Prince Hodong and Nakrang Princess
| Prince Hodong and the Princess of Nakrang | |
| Hangul | 호동왕자와 낙랑공주 (S) 호동왕자와 락랑공주 (N) |
|---|---|
| Hanja | 好童王子 樂浪公主 |
| Revised Romanization | Hodong wangja wa Nangnang gongju |
| McCune–Reischauer | Hodong wangja wa Rangnang gongju |
The Korean legend of Prince Hodong and the Princess of Nangnang is the story of a Princess who betrays her own country for the love of a Prince of the foe country. While this story is set during the reign of King Muhyeol of Goguryeo (AD 18-44), the first extant account is the Samguk Sagi (삼국사기), published 11 centuries later. It records that Nakrang had a drum that sounded by itself in case of foreign invasion. In order to invade Nangang, King Muhyeol ordered his son, Prince Hodong, to use the Princess of Nangnang in order to tear apart the mystical drum, resulting in the fall of Nangnang. Nevertheless, Hodong wasn't made Crown Prince of Goguryeo and the throne passed to a brother of Muhyeol (and then to another son).
This tale about nations, war, love, betrayal, and death has been the topic of many dramatizations and philosophical comments.
The Samguk Sagi, Chronicles of the Three Kingdoms (Goguryeo, Baekje and Silla) were published in 1145. The purpose of the author Kim Busik was to face a situation where
Around 600 AD, each of the Three Kingdoms had produced their own records: Sogi (Records, circa 370, Baekje), Kuksa (National History, 545, Silla) and Sinjip (600, Goguryeo). But these records were lost during the continual wars between the Kingdoms, and also the many invasions that occurred along the centuries. It is not clear how much of these records were actually at the disposal of Kim Busik when he wrote his Chronicles. Moreover, the Chronicles were compiled in order to illustrate a stricter Confucian doctrine, intended to be the keystone to order family relationships and to govern the state.
Therefore, it cannot be said if this legend of a Jamyeong Drum 자명고, i.e. of a Self-beating drum, was a part of the former Goguryeo's Sinjip, or some "original research" added by Kim Busik in order to illustrate his own point of view.
This Korean counterpart of the Romeo and Juliette story has been largely used nowadays as a source of inspiration by various artists and essayists. Among them:
The Korean 낙랑 Nangnang can either refer to:
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