Lady Yuhwa

Habaengnyeo (Korean: ; Hanja: Template:Category handler) or Habaengnyeorang (Korean: ; Hanja: Template:Category handler) was the daughter of Habaek (Korean: ; Hanja: Template:Category handler), and the mother of Dongmyeong of Goguryeo (Ko Chumong), the founder of the kingdom of Goguryeo. She was also given the name Yuhwa (Korean: ; Hanja: Template:Category handler) in Samguk Sagi and Samguk Yusa.

Mythological overview

File:Lady Yuhwa and King Geumwa.png

Lady Yuhwa being found by King Geumwa by Sadahide in his book Chōsenseihatsuki (1854)

Habaek, the god of the Amnok River, had three beautiful daughters: Yuhwa, Hwonhwa (Korean: ; Hanja: Template:Category handler), and Wihwa (Korean: ; Hanja: Template:Category handler). The sisters were playing on the riverside, but ran away when they saw Hae Mo-su (Korean: ; Hanja: Template:Category handler) approaching them. To lure the ladies, Hae Mo-su built an exquisitely decorated palace and held a banquet. After the sisters came into the palace and became drunk, Hae Mo-su attempted to block the exit, and was able to capture Yuhwa.

Outraged by kidnapping of Yuhwa, Habaek sent his messenger to scold Hae Mo-su. Ashamed by his own actions, Hae Mo-su tried to let Yuhwa go, but Yuhwa refused to leave because she had fallen in love with him. To solve the problem, Hae Mo-su summoned a chariot drawn by five dragons and went to Habaek's palace. When they arrived, Habaek challenged Hae Mo-su to a duel of metamorphosis.

Habaek transformed into a carp, a pheasant, and a deer, only to be caught by Hae Mo-su when he transformed into an otter, a hawk, and a wolf respectively. Witnessing the talent of Hae Mo-su, Habaek held a banquet to celebrate the marriage. Once the couple became drunk, Habaek put them into a leather bag, and loaded it into the dragon chariot to ascend the couple to Heaven. However, Hae Mo-su woke up in the middle of the journey, and ran away to Heaven alone by cutting the leather bag with Yuhwa's golden hairpin.

When Yuhwa came back alone, Habaek saw her as a disgrace to the family. Habaek had her lips stretched out, and exiled her to Wubalsu or Wubal Pond (Korean: ; Hanja: Template:Category handler), located at the south of Taebaeksan or Taebaek Mountain (Korean: ; Hanja: Template:Category handler) along with two servants.

One day a fisherman reported to Geumwa of Buyeo that a strange creature was strolling underwater. The king ordered the capture of the creature, and Yuhwa was pulled out from the water. Because her lips were stretched, they had to be cut three times for her to speak. The king realized that she was the concubine of Son of the Heaven, thus kept her in a detached palace where the sunlight followed Yuhwa and made her pregnant.

Family

• Father: Habaek (Template:Category handler)
  • Sister: Wuihwa (Template:Category handler)
  • Sister: Hweonhwa (Template:Category handler)
  • Husband: Geumwa of Dongbuyeo (Template:Category handler)
  • Husband: Hae Mo-su of Buyeo (Template:Category handler)
    • Son: Dongmyeong of Goguryeo (Template:Category handler)

Popular culture

• Portrayed by Oh Yeon-soo in the 2006–2007 MBC TV series Jumong.

Sources

• Samguk Yusa, by Il-yeon

See also

• List of Korean monarchs
• History of Korea
• Three Kingdoms of Korea