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{{Short description|Figure in Korean origin mythology}}
{{More citations needed|date=December 2009}}
[[File:천부인 (天符印).jpg|thumb|250px|The ''[[Three Heavenly Seals]]'' ([[:ko:천부인|천부인]]; {{lang|ko|天符印}}, "Heavenly Talisman Seals") given to Hwanung in the shapes of a sword, mirror, and drum.]]

{{Infobox Korean name
|hangul=환웅
|hanja=桓雄
|rr=Hwanung
|mr=Hwanung
}}
'''Hwanung''' ([[Korean language|Korean]] for the "Supreme Divine Regent") is an important figure in the [[Korean mythology|mythological origins]] of [[Korea]]. He plays a central role in the story of [[Dangun]] Wanggeom (단군왕검/{{lang|ko|檀君王儉}}), the legendary founder of [[Gojoseon]], the first kingdom of Korea.  Hwanung is the son of [[Hwanin]] (환인; {{lang|ko|桓因}}), the "Lord of Heaven". Along with his ministers of clouds, rain, and wind, he instituted laws and moral codes and taught the humans various arts, medicine, and agriculture.

==Creation myth==
According to the Dangun creation myth, Hwanung yearned to live on the earth among the valleys and the mountains. Hwanin permitted Hwanung and 3000 followers to depart and they descended from heaven to a [[sandalwood]] tree on [[Baekdu Mountain]], then called [[Taebaek Mountains|Taebaek Mountain]] (태백산/{{lang|ko|太伯山}}).  There Hwanung founded [[Sinsi]] ([[:ko:신시|신시]]/{{lang|ko|神市}}, "City of God") and gave himself the title Heaven King. In a cave near the sandalwood tree lived a bear and a tiger who came to the tree every day to pray to Hwanung. One day Hwanung gave the bear and the tiger twenty bulbs of garlic and some divine [[mugwort]].  Hwanung promised if they ate only his garlic and mugwort and stayed in the cave out of the sunlight for one hundred days he would make them human.<ref>{{harvnb|Thomas|2008}}</ref>

The tiger and the bear agreed and went back to the cave, but tiger was too hungry and impatient to wait, leaving the cave before the 100 days were done.  But the bear remained, and on the 21st day was transformed into a beautiful woman, who gratefully honored Hwanung with offerings.  With time the woman grew lonely, and prayed to Hwanung that she might have a child.  So Hwanung made her his wife and gave her a son called Dangun, a name which has two meanings: "Altar Prince" and sandalwood.  Dangun eventually founded [[Gojoseon]].<ref>{{harvnb|Stocker|2009|page=383}}</ref>

==Popular culture==
* Portrayed by [[Bae Yong-joon]] in the 2007 [[Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation|MBC]] TV series ''[[The Legend (TV series)|The Legend]]''.

==See also==

* [[Dangun]]
* [[Hwanin]]
* [[Gojoseon]]

==References==
===Citations===
{{reflist|30em}}

===Bibliography===
* {{cite book |title=The Paeolithic Paradigm |first=Terry |last=Stocker |year=2009 |publisher=AuthorHouse |isbn=978-1-4490-2292-1 }}
* {{cite book |title=Brother One Cell: An American Coming of Age in South Korea's Prisons |first=Cullen |last=Thomas |year=2008 |isbn=978-0-14-311311-9 |publisher=Penguin |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/brotheronecellam0000thom }}

[[Category:Creation myths]]
[[Category:Korean gods]]
[[Category:Korean mythology]]
[[Category:Dangun]]
[[Category:Gojoseon]]