Suro of Geumgwan Gaya

Infobox Korean name


caption=Tomb of King Suro in Gimhae
hangul=수로왕
hanja=首露王
rr=Suro-wang
mr=Suro-wang|

Suro, or Sureung (수릉, 首陵), (r. 42 - 199) was the legendary founder and king of the state of Geumgwan Gaya in southeastern Korea.

Background

According to the founding legend of Geumgwan Gaya, King Suro was one of six princes born from eggs that descended from the sky in a golden box. Suro was the leader among the princes, who went off to found the other states of Gaya, asserting the leadership of the Gaya confederacy.

Meeting of his queen

Also according to legend, King Suro's queen Heo Hwang-ok was a princess from the Indian country of Ayuta (아유타, 阿踰陀). She is said to have arrived in Gaya by boat in the year 48. They had ten sons in all, two of whom took the mother's family name. Ayuta is today often identified with Ayodhya in India, and the tale has gained modern significance in the light of the modern-day relations between Korea and India [http://www.hinduunity.org/articles/politics/koreaseeksties.html] [http://newsvote.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/1205728.stm] . This legend was recorded in the chronicle "Garakguk-gi" (가락국기, 駕洛國記), and reproduced in the 13th century chronicle "Samguk Yusa".

In the northern Indian city of Ayodhya, a recently visiting Korean delegation has inaugurated a memorial to their royal ancestor, Queen Huh. More than a hundred historians and government representatives, including the North Korean ambassador to India, unveiled the memorial on the west bank of the River Saryu. Today, the historians say, Queen Huh's descendants number more than six-million, including the former president of the Republic of Korea, Kim Dae Jung.

Translating the legend

The legend as a whole is seen as indicative of the early view of kings as descended from heaven. Notably, Goguryeo is also said to have been founded by a king born from an egg. Aspects of the legend have been mined for information about the customs of Gaya, of which little is known. For example, Lee (1984, p. 7) cites the legend of his being raised to the kingship as one among various "embellished accounts of ... selecting a tribal leader." Kwon (2003) analyzes the tale of Queen Heo to gain information about the types of clothing worn at the time.

A tomb attributed to King Suro is still maintained in modern-day Gimhae. Members of the Gimhae Kim clan, who continue to play important roles in Korean life today, trace their ancestry to King Suro, as do members of the Gimhae Heo clan; they did not inter-marry until the beginning of the 20th century.

References

* cite book
last =Kwon
first =J.-h.
authorlink =
coauthors =
title = 가야인의 삶과문화 (Gayain-ui salm-gwa munhwa"/"Life and culture of the Gaya people")
publisher =Hyean
date =2003
location =Seoul
pages =
url =
doi =
id =
isbn= 89-8494-221-9

* cite book
last =Lee
first =K.-b.
authorlink =
coauthors = E.W. Wagner & E.J. Schulz
title = A new history of Korea
publisher =Ilchogak
date =1984
location =Seoul
pages =
url =
doi =
id =
isbn= 89-337-0204-0