posted 04-12-03 11:16 AM EDT (US)   

Ancient Age: Hwarang
Classical Age: Elite Hwarang
Medieval Age: Royal Hwarang
Gunpowder Age: Elite Royal Hwarang

posted 04-12-03 11:20 AM EDT (US)    1 / 13  

Records of Hwarang are classified into the following two types: general information and each Hwarang's biography.

Let's examine the former to sketch out Hwarang. The sources are:

1. Samguk Sagi: Silla Bongi: King Jinheung: the 37th year: spring (the only episode of Hwarang at Silla Bongi [History of Silla])
2. Samguk Yusa: Vol. III: Maitreya

Here are English translations based on Peter H. Lee's. They are not precise but bad translations. If you read Classical Chinese, please check the original texts.

1.
At first Wonhwa [original flower] was/were admired. At first the King and his officials were perplexed by the problem of finding a way to discover the talented people. They wished to have people disport themselves in groups so that they could observe their behavior and thus elevate the talented among them to positions of service. Therefore two beautiful girls, Nammo and Junjeong were selected, and a group of some three hundred people gathered around them. But the two girls competed with and begrudged each other. In the end, Junjeong enticed Nammo to her home and, plying her with wine till she was drunk, threw her into a river and killed her. Junjeong was put to death and the group became discordant and dispersed.
Afterwards, beautiful youths were chosen instead. Faces made up and beautifully dressed, they were respected as Hwarang. Men of various sorts gathered around them like clouds. Some instructed one another in the Way and in righteousness. Some entertained one another with songs and music, or went sightseeing to even the most distant mountains and rivers. Much can be learned of a man's character by watching him in these activities. Those who fared well were recommended to the court.
Kim Daemun, in his Hwarang Segi [Annals of the Hwarang], remarks: "Henceforth able ministers and loyal subjects are chosen from them, and good generals and brave soldiers are born therefrom."
Choe Chiwon in his preface to the Nallang Pi [Inscription on the Monument of Nallang] says: "There is a wonderful and mysterious way in the country, called Pungnyu [refined pursuits]. The origins of the institution are detailed in Seonsa [the history of the immortal]. In fact it embraces the Three Teachings [Buddhism, Confucianism and Taoism] and transforms myriad men. It is a tenet of the Minister of Crime of Lu [Confucius] that one should be filial to one's parents and loyal to one's sovereign; it is the belief of the Keeper of Archives of Zhou [Laozi] that one should be at home in the action of inaction and practice the wordless doctrine; and it is the teaching of the Indian Prince [Buddha] that one should avoid evil and do many good deeds."
Linghu Cheng of the Tang dynasty, moreover, in the Xingluo Guoji [Record of Silla], states that "Those who were chosen from the beautiful sons of the nobles and their faces and made up were dressed up were called Hwarang, and were respected and served by their countrymen."

2.
The twenty-fourth monarch of Silla, King Jinheung: his surname was Kim; his given name was Sammaekjong or Simmaekjong. He ascended the throne in the sixth year of Datong of the Liang dynasty, the gengshen year [540]. In pursuance of the will of his uncle, King Beopheung, he devotedly served the Buddha, erected monasteries, and issued certificates to monks and nuns. He naturally liked the idea of immortal hermits.
He searched houses for beautiful girls and made them girls Wonhwa. His purport was to select persons of character and teach them filial piety, brotherly love, loyalty, and sincerity - the substance of governing the country. At the time two Wonhwa, Nammo and Gyojeong (or Junjeong), were chosen Their followers numbered three to four hundred. Being jealous of Nammo, Gyojeing invited her to a party, made her drunk with wine, and led her to the banks of the North River, where she struck her dead with a stone and buried her. Unable to find her, Nammo's followers wept sadly and departed. One who knew of the crime then composed a song and had it sung by children. Thus Nammo's group went to the river, found her body in the midstream, and killed Gyojeing. Thereupon the king ordered the wonhwa abolished and many years passed.
He wanted to made the country flourished and thought he had to give priority to Pungwoldo [way of wind and moon]. He ordered a selection of virtuous youths from good families and made them Hwanang [flower girl]. At first, Seolwollang was made Gukseon [national immortal]. This was the beginning of Gukseon. Thereafter a monument was erected in Myeongju, and the king had the people refrain from evil and do good, respect their superiors, and be kind to their inferiors. Thus the five cardinal virtues [Confucian teachings: goodness, righteousness, decorum, wisdom, and fidelity], the six arts [Confucian studies: etiquette, music, archery, charioteering, calligraphy, and mathematics], the three teachers [Buddhist teachers], and the six ministers [as Tang Emperor Taizong said] came into use.

That's all about Hwarang. Do you still believe Hwarang was a group of elite warriors? The aspect of warrior cannot be deduced. There are no record of military training or of Hwarang as warrior groups. All that associates Hwarang with military affairs is Hwarang Segi's explanation, quoted by Samguk Sagi: "Henceforth able ministers and loyal subjects are chosen from them, and good generals and brave soldiers are born therefrom." Ironically, this proves that they were neither generals nor soldiers when they belonged to Hwarang.

posted 04-12-03 11:23 AM EDT (US)    2 / 13  

Hwarang followers sources

posted 04-12-03 11:26 AM EDT (US)    3 / 13  

Quoted from GameSpy.com:

What is the basis for this? "Wu-chang Liu-yi, San-shi Liu-zheng" at the above mentioned Samguk Yusa. That is a beautiful couplet and sounds a set of treacherous cliches in Classical Chinese. Furthermore there is nothing special to mention. Wu-chang are Confucian teaching and Liu-yi were liberal arts in Ancient China. San-shi were Buddhist occupations. Liu-zheng are teachings of Emperor Taizong of Tang China (r. 627-649). (Be careful of the reign, long after the establishment of Hwarang in middle 6th century) They were all very common in China. Note that "yu," the fourth of the six arts, which this article translated into "horsemanship," means charioteering.

Sometimes the five codes called Sesok-ogye is referred to as the codes of Hwarang. According to Samguk Sagi, a famous Buddhist monk Won-gwang taught Sesok-ogye to Gwisan and Chuhang, who later joined the army and won martial glory. This is the only episode mentioning Sesok-ogye. No record says Gwisan and Chuhang were Hwarang members. Therefore nothing connects Sesok-ogye with Hwarang.

A game does not necessarily have to stick with historical facts, but the Elite Royal Hwarang in the Gunpowder Age is terrible. Do you know what Hwarang meant during the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910)? Male shaman or prostitute, both of which were bottom in rank. And Choe Kilsung's anthropological research shows that a male shaman is still called Hwarang in southeastern Korea. Elite Royal Prostitute? That's why I laughed.

posted 04-13-03 00:13 AM EDT (US)    7 / 13  

i won't get into another heated debate like last time..

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So did I.. good laugh..

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posted 04-15-03 01:09 AM EDT (US)    13 / 13  

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