Retracing the Ancient Korean Sky and Its Myths

$64.50

In his book Retracing the Ancient Korean Sky and Its Myths: The Celestial Utopia Depicted in Koguryo Tomb Paintings, author Il-gwon Kim builds on his expertise in Eastern classics and religions.  He employs his initial training as a hard scientist to unmask the cosmology and associated myths of ancient Korea as captured by the tomb murals of the Koguryŏ kingdom. This volume is the digest of decades of his pioneering work in Korean archeoastronomy and publications on the subject. The author has taken great care to make the content understandable to the general readership, advocating the inclusion of additional material that could be of interest for the more curious reader, many of which are original (technical) illustrations showing the Western and Eastern constellations at a glance.

Contents

As its title faithfully reflects, what anchors this book is the proud culture of the ancient Korean kingdom Koguryŏ. The opening chapter sets the backdrop (Western and Eastern astronomy in general) that serves to underscore the uniqueness and innovative nature of Koguryŏ astronomy and related artifacts. That overview is followed by a thorough discussion of one iconic example—the tomb mural of Tŏkhŭng-ri (408 A.D.)—that showcases Koguryŏ cosmology and mythology in all their richness and glory. The next chapter takes the readers on a journey through other murals of the period, and provides a “big picture” view of the Koguryŏ cosmological system. The book concludes with an epilogue describing how the Koguryŏ model survived (or only barely managed to do so) in subsequent eras, followed by very generous appendices that serve as helpful summaries as well as supplements in the form of charts and illustrations put together by the author.

Preface

PART 1. Sky Murals and Constellations of the Occident and the Orient
Chapter I – Occidental Astronomy and Oriental Astronomy
Chapter II – Koguryŏ Tomb Murals and Astronomy

PART 2. The Koguryŏ Sky and Constellations
Chapter I – The Night Sky as Seen from the Village of Tŏkhung-ri 1,600 Years Ago
Chapter II – The Cosmograph on the Northern Sky
Chapter III – The Cosmograph on the Southern Sky
Chapter IV – The Cosmograph on the Eastern Sky
Chapter V – The Cosmograph on the Western Sky

PART 3. A Journey through Star Murals
Chapter I – Birth and Evolution of Koguryŏ Star Murals
Chapter II – Stage 1: Establishment of the Four-Directional Constellation Model
Chapter III – Stage 2: Integration of the Chinese 28-xiu Model
Chapter IV – Stage 3: The Osukto and Expansion of Koguryŏ Cosmology

PART 4. The Legacy of Koguryŏ Astronomy in Koryŏ Murals
Chapter I – Revival of the Koguryŏ Sky in Koryŏ
Chapter II – At Crossroads in the Quest for a Forgotten Sky

Appendix
List of Figures
References
Index