Samguk yusa () ) is a collection of legends, folktales, and historical accounts relating to the Three Kingdoms of Korea (Goguryeo, Baekje, and Silla), as well as to other periods and states before, during, and after the Three Kingdoms period. It was compiled by the Buddhist monk Il-yeon in the late Goryeo dynasty, around 1280, and was originally written in Classical Chinese. which records the founding of Gojoseon as the first Korean nation. Samguk yusa is National Treasure No. 306.
Samguk yusa is a history record composed of five volumes divided into nine parts. It documents various tales and legends which are categorized into two parts: historical events and Buddhist narratives. The text contains various historical narratives such as tales of the Three Kingdoms period, myths, legends, genealogies, histories, and Buddhist tales, which have helped maintain folklore from medieval Korea. "Yusa" is a term used to describe a text that is supplementary to an earlier work. Samguk yusa is intended to provide additional information to texts such as the Samguk sagi. The author, Il-yeon, became a monk at the age of eight in 1214, working as an abbot in various temples, attending royal conferences at the king's command, and hosting important Buddhist events until his death in 1289.
However, there is also criticism that the sense of "one blood" could marginalize those who are not regarded as "genuinely Korean", as well as restrict the different ways that people could consider themselves Korean by eliminating diverse and possible viewpoints that are not rooted in this conservative mythology.
20th-century Korean scholars such as Choe Nam-seon established the Buddhist monk Il-yeon (1206–1289) as the main compiler of the text, on the basis that his name (and full official title) was indicated in the fifth fascicle. This view is widely accepted among modern scholars. The compilation is believed to have been expanded by Il-yeon's disciple Muguk (1250–1322) and several others prior to the definitive 1512 recension.
National heritage
thumb|265x265px|Gojoseon Tangun-Wanggeom StatueSamguk yusa is considered an extremely important cultural heritage representing ancient Korean history and culture. It includes ancient literary works about history, Buddhism, and legends, most of which does not exist in modern times.
Moreover, the Samguk yusa is one of a limited number of sources for the study of ancient Korean language systems. In particular, its fourteen pieces of hyangga (ancient Korean folk songs) are especially important in the study of classical Korean literature. Additionally, Il-yeon uses different styles of writing, including ones from the Sinitic Buddhist Culture.
The book also includes plenty of information on Buddhist art, the dominant type of art in ancient Korean art history. In particular, Tapsang (part 4), "which mainly focuses on the founding of pagodas, Buddhist images and temples, is an essential source for the study of various remains and relics of both historical and archeological value." This belief contributed to the emphasis of Silla history as the main focus of both the Samguk yusa and Samguk sagi. However, the two works differ in authorship: while the author of Samguk yusa was a devoted Buddhist monk, Samguk sagi was written by a Confucian scholar-statesman, Kim Pusik, allowing readers to access the two different historical works from the differing perspectives of Buddhist monk or Confucian official. Therefore, it can be considered that even though the Samguk yusa was written a century later, Il-yeon considerably relied on the Samguk sagi. Moreover, the Samguk yusa contains the historical elements not found in the Samguk sagi. Since it is also the same in reserve, it is found that the two works complement each other.
Kim Pusik attempted a more rational and logical approach towards the historical writings, whereas the romantic Buddhism approach of Samguk yusa of the Goryeo dynasty allowed the readers to experience the old historical cultures such as superstitions, folklore, and mythical stories.
Buddhist stories, including both the principles of Buddhism and various Buddhist monks, account for nearly half (49.5%) of the total writing in Samguk yusa. Nonetheless, the Samguk yusa and Samguk sagi are mutually regarded as complementary regarding uncompleted ancient recordings among Koreans today.
Historical reliability
Many of the founding legends of the various kingdoms in Korean history are recorded in Samguk yusa. The text covers legends from many Korean kingdoms, including Gojoseon, Wiman Joseon, Buyeo, Goguryeo, Baekje, Silla, and Gaya. Unlike the more factually oriented Samguk sagi, the Samguk yusa focuses on various folktales, legends, and biographies from early Korean history. Given its mythical narratives, the reliability of Samguk yusa is questionable.
The author attempted to keep original phrases drawn from various sources—including Chinese Buddhist literature, Korean historical literature, and languages written in epigraphy—and he sometimes omitted unnecessary phrases or paraphrased several expressions with the intention of integrating them into the whole story. In terms of Il-yeon's research approach, he regarded the quality and quantity of the resources as crucial elements for his work, used the "inserted textual commentary" in order to seriously evaluate his resources, allowed readers to access comparative information about the history, and even expressed concerns about the reliability when there was insufficient information to depict. As the tales in Samguk yusa describes the birth of these traditions, these tales are both descriptive and prescriptive—they have been the source of the Korean Buddhist tradition up to the present day. The places mentioned in the book are also important religious points in modern-day South Korea. For instance, "the naming of mountains in Samguk yusa connects Korea with China and India and symbolically recreates the actual sacred places of Buddhism in Korea." and Choshin falls asleep resenting the Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva. But when Kim Nang-ja comes in the night and asks to have a relationship, they joyfully go to his hometown and live together for more than 40 years. The first 10 pages of volume 3, and pages 18 to 31 of volume 5 (total of 23 pages) are missing. The cover of this book was restored, and the five-hole woven with a red thread was used for the title page. This book was kept by Choe Nam-seon, and was later donated to Korea University in Seoul.
This book originated from the edition published in Gyeongju in 1512. The Korea Heritage Service states that "The book belongs to the copy withdrawn relatively early among other extant copies of the Jeongdeok Edition of Samguk yusa, and has value as the bibliography of the Jeongdeok Edition (also known as the Imshin Edition of King Jungjong)."