12 Facts About Samguk yusa

Samguk yusa is a history book which is composed of five volumes in total and is divided into nine parts within the five volumes.

The samguk yusa can be described to the documentation of tales and legends, which are categorised by the two parts such as extraordinary historical events and diverse Buddhist narratives.

At the beginning of Samguk yusa, it is depicted that Dangun Wanggeom, who is a mythological ancestor of all Koreans, founded the first nation of Korea, named Gojoseon and this represents an intention to solidify a sense of national identity as a unified Korean people.

So, Samguk yusa is supplementarily used with Samguk sagi in Korean historical analysis.

Il-yeon, who died in the temple after the completion of Samguk yusa, was a kind of person who looked after the commoners who suffered under Mongolian rule during the end of Goryo's days, attempted to revitalise the spirit of national independence, and for the purpose of taking care of his aged mother, he decided to refuse to take the highest position in the kingdom's priest.

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Samguk sagi and Samguk yusa are often compared in terms of Korean history books, and actually, both of them have significant identities in Korean history.

In terms of adequate factual delivery, Samguk Yusa conveys relatively insufficient historical information, such as about the explanation of Kwallogup and Sigup, which are well described in Samguk sagi in detail.

Unlike the more factually-oriented Samguk sagi, the Samguk yusa focuses on various folktales, legends and biographies from early Korean history.

The inscription of Samguk Yusa is a relatively credible source, but its contents are mainly confined to the mobilization of the peasantry for dike construction and the description of land property for the temple.

Three Kingdom periods in Samguk yusa is the age of the start of various institutions, teachings, religious practices, and cults.

The story in Samguk Yusa enlists ten thousand of Buddhas and bodhisattvas changing themselves at the apex of the different mountains.

Version of Samguk Yusa is the only copy with Volume 2 and no other volumes.