Susin
| Susin | |
|---|---|
Goddess of Cave or Grain | |
| Member of Goguryeo pantheon | |
| Hangul | 수신 |
| Venerated in | Goguryeo |
| Major cult center | Gukdong Cave |
| Abode | Cave |
| Gender | Female |
| Ethnic group | Goguryeo peoples |
| Festivals | Dongmaengje |
| Parents | Habaek? |
| Equivalents | |
| Gojoseon | Ungnyeo? |
Susin (Korean: 수신; Hanja: 禭神; 隧神) is a goddess of Goguryeo. Along with Godeungsin (고등신; 高登神) and Yeongseongsin (영성신; 靈星神; lit. 'Star spirit deity'), she was one of the principal deities in the Goguryeo pantheon.
Name and Identity
Susin is interpreted as either a cave deity or a grain deity.[1] While she is generally regarded as the same figure as Lady Yuhwa,[1][2] the mother of Dongmyeong, there is also a view that identifies this deity with Ungnyeo, the mother of Dangun.[3]
Worship
Susin was believed to reside in Gukdong Daehyeol (국동대혈; 國東大穴; lit. 'A large cave east of the capital'), a cave located east of the capital; in 1983, a site presumed to be the remains of a cave dwelling was discovered on a mountainside near Gungnae.[1] According to the Book of the Later Han, Goguryeo held a ritual in honor of Susin every year in October:[4]
In Goguryeo, people enjoyed performing rituals to Gwisin, Sajik, and Yeongseong. In October, they gathered in large numbers to perform a ritual dedicated to the heavens, which was called Dongmaeng. There was a large cave in the eastern part of the country called Susin, and they held a ritual there in October to honor it.
— Accounts of the Eastern Barbarians, Book of the Later Han.[4]
According to the New Book of Tang, Susin was one of the principal deities of the 7th-century Goguryeo pantheon:[5][6]
Their customs were rife with licentious worship. They worship Yeongseongsin, Ilsin, Kahansin, and Kijasin. There is a large cave to the east of the capital called Susin. Every year in October, the king personally performs a ritual there.
See also
References
- ^ a b c "수신". Encyclopedia of Korean Culture (in Korean).
- ^ 徐永大,《高句麗의 國家祭祀- 東盟을 중심으로》, 韓國史硏究 120, 2003, 13~15쪽 ; 張志勳,《韓國古代의 地母神信仰》, 史學硏究 58ㆍ59, 1999, 81~84쪽; 韓鈴和,《高句麗地母神信仰과 母處制》, 史學硏究 58ㆍ59, 1999, 208쪽.
- ^ 제왕운기, 삼국유사에 송양(비류부)이 단군의 후손이라는 기록이 있는데 이들은 고구려 초기 강력한 토착 세력으로 이들의 제의를 이어왔다는 주장이다. 제의 장소 또한 나라 동쪽의 큰 동굴이라는 점이 단군신화와 통하며, 곰이 사람으로 다시 태어났듯이 생명의 씨를 얻는 과정의 표현으로 해석한다. - 최일례, 《고구려인의 관념에 보이는 단군신화의 투영 맥락 -비류부의 정치적 위상을 중심으로-》, 한국사상과 문화 55, 2010.
- ^ a b "『후한서』에 전하는 고구려의 제사 의례". Korean History Database (in Korean).
- ^ a b "『당서』에 전하는 고구려의 제사 의례". Korean History Database (in Korean).
- ^ a b "新唐書/卷220 - 维基文库，自由的图书馆". zh.wikisource.org (in Chinese). Retrieved 2026-04-02.