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Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Goryeo

 I'm trying to get some feel for from whence Korea has come. It's not easy for me.


It seems that in early times there were important relationships between the people who would become the Koreans we know today and peoples of early Mongolia and Manchuria.


It seems, because I'm not at all certain, that these people found it necessary or expedient to resist advances of Certain Chinese people.


It further seems that after the 7th century of 'the common era' a people called the Goguryeo fought with people of certain Chinese dynasties (was one of them called Sui?)in 'wars' that were to become important to the people who came to be called Korean. It seems that much of this important history occurred near the boarders of China and what we now call North Korea.


To keep me confused it seems that beginning in the 5th century AD a people called the Silla gradually expanded their influence across the Korean Peninsula and so a time came called the Unified Silla period.


In 918 AD the Silla period was followed by the Goryeo. I wonder how that happened?


Goryeo is a short form of Gorguryeo which is the source for the English name Korea! Well, what is the Korean name for Korea? We don't know much do we?


Is it fair to say that Korea began in 918 AD when we don't even know what Korea is to Koreans? Are there Koreans who have ever heard the word Korean?





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