Lee Seon-ah: The Dangun Myth and Geserkhan

This book examines the mythological archetypes and symbolic significance of hero myths within the Northeast Asian cultural sphere by comparing and analyzing the mythological elements of the *Dangun Myth*—the earliest documented founding myth in Northeast Asia and the representative progenitor myth of the Korean people—with those of the Mongolian heroic epic *Geser Khan*, which is widely transmitted throughout Northeast Asia, particularly among the Mongolian people. It attempts to analyze mythological elements, which can be considered the microscopic components within myths, as a solution to unravel the grand discourse of Korean-Mongolian comparative mythology. Focusing on the mythological nature of the *Dangun Myth* and the *Geser Khan Epic*, the study moves beyond comparisons based solely on existing literature to review and reinterpret the major mythological elements of each myth by incorporating related oral materials and identical elements from neighboring cultural spheres. Comparative research on Korean-Mongolian mythology is expected to contribute to the diversity of world mythology by establishing a unique domain for Northeast Asian mythology distinct from Western-centric myths. The era of 21st-century glocalism will usher in an era of mythology that constantly communicates with disciplines, genres, regions, and times, much like the attributes of openness and convergence found in the myths of northern nomads. Accordingly, it is necessary to envision Northeast Asian mythology and Altaic mythology to explore the proper identity of individual myths, while simultaneously seeking the identity of the Northeast Asian cultural sphere that shares common myth elements and archetypes.

Korean title: 단군신화와 게세르칸

Korean author: 이선아

Korean publisher: 민속원

ISBN-13: 9788928513741