Martial Arts and Ideology of Hwarang, the Ancient Korean Warrior

From 37 BC to 676 AD, an era called the period of the Three States, ancient Korea was divided into Koguryo, Baekje and Shilla. Among these states, Shilla was the one that terminated the period and founded a single united nation. At the background of this unification, there were the prominent activit...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:International journal of the history of sport 2016-06, Vol.33 (9), p.951-962
Main Authors: Park, Kyoungho, Ok, Gwang
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
ancient Korean warrior
Attention
Buddhism
Cultural heritage
Experts
Hwarang
Ideology
Loyalty
Martial arts
Monks
Morality
Shilla
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Summary:From 37 BC to 676 AD, an era called the period of the Three States, ancient Korea was divided into Koguryo, Baekje and Shilla. Among these states, Shilla was the one that terminated the period and founded a single united nation. At the background of this unification, there were the prominent activities of Hwarang, an elite warrior group. The purpose of this study is to verify the characteristics of Hwarang's martial arts and the ideological background that provided the foundation for the unification. Hwarang members usually ascended mountains or entered caves alone to hone their skills or were taught by senior Hwarang members and experts. Moreover, considering that the members of this group included monks, it is surmized that the monks supported the group as they practised their martial arts. National loyalty was regarded as the ultimate virtue. Due to the influence from Buddhism, Hwarang evolved into a loyal association where the members dedicated their lives to the nation. After many years, this ideology is currently receiving a great deal of attention and it is being used in a variety of educational fields. The ideological characteristics of Hwarang are part of Korea's cultural heritage and deserve academic attention.
ISSN:0952-3367
1743-9035
DOI:10.1080/09523367.2016.1218332