” “Goma State” is associated with ancient Korean rulers and their states. It is noted, “According to the Milgi (Esoteric Records), Gaema State (Gaema-guk) is also known as Goma State (Ungsim-guk), which is located in the north of Northern Gama Ranges and 200 li away from Guda State (Guda-guk).”[6] Based on this account, Goma State is contemporaneous with Guda State, part of the Hanguk confederacy (7199?-3898 BCE). Another source states that Gaema State adjacent to Goguryeo (ca. 37 BCE-668 CE) existed until defeated by King Daemusin of Goguryeo in 26 CE. Goguryeo took the state mother (國母) of Gaema-guk as hostage.[7] Here, the state mother is accounted for in the legacy of Goma.
Goma words have characterized Korean identity since ancient times. The following encyclopedic information demonstrates how pervasively the Goma words permeate Korean and East Asian histories, languages and cultures:
It [Goma] is an eponym of the Korean people. It is synonymous as Gam (감), Geom (검), Geum (금) in Korean, Kami and Kamu in Japanese, and Kamui in the Ainu language. Etymologically, it refers to Gom (곰), that is, Ung (熊). It originates from the totemic society of Northern peoples that reveres the bear. Such toponyms as Goma-naru (Goma Ferry) and Goma-seong (Goma Stronghold) of Baekje are its derivatives. The Japanese people called Goryeo [Goguryeo] Goma and Chinese people called Koreans Maek (맥), Yemaek (예맥), Gaema (개마). These are the terms that transliterate or pronounce Goma and Gaema. Thus, it is possible that Goma was the original name for Koreans. Accordingly, there exist the names of place, person, river, and mountain that are similar to Goma.[8]
Gam, Geom, and Geum are the alternatives, which indicate “head,” “chief,” “ruler,” and “nobility.” They are used in words including “Sanggam (your highest),” “Wanggeom (head leader),” and “Imgeom (ruler).” Judong Yang and Eunyong Bak, Korean lingusits, note that Ungnyeo is the divine ruler. Yang writes, “Gam is the old word for ‘divine’ and also referred to as Gom, Geom, and Geum … Ungnyeo’s procreation is the myth derived from Gam and Gom.”[9] Bak, extending Yang’s scheme, that “Gam” means both ruler and the divine.”[10] Jeongwon Sin, based on both Yang and Bak’s linguistic assessments, goes further to say that Ung is interchangeably used with Yong (Dragon) to convey her divine nature.[11] Korean linguists maintain that the verb, gomapda (고맙다 to thank), is derived from gom-dapda (곰답다 to be like Goma).[12] Thus, saying “Gomapseumnida (고맙습니다 Thank you)” would be like “thank you for your being like Goma.” Jeong Howan denotes that the Korean word “Eeomma (Mother)” is derived from “Goma,” Goma-Homa-Oma-Omani/Omae/Eeomeoni/Eeomma.[13] It is also noted that some other state names like Maek and Yemaek reflect Magoma Korean identity.
(To be continued.Full article is available in Goddesses in Myth, History and Culture.)
(Meet Mago Contributor) Helen Hye-Sook Hwang.
Notes
[1] Marnix Wells, The Pheasant Cap Master and the End of History: Linking Religion to Philosophy in Early China (N.P.: Three Pines Press, 2014), 10.
[2] Samguk Sagi (History of the Three States), Baekje Bongi (Main Chronicle of Baekje).
[3] Byeolchul Bak, “Jeoja-waui Daehwa: Urimal-ui Sangsangryeok (Imagination of Our Language) by Howan Jeong, in Sisa Jeoneol (Sisa Journal), last modified June 20, 1996. http://www.sisapress.com/journal/article/91353/. See also “Ungnyeo-neun Gaemaguk-ui Gongjunimisida (Ungneyo is the Princess of Gaema-guk)” https://sites.google.com/site/coreahistory/editorials/editorial-1/0107/.
[4] “King Dongmyeong” in the Samguk Sagi and the Samguk Yusa (Memorability of the Three States). Also the Handan Gogi, Goguryeo Bongi (Main Chronicle of Goguryeo).
[5] Handan Gogi, Samseonggi (History of the Three Sages) Book 1 and Dangun Segi.
[6] Handan Gogi, Taebaed Ilsa, Hanguk Bongi (Main Chronicle of Hanguk).
[7] Hanguk Minjok Munhwa Daebaekgwa Sajeon (Encyclopedia of Korean Folk Culture).
http://encykorea.aks.ac.kr/Contents/Index?dataType=0201&contents_id=E0001620/.
[8] Hangukhak Daebaekgwa Sajeon (Encyclopedia of Korean Studies) Vol. 1 (Seoul: Eulyu Munhwasa, 1991), 625.
[9] Judong Yang, Goga yeongu (Study of Ancient Songs) quoted Jeongwon Sin, “Dangun shinhwa-e boineun Gom-ui silchae (Identity of Gom in the Dangun Myth),” Hanguksa yeongu 118 (2002): 9.
[10] Eunyong Bak, “Gyerim yusa-ui ‘howalgam’-e daehayeo (Investigating ‘tiger refers to Gam’ in the Gyerim yusa), Jayu (Freedom) 7 (1980): 63.
[11] According to Sin, this appears in such historical texts as the Samguk yusa, Sejong Sillok (Annal of King Sejong), and Sinjeung Dongguk Yeoji Seungram (Newly Augmented Survey of the Geography of the Eastern Land Korea). Sin Jeongwon, “Dangun shinhwa-e boineun Gom-ui”, 11-24.
[12] Jaeseong Choe, Yeoksa-wa Eowon-euro Chajaga-neun Uriddang Iyagi (Stories of Our Land Sought through History and Etymology) (Seoul: 21 Century Books, 2015), 85-112.
[13] Byeochul Bak, “Jeoja-waui Daehwa: Urimal-ui Sangsangryeok (Imagination of Our Language) with Howan Jeong, in Sisa Jeoneol (Sisa Journal) 1996, last modified June 20, 1996. http://www.sisapress.com/journal/article/91353/.