뉴스레터

3 years of research into Tungus culture

The Northeast Asian History Foundation conducted research into minority groups in China's northeastern region for three years from 2015 through 2017. The research aimed to carry out basic studies about ethnic groups in the northeastern region for comparative research with the culture of the Korean people.

The main targets of the research were Elunchunzu, Hezhenzu, and Ewenkezu. The Ewenkezu are in the westernmost region among the three ethnic groups. They live in Inner Mongolia to the right of Ergun, south of the upper region of Heilongjiang River. They are scattered from the deep forests north of Daxing'anling and stretch to the south along the mountain range and the spacious meadow of Hulunbuir, engaging in hunting, livestock farming, and agriculture. In the east beyond Ewenkezu, the Elunchunzu mainly live northwest of Heilongjiang Province. They inhabit Xing'anling south of the Heilongjiang River and engage in hunting. The Hezhenzu reside in the northeastern corner of Heilongjiang Province on the lower Heilongjiang River. They engage mostly in fishing and hunting. Our research team visited the minority areas, surveyed the sites, and published three books based on the studies. “Elunchunzu: The Last Hunters” (Chunga Publishing Co., 2016), a study on the Elunchunzu, was published in 2015, followed by “Hezhenzu: The Fishing and Hunting People” (Chunga Publishing Co., 2017), a study on the Hezhenzu, and “Ewenkezu: People of the Forests (Northeast Asian History Foundation, 2019)”, a study on the Ewenkezu.

Comparative study of Korean people and Tungus Culture

“Culture of Korean People and Tungus” is a book compiling the results of comparative research into the cultures of Korean people and Tungus based on three years of research results. Professor Eom Sun-cheon conducted comparative research into place names belonging to the Hol (忽) and Dal (達) lines from the Goguryeo language recorded in Volumes 35 and 37 of “The Chronicles of the Three States” and the Hezhen, Udi, and Ewenke words of the Tungus language. As a result, it has been found that the Tungus language is highly analogous to the Goguryeo language universally, with especially the Ewenke language being most analogous to the Goguryeo language.

Professor Seo Yeong-dae attempted type classification concerning the bear myth of Korea and Tungus. As a result, he found that the myth of Dangun was solely unique, belonging to neither type. The myth of Dangun envisions how the bear turns into a human, so it is due to the fact that the ancestors were bears could not be accepted since it is the founding myth.

Professor Choi Won-o conducted comparative research into Goguryeo's Jumong myth and Imakan of the Hezhenzu. Both have the structure of heroic narratives and are stories commonly about heroic archers well-versed in shooting. The mythical factor in “Hadeo” of Imakan that the main character is fostered by animals after being cast away upon birth also corresponds to the content of the Jumong myth. Research found that Jumong was also a shamanistic hero, but while the myth was being transformed into a founding myth, the attribute of a founding hero of Jumong stood out whereas his shamanistic attribute was weakened.

Professor Su Hang conducted comparative research into modern Korea's shamanism and Tungus's shamanism. As a result, it has been found that they are on common ground in that the shamans were female and served humans, but there were outstanding differences in other areas. The reason is that Korea led an agriculture-centered life after being defeated in the northern region and that Korea was affected by various imported religions after the foundation of a state. It turned out that modern Korea's shamanism has more to do with Han China's shamanism than Tungus's shamanism.

Researcher Kim In-hee conducted comparative research into the wedding ceremonies of Goguryeo and Tungus. Having compared the wedding ceremonies of northeastern ethnic groups at the time of Goguryeo, Goguryeo had much in common with Dongho ethnic groups in weddings. When compared with modern ethnic groups, we could confirm that similar customs remained in the Elunchunzu and Ewenkezu. Their wedding was devoid of such customs as marriage by capture, provision of bride price, marriage recognition from pregnancy, and wealth distribution of a wife's parents' home, which are characteristic of Dongho ethnic groups, and was more similar to Goguryeo rather than Dongho ethnic groups.

After comparing the architecture of the ancient Korean people with that of Tungus, Professor Han Dong-su found that the former was affected greatly by the latter and developed differently. Common features were found in the upper raised architecture, Xierenzu, pit-house, and log cabin. We also found that Malu, an architectural term used universally in Tungus architecture, has much in common with Korea’s “maru” in form and meaning.

Professor Jo U-hyeon conducted comparative research into Korea’s ancient attire and Tungus’s clothing. The spotted clothes of the Elunchunzu, fish-skin beoseon of the Hezhenzu, and the antler decorations of shaman hats seen commonly in Tungus show features in common with Korean culture.

Ewenki children riding reindeer

Hezhen people preparing dace

Tungus’s culture, with much in common with cultures of ancient Korean people

Comparative research into cultures of ancient Korean people and Tungus showed numerous common features. This shows that Korean people in the northeastern regions like Gojoseon and Goguryeo created the ancient northeastern culture through close relationships with ethnic groups of Tungus descent. On the other hand, we can imagine that cultures of ancient kingdoms like Gojoseon and Goguryeo had a tremendous impact on ethnic groups in the northeastern region and have been handed down to the present. The Ewenkezu and Elunchunzu, in particular, were closely related to Korea’s ancient cultures, and we cannot rule out the possibility that they may have been ethnic groups belonging to Goguryeo’s sovereignty.