The “Other History” of the Chewang un’gi

One of the rare epic poems in the history of Korean literature, the Chewang un’gi, completed by Yi Sŭnghyu in 1287, remained a work never translated in the West till 2022 and little known in Korea itself. This article intends to re-evaluate the Chewang un’gi, presenting it not only as a pivotal text of medieval Korean literature, but also as a possible historical source that on numerous occasions diverges from what is stated by the historiography commonly accepted, studied and taught today. In particular, the article focuses on four historical/mythological episodes treated by Yi Sŭnghyu in an absolutely original way, probably on the basis of as yet unidentified sources. First, there is the use of the Suijŏn (only known as a literary work) as a historical/mythological source. Next there is Tan’gun’s myth, very different from the Samguk yusa’s narration. Continuing, there is the reference to Parhae, where the author becomes a precursor of a topic that will gain the attention of historians only much later, and finally there is the Kyŏnggang’s story, narrated in a more “souverainist” way than in the Samguk yusa

Ancient history · Art · History · Vietnamese History and Culture Studies

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