Lady Saso

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Lady Saso
Hangul
사소부인
Hanja
娑蘇夫人
Revised RomanizationSaso Buin
McCune–ReischauerSaso Buin

Lady Saso (Korean: 사소부인; Hanja: 娑蘇夫人) is said to be the mother of Hyeokgeose of Silla. Also known as the Sacred Mother of Mt. Seondo (Hangul:선도산), legends say she was a princess from the Chinese royal family.[1][2][3][4] Having coming from China and settling upon the Jinhan Confederacy, she gave birth to Hyeokgeose of Silla.

Nonetheless, Korean historians have long questioned her origins noting the case of Kim Bu-sik, the Goryeo bureaucrat whom authored the Samguk Sagi, having being clueless about these 'tales and rumors' as he puts it. The Chinese guide Wang Fu (Traditional Chinese: 王黼) of the Song dynasty explained to Kim Bu-sik who saw the statue of a woman in Wuxingwan (Traditional Chinese: 佑神館) as someone who was "the goddess of your country who was a daughter of an old Chinese Emperor that fled East after being suspected of being pregnant without her husband." Kim Bu-sik thought these descriptions strange enough he nor the Korean people back then ever heard of such tales. There is also criticism that these tales are no different from old deifications related to Sinocentrism, claiming false Chinese or unidentified individuals as supposed ancestors as the practice were frequent back then.[5] On the other hand, under the pretext that she is in fact a long lost Chinese princess, some suspect her to be from either one of the dynasties during the Warring State Period; Qin, Yan, and Wei being likely candidates. Others presume she was the princess of the Qin Dynasty due to the passage in the Book of Jin quoting, "Qin(秦)'s old immigrants fled to Jinhan to avoid harsh labor."

When Il-yeon built Samguk yusa in the future, he wrote a legendary addition to the story of Lady Saso, paying attention to Kim Bu-sik's story.[6]

Outline[]

The following description is from the Samguk Yusa (Memorabilia of the three Kingdoms), volume 5, clause 7.

神母本中國帝室之女。名娑蘇。早得神仙之術。歸止海東。久而不還。父皇寄書繫足云。隨鳶所止為家。蘇得書放鳶。飛到此山而止。遂來宅為地仙。故名西鳶山。神母久據茲山。鎮祐邦國。靈異甚多。 The Sacred Mother was called SaSo and she was born in the Chinese royal family. She got sacred power and came to Hae Dong (Hangul:해동/Korea), lived there and stayed there for long time. She tied a letter to the foot of a kite saying “Let’s build a house where the kite stops”. Once she wrote the letter and released the kite, it flew to Mt. Seondo (West mountain of Gyeongju/慶州) and stopped there. She decided to live there and became Xian (仙) of the land. That mountain was named as West Kite mountain and the Sacred Mother SaSo stayed there as her base for quite a long time and ruled the country. There are a lot of miracles around that mountain as well.

其始到辰韓也。生聖子為東國始君。蓋赫居閼英二聖之所自也。故稱雞龍雞林白馬等。雞屬西故也。嘗使諸天仙織羅。緋染作朝衣。贈其夫。國人因此始知神驗。 She came to the Jinhan confederacy in the beginning, gave birth to sacred children and became the first king of the eastern country. Probably those children were Aryeong and Hyeokgeose of Silla. That’s why they are called Gye-Nong (Hangul:계농), Gye-Rim (Hangul:계림), Baek-Ma (Hangul:백마) and so on: because Gye (Hangul:계) belongs to west side. One day, SaSo made a fairy of the heavens weave silk cloth, dye it in scarlet and make a Korean garment. She sent this garment to her husband. This was the first time people in the country knew of her miracles.

Criticism[]

This is presumed to be the propaganda of Chinese Sinocentrism, such as the claim that Japan was descended from Xu Fu(徐福), who went to save the elixir(不老草) under Qin Shi Huang(秦始皇)'s direction. The Xiongnu was descended from Lü-Gui(履癸王), the last king of Xia(夏). Western Xia claims they are descendants of ancient Xia. And that the case of Gojoseon(朝鮮) and Gouwu(句吳). Absorbing through this kind of propaganda has long been China's way.

See also: Sinicization and Sinocentrism

According to Samguk Yusa, they are called Gye-Nong (Hangul:계농), Gye-Rim (Hangul:계림), Baek-Ma (Hangul:백마). However, the first mention of "Gye-Rim (Hangul:계림), Gye (Hangul:계)" is mentioned for the first time in the Kim Al-ji legend. Not in Hyeokgeose legend. It's an error by the Chinese historian who lacked an understanding of early Korean history.

Family[]

N/A사소부인
Saso
혁거세 거서간
Hyeokgeose		알영부인
Aryeong
남해 차차웅
Namhae

References[]

  1. ^ Encyclopedia of Korean Culture 사소 娑蘇. Encyclopedia of Korean Culture.
  2. ^ "국어국문학자료사전 사소 娑蘇". 국어국문학자료사전.
  3. ^ 野村伸一. 東シナ海周辺の女神信仰という視点 (PDF). 慶應義塾大学日吉紀要. 言語・文化・コミュニケーション No.26. 慶應義塾大学日吉紀要刊行委員会. p. 3. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-11-16. Retrieved 2017-01-22.
  4. ^ 延恩株. 新羅の始祖神話と日神信仰の考察 ― 三氏（朴・昔・金）の始祖説話と娑蘇神母説話を中心に ―. 桜美林大学桜美林論考『言語文化研究』第2号. 桜美林大学. p. 94. Retrieved 2017-01-22.
  5. ^ 三國史記 > 卷第十二 新羅本紀 第十二 > 敬順王 > 論曰. 新羅朴氏·昔氏皆自卵生, 金氏從天入金樻而降, 或云乗金車. 此尤詭怪, 不可信, 然丗俗相傳, 爲之實事. 政和中, 我朝遣尚書李資諒入宋朝貢, 臣富軾以文翰之任輔行. 詣佑神舘, 見一堂設女仙像. 舘伴學士王黼曰, “此貴國之神, 公等知之乎.” 遂言曰, “古有帝室之女, 不夫而孕, 爲人所疑, 乃泛海, 抵辰韓生子, 爲海東始主. 帝女爲地仙, 長在仙桃山, 此其像也.” 臣又見大宋國信使王襄祭東神聖母文, 有“娠賢肇邦” 之句. 乃知東神則仙桃山神聖者也, 然而不知其子王於何時.
  6. ^ 三國遺事 > 卷 第五 > 感通第七 > 仙桃聖母隨喜佛事 > 神母夲中國帝室之女. 名娑蘇, 早得神仙之術歸止海東乆而不還. 父皇寄書繫足云. “随鳶所止爲家.” 蘇得書放鳶飛到此山而止. 遂来宅爲地仙. 故名西鳶山. 神母久㩀兹山鎮祐邦國霊異甚多, 有國已来常爲三祀之一, 秩在群望之上. 第五十四景明王好使鷹, 甞登此放鷹而失之. 禱於神母曰, “若得鷹當封爵.” 俄而鷹飛来止机上, 因封爵大王焉. 其始到辰韓也生聖子爲東國始君, 盖赫居·閼英二聖之所自也. 故稱雞龍·雞林·白馬等雞属西故也. 甞使諸天仙織羅緋染作朝衣贈其夫, 國人因此始知神驗. 又國史史臣曰. 軾政和中甞奉使人宋, 詣佑神舘有一堂設女仙像. 舘伴學士王黼曰, “此是貴國之神, 公知之乎.” 遂言曰, “古有中國帝室之女泛海抵辰韓, 生子爲海東始祖, 女爲地仙長在仙桃山, 此其像也. 又大宋國使王襄到我朝祭東神聖母女, 有娠賢肇邦之句.” 今能施金奉佛爲含生開香火作津梁, 豈徒學長生而囿於溟濛者哉.
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