"with the modern mythologies that pervade North Korea's version of history, which is seen as crucial to the cult of personality and political control, it is alleged that Kim Jong-il was born on Mount Paektu at his father's secret base in 1942 (his actual birth was in 1941 in the Soviet Union) and that his birth was heralded by a swallow, caused winter to change to spring, a star to illuminate the sky, and a double rainbow spontaneously appeared. These claims, like those surrounding his father, are apocryphal and continued throughout his life. Starting in the early 1970s Kim Il-sung"
"Jules (a Chinese boy), and Julie (an English girl) are born, fulfilling the first part of a prophecy foretold by the soothsayer Lao Tzu. That prophecy describes two children, born to different parents, but in the same place at the same hour (when the moon is at its highest point in the night sky) whose mothers both perish at birth, which begins the end of the tyrannical rule of the Empress of China. In addition, the prophecy also states that in order for this dethronement to occur, the so-called ""Twins of Destiny"" must replace two stone tablets at the Temple"
"conceived near Paektu Mountain. The mountain has been considered sacred by Koreans throughout history. According to Korean mythology, it was the birthplace of Dangun, the founder of the first Korean kingdom, Gojoseon (2333–108 BC), whose parents were said to be Hwanung, the Son of Heaven, and Ungnyeo, a bear who had been transformed into a woman. Many subsequent kingdoms of Korea, such as Buyeo, Goguryeo, Balhae, Goryeo and Joseon worshipped the mountain. The Goryeo dynasty (935–1392) first called the mountain ""Paektu"", recording that the Jurchens across the Yalu River were made to live outside of Mount Paektu. The Joseon Dynasty"
"stated that these two shapes ruled the destinies of the two greatest rival kingdoms, Baekje and Silla. During the era of King Uija of Baekje, an encrypted phrase, ""Baekje is full-moon and Silla is half moon"" was found on a turtle's back and it predicted the fall of the Baekje and the rise of the Silla. The prophecy came true when Silla defeated Baekje. Ever since, Koreans have believed a half-moon shape is an indicator of a bright future or victory. Therefore, during ""Chuseok"", families gather together and eat half-moon-shaped ""Songpyeon"" under the full moon, wishing for a brighter future."
"""Dangun"", the ""Sandalwood King"". Dangun reigned as the first human king of Korea, giving to his kingdom the name of Joseon, ""Land of the Morning Calm"". According to some scholars, the name ""Dangun"" is related to the Siberian ""Tengri"" (""Heaven""), 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. Later in the myth, Dangun becomes the ""Sansin"", the ""Mountain God"" (metaphorically of civilising growth, prosperity). Haneullim Haneullim or Haneulnim (하늘님 ""Heavenly King""), also spelled Hananim (하나님) or Hanunim (하느님), Hwanin (환인)"
"in today's Pakistan in Swat Valley and at the time it was ruled by King Indrabhuti. According to the legend, the king had a vision in a dream where a five-pointed golden vajra came very close to him, while there was sun and moon both rising in the eastern sky as an omen predicting Guru Rinpoche's birth. The next day he saw Padma Gyalpo in form of an eight-year-old boy. When Padmasambhava (Guru Rinpoche) was born in the form of Padma Gyalpo, he already had the appearance of an eight-year-old. It is typical that great saints in the Tibetan Buddhist"
"the spirit of the blizzards of Paektu!"" North Korean media also celebrates natural phenomena witnessed at the mountain as portentous. It is also featured on the national anthem of both Koreas and in the Korean folk song Arirang. According to ""Annals of the Joseon Dynasty"", the Yalu and Tumen Rivers were set as the borders in the era of the founder of Joseon Dynasty, Taejo of Joseon (1335–1408). Because of the continuous entry of Korean people into Gando, a region in Manchuria that lay north of the Tumen, Manchu and Korean officials surveyed the area and negotiated a border agreement"
"existed, except the sun, moon, and the stars, came to be. From these two drops came humans and even the gods. The leader of the gods, Cheonjiwang, awoke to the cry of the three roosters; the Rooster Emperor of the Sky (), the Rooster Emperor of the Earth (), and the Rooster Emperor of Humans (). According to some scholars, the cry of the roosters signifies time.) Cheonjiwang knew that the three roosters were crowing because there was no sun. To appease the roosters, Cheonjiwang crafted two suns and two moons, and made the two suns rise and fall every"
"According to legend, as told by the preeminent Noh playwright Zeami, Hata no Kawakatsu first appeared as a child, during the reign of Emperor Kinmei (509–571), discovered in a jar near the gates to the Miwa Shrine by a high court official. The Hatsuse River had overflowed its banks, and the jar had been carried along on the current. As the official believed the child to have come from heaven, these events were reported to the emperor. That night the emperor dreamed of the child, who said that he was the spirit of Qin Shihuangdi, first Emperor of Qin, reborn."
"Earthly Sovereign Earthly Sovereign (地皇, ""Dìhuáng"") was the second Chinese legendary king after Pangu's era. According to ""Yiwen Leiju"" (藝文類聚), he was the second of the Three Sovereigns. According to the ""Records of the Grand Historian"", After he was born, the world was filled in chaos. That year, the sun and the moon born from two eyes of Pangu, the stars from his hairs couldn't move smoothly and correctly, which caused many days without sun, or many days with the sun shined all over each day, or many dangerous fallen star accidents. With his power, Dìhuáng corrected the false. He"
"to be the year when Gautam Buddha was born in Nepal. The second vision happened at Luo Yang during the reign of Mingdi, the second Emperor of the Han Dynasty. In 60 CE, on an auspicious day, the Emperor had a vision (dream) of a saintly person of golden complexion with the Sun and the Moon shining behind his back came near his throne from the heavens and then circled his palace. This incident was correlated with the ancient recorded version and the events were interpreted to mean that the period prophesied in the past, of Buddhism coming to China,"
"is located on the border with China. According to Korean nationalist mythology, Tangun, the mythical founder of Korea, was born on the mountain in 2333 BC. And according to DPRK hagiographic propaganda, the mountain is sacred as the home of Kim Il-sŏng’s anti-Japanese guerrilla base, as well as the birthplace of Kim Jong il. Even though Kim Jong-il was born in the former Soviet Far East near Khabarovsk, DPRK sources claim Kim was born on Mount Paektu, and on that day a bright lode star (kwangmyŏngsŏng) appeared in the sky, so everyone knew a new general had been born. In"
"dynasty's Qianlong Emperor. The large characters reading ""Second Spring under Heaven"" on the northern wall of the square pond are Wang Shu's. Hua Yanjun, a famous folk musician also called Blind Abing, spread the fame of the Second Spring in his song ""The Moon Over a Fountain"" 二泉映月. Although the usual English translation does not clarify what ""fountain"" is meant, the more literal translation would be ""The Moon Reflected in the Waters of the Second Spring."" Second Spring under Heaven The Second Spring or Second-best Spring under Heaven (Chinese: , ""Tiānxià Dìèr Quán"") is the name of a spring in"
"Erlang Shen Erlang Shen (二郎神), or Erlang is a Chinese God with a third truth-seeing eye in the middle of his forehead. Er-lang Shen may be a deified version of several semi-mythical folk heroes who help regulate China's torrential floods, dating variously from the Qin, Sui and Jin dynasties. A later Buddhist source identify him as the second son of the Northern Heavenly King Vaishravana. In the Ming semi-mythical novels ""Creation of the Gods"" and ""Journey to the West"" Erlang Shen is the nephew of the Jade Emperor. In the former he assisted the Zhou army in defeating the Shang."
"Jeollanamdo, on the western slopes of Wolchulsan. Although Doseon's family name was Kim records indicate there was a rumor that Doseon was a descendent of a secondary son of Silla's Great King Taejong Muyeol (664-681). Legend has it Doseon's mother had a conception-dream where she swallowed a beautiful pearl (a symbol of pure wisdom), and during her first month of pregnancy chanted Buddhist scriptures, all the time abstaining from meat, onions and garlic. From infancy on, Doseon was considered a Buddhist prodigy, learning the chants of basic Sutras soon after he could talk. Doseon spent part of his childhood, around"
"Pixiu), the ferocious ""chū"" (), and the tiger (). Huangdi is sometimes said to have been the fruit of extraordinary birth, as his mother Fubao conceived him as she was aroused, while walking in the country, by a lightning bolt from the Big Dipper. She delivered her son on the mount of Shou (Longevity) or mount Xuanyuan, after which he was named. In traditional Chinese accounts, the Yellow Emperor is credited with improving the livelihood of the nomadic hunters of his tribe. He teaches them how to build shelters, tame wild animals, and grow the Five Grains, although other accounts"
"have political background. Huainanzi stated that the great flood was caused by Gong Gong who was use the water to make havoc on the realm of Emperor Yao. Shan Hai Jing narrated another version that the flood was caused by Xiangliu, one of Gong Gong's minister, and was not Gong Gong himself. The story happened after Goddess Nüwa created (molded) humanity from yellow clay, brought them into life, and gave them the ability to reproduce. Gonggong was banging his head into Mount Buzhou, which actually was the pillar to support the heaven. Nüwa then patched the sky with five-colored pebbles"
"emerged as an old man with a full grey beard. This may be because his name ""Old Master"" () can also be read as ""Old Child"". There are some legends about the birth of Abaoji (also known as Yi), the Emperor Taizu of Liao. According to the legends, his mother dreamed that the sun fell from the sky and into her bosom, from which pregnancy followed. When she gave birth, the room is said to have become filled with a mysterious light and extraordinary fragrance. As a newborn, his body was that of a three-year-old, and the legends go on"
"nation. This myth is reputed to be older than that of the mother goddess. Myths similar to that of Dangun are found in Ainu and Siberian cultures. The myth starts with prince ""Hwanung"" (""Heavenly Prince""), son of ""Hwanin"". The prince asked his father to grant him governance over Korea. Hwanin accepted, and Hwanung was sent to Earth bearing three Heavenly Seals and accompanied by three thousand followers. The prince arrived under the holy tree of sandalwood (""Sintansu"" 신단수, 神檀樹) on the holy mountain, where he founded his holy city. At the time of his reign, ""Ungnyeo"" or ""Ungnye"" (웅녀, 熊女)—who"
"forth a bouquet of perfect peonies. On the petals of these flowers, written in gold, were two verses: ""“Clouds shroud Qin Peak, where is my abode? Snow is piled on Languan (Blue Pass), and my horse will not push on”"" Many years later Emperor Xianzong of Tang was offended by Han Yu's criticism of Buddhism. Thus he was demoted from his position in government and banished to Chaozhou. On his way to Chaozhou, Han Yu's journey was blocked due to heavy snowfall on Languan (Blue Pass). At this point he remembered his nephew’s prophecy and cried. Suddenly Han Xiangzi appeared"
"ruler, the Yellow Emperor, was said to have been immortalized into a dragon that resembled his emblem, and ascended to Heaven. The other legendary ruler, the Yan Emperor, was born by his mother's telepathy with a mythical dragon. Since the Chinese consider the Yellow Emperor and the Yan Emperor as their ancestors, they sometimes refer to themselves as """"the descendants of the dragon"""". This legend also contributed towards the use of the Chinese dragon as a symbol of imperial power. Dragons (usually with five claws on each foot) were a symbol for the emperor in many Chinese dynasties. During the"
"Cheonjiwang Bonpuri The Cheonjiwang Bonpuri ( ""Chronicles of Cheonjiwang"") is a Korean creation myth, traditionally retold by shamans on the Jejudo. It is one of the best-known creation myths in the Korean Peninsula and many key elements in the ""Cheonjiwang Bonpuri"" can be found in the creation myths of the mainland. Despite its title, the supreme deity Cheonjiwang (), whose name means ""King of the Heavens and the Earth"", serves mainly as a secondary character. The protagonists of the myth are instead the two sons of Cheonjiwang, Daebyeol and Sobyeol. The myth starts with the creation of the world, when"
"at his execution a wonderful miracle would convince the opposing court faction of Buddhism's power. Ichadon's scheme went as planned, and the opposing officials took the bait. When Ichadon was executed on the 15th day of the 9th month in 527, his prophecy was fulfilled; the earth shook, the sun was darkened, beautiful flowers rained from the sky, his severed head flew to the sacred Geumgang mountains, and milk instead of blood sprayed 100 feet in the air from his beheaded corpse. The omen was accepted by the opposing court officials as a manifestation of heaven's approval, and Buddhism was"
"to be older than that of the mother goddess. Myths similar to that of Dangun are found in Ainu and Siberian cultures. The myth starts with prince ""Hwanung"" (""Heavenly Prince""), son of ""Hwanin"". The prince asked his father to grant him governance over Korea. Hwanin accepted, and Hwanung was sent to Earth bearing three Heavenly Seals and accompanied by three thousand followers. The prince arrived under the holy tree of sandalwood (""Sintansu"" 신단수, 神檀樹) on the holy mountain, where he founded his holy city. At the time of his reign, ""Ungnyeo"" or ""Ungnye"" (웅녀, 熊女)—who was a she-bear—and a tiger"
"and he built a pavilion, Eegun, overlooking the islet so that future kings could pay their respects to the great King Munmu. In a dream, King Munmu and the famous general Kim Yu-shin appeared to King Sinmun and said to him: ""Blowing on a bamboo flute will calm the heavens and the earth."" King Sinmun awoke from the dream, rode out to the sea and received the bamboo flute Monposikjuk. It was said that the blowing of the bamboo flute invoked the spirits of King Munmu and General Kim Yu-shin and would push back enemy troops, cure illnesses, bring rain"
"something particular (in the first dream, a flood, while in the second dream, a fruit bearing vine) emerging from his daughter Mandane's pelvis and covering the entirety of Asia. After consulting the Magi, he was informed that the dreams foreshadowed the birth of a child who would eventually rule in his place. Terrified by the prophecies, Astyages summoned Harpagus and commanded him to kill the child after it's born. Harpagus, however, was reluctant to kill the child and so assigned the task to one of Astyages' cowherds. The cowherd likewise hesitated and so he and his wife devised a plan"
"made the sun, the moon move correctly, and stipulated the days of a month, the months of a year. Dìhuáng`s rule lasted thirty-six thousand years. He created Mount Xiong'er (熊耳山 ""Xióng'ĕr Shān"") and Mount Longmen (龍門山 ""Lóngmén Shān""). His successor was Human Sovereign. Earthly Sovereign Earthly Sovereign (地皇, ""Dìhuáng"") was the second Chinese legendary king after Pangu's era. According to ""Yiwen Leiju"" (藝文類聚), he was the second of the Three Sovereigns. According to the ""Records of the Grand Historian"", After he was born, the world was filled in chaos. That year, the sun and the moon born from two eyes"
"is most often referred to as the ""bright star"", although the ""shining star"" () is also used. According to legend, a bright star appeared on the sky the night he was born, and guerilla fighters carved messages on trees proclaiming: ""Three Heroes Shining in Korea with the Spirit of Mount Paekdu: Kim Il Sung, Kim Chŏng-suk, and ""Kwangmyŏngsŏng"" ('The Bright Star')"" and ""Oh! Korea! The Paekdu Star Was Born!"" Kim's birthday had been provisionally celebrated from 1976 on, but it became a national holiday only in 1982, two days after he became a member of the Politburo of the Workers'"
"is ""a cosmic product of the conflation of Heaven and Earth"". The Yellow God is in turn described as the ""spirit father and astral double"" of the Yellow Emperor. As a human being, the Yellow Emperor is said to have been the fruit of a virginal birth, as his mother Fubao was impregnated by a radiance (""yuanqi"", ""primordial pneuma""), a lightning, which she saw encircling the Northern Dipper (Great Chariot, or Ursa Major), or the celestial pole, while she was walking in the countryside. She delivered her son after twenty-four months on the mount of Shou (Longevity) or mount Xuanyuan,"
"Yellow Emperor ""proceeds from the essence of the Yellow God of the Northern Dipper"", is born to ""a daughter of a chthonic deity"", and as such he is ""a cosmic product of the conflation of Heaven and Earth"". As a human being, the Yellow Emperor was conceived by a virgin mother, Fubao, who was impregnated by Taiyi's radiance (""yuanqi"", ""primordial pneuma""), a lightning, which she saw encircling the Northern Dipper (Great Chariot, or broader Ursa Major), or the celestial pole, while walking in the countryside. She delivered her son after twenty-four months on the mount of Shou (Longevity) or mount"
"region or ""steamer mountain"". """"Do"""" (道) denotes Tao, the way. Considered as a whole, therefore, the name """"Jeung San Do"""" signifies the highest truth that surpasses all existing religions and teachings. Sangjenim means ""Highest Emperor"", and is cognate of the Chinese ""Shangdi"". It is the governing spirit of the universe, and Jeung San Do believe he was incarnated as Gang Il-sun., although God for Jeung San Do also exists as God the mother, incarnated on earth as Goh Pan-Lye. Jeung San Do teaches that, at the age of seven, Sangjenim attained a sudden spiritual awakening while watching a performance of"
"initially developed as a Taoist immortal/Deity before being incorporated into Buddhist legends. He is also considered by some scholars to be influenced by elements of both Chinese folk tales and the Hindu deity Hanuman from the ""Ramayana"". According to the legend, Sun Wukong is born from a magic stone that sits atop the Mountain of Flowers and Fruit. The stone develops a magic womb, which bursts open one day to produce a stone egg about the size of a ball. When wind blows on the egg, it turns into a stone monkey that can already crawl and walk. He bows"
"Nakseongdae Nakseongdae (; ) is a park located in Gwanak, Seoul. It is the birthplace of General Gang Gamchan in Goryeo Dynasty. Nakseongdae means ""the place where a star was fallen"" in Hanja. The star means general Gang Gamchan, who became the hero to defeat the large force of Khitan (Liao dynasty). It is originated from the legend that General Gam's mother bore him after she had dreamed that a star was fallen to her breast. In 1972, this place was designated as Seoul City Historical Legacy No.4. In 1973-1974, Anguksa Shrine () was constructed. This shrine is dedicated to"