Haneunim or Hanunim ( Korean: 하느님; lit. Heavenly Lord; Lord of Heaven) [a] [1] is the sky God of Cheondoism and Jeungsanism. [1] In the more Buddhist-aligned parts of these religions, he is identified with Indra. In the more Taoist-aligned parts of these religions, he is also known as Okhwang Sangje (옥황상제; 玉皇上帝; lit. Highest Deity the Jade Emperor) and under that name, he is a deity in the Poncheongyo religion. [2]
Dangun is traditionally considered to be the grandson of Hwanin, the "Heavenly King", and founder of the Korean nation. [3] Myths similar to that of Dangun are found in Ainu [4] and Siberian cultures. [5]
The myth starts with prince Hwanung ("Heavenly Prince"), son of Hwanin. The prince asked his father to grant him governance over Korea. [6] Hwanin accepted, and Hwanung was sent to Earth bearing three Heavenly Seals and accompanied by three thousand followers. [6] The prince arrived under the Sindansu/Shindansu (신단수; 神檀樹, " Holy Tree of Sandalwood") [7] on the holy mountain, where he founded his holy city. [6]
At the time of his reign, Ungnyeo or Ungnye (웅녀, 熊女) [7]—who was a bear—and a tiger were living in a cave near the holy city, praying earnestly that their wish to become part of humankind might be fulfilled. [6] Ungnyeo patiently endured weariness and hunger, and after twenty-one days she was transformed into a woman, while the tiger ran away for it could not tolerate the effort. [6] The woman Ungnyeo was overjoyed, and visiting the sandalwood city she prayed that she might become the mother of a child. [6]
Ungnye's wish was fulfilled, so that she became the queen and gave birth to a prince who was given the royal name of Dangun, the "Sandalwood King". [6] Dangun reigned as the first human king of Korea, giving to his kingdom the name of Joseon, "Land of the Morning Calm", in 2333 BC. [6]
According to some scholars, the name Dangun is related to the Turko-Mongol Tengri ("Heaven"), [8] while the bear is a symbol of the Big Dipper (i.e. Ursa Major), itself a symbol of the supreme God in many Eurasian cultures, including Chinese theological thought. [9] Later in the myth, Dangun becomes the Sansin, the "Mountain God" (metaphorically of civilising growth, prosperity). [10]
Counterparts of Haneullim in other Asian cultures