---
title: Hyangga
author: Mark Cartwright
source: https://www.worldhistory.org/Hyangga/
format: machine-readable-alternate
license: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/)
updated: 1970-01-01
---

# Hyangga

_Authored by [Mark Cartwright](https://www.worldhistory.org/user/markzcartwright/)_

*Hyangga* was a form poetical 'country song,' distinct from contemporary Chinese songs, which were written in the [Silla](https://www.worldhistory.org/Silla/) and [Goryeo](https://www.worldhistory.org/Goryeo/) kingdoms of ancient [Korea](https://www.worldhistory.org/Korea/) between the 7th and 10th century CE. The indigenous songs cover such topics as love, loss, and [Buddhist](https://www.worldhistory.org/buddhism/) devotion. The majority are written in couplets arranged in four-line stanzas with each line having four syllables. The poems were designed to be sung accompanied by [music](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/Music/) and dancing. Only 25 *hyangga* survive, but they were once widely written and performed, including by such famous figures as [Wonhyo](https://www.worldhistory.org/Wonhyo/), the Buddhist philosopher-monk.

### Composition & Structure

The *hyangga*, also known as saenaennorae*, were written in idu*, that is the Korean language written using Chinese characters. In *hyannga,* the Chinese characters are used to represent not only meanings but also the sounds of Old Korean in a technique known as *hyangchal*. The *hyangga* are the oldest examples of this form of [writing](https://www.worldhistory.org/writing/). They may have developed from the earlier *singa*, songs sung by shamans during rituals.

Only 25 songs survive; 14 are to be found in the *Samguk Yusa* ('Memorabilia of the Three Kingdoms'), the 13th-century CE collection of texts on Korean history and [culture](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/culture/) compiled by the Buddhist scholar-monk Iryon. The remaining 11 songs appear in the *Kyunyo-jon*. In 888 CE, the *Samdaemok* ('Collection of the Three Periods'), an anthology of *hyangga*, was compiled by the monk Daegu and Silla Prime Minister Wihong, but it was unfortunately destroyed in the 13th-century CE [Mongol](https://www.worldhistory.org/Mongol_Empire/) invasions of Korea.

Most songs are composed of 10 lines with two four-line stanzas, each with two couplets, and then a closing couplet. The ninth line invariably begins with an interjection, raising the speaker's intonation and signalling the finale of the song which usually contains a wish, command, or exclamation. The genre died out in the 11th century CE, replaced with a long-lasting fashion amongst intellectuals for purely [Chinese literature](https://www.worldhistory.org/Chinese_Literature/).

### Four-line Hyangga

Four of the surviving *hyangga* have only four lines. Here is one example, titled *Honhwa ka* or 'Dedication of the Flower.' It was composed in the first decades of the 8th century CE and sung by an old herdsman. One day the herdsman meets Lady Suro, wife of Lord Sunjong, and her entourage touring the countryside. The lady asks for an azalea flower growing on a high cliff but the only person to respond is the herdsman. Giving Lady Suro the flower he sings:

> If you would let me leave
> The cattle tethered to the brown rock,
> And feel no shame for me,
> I would pluck and dedicate the flowers!
> (Lee, P.H. 71)

### Eight-line Hyangga

There are three surviving *hyangga* which have two stanzas of four lines each (although one of them may have lost its last two lines). In this example, written by Tugo and titled *Mo Chukchirang ka* or 'Ode to Knight Chukchi' written c. 692-702 CE, the author praises his master:

> All living beings sorrow and lament
> Over the spring that is past;
> Your face once fair and bright
> Is about to wear deep furrows.
> I must glimpse you
> Even for an awesome moment.
> My fervent mind cannot rest at night
> In the mugwort-rank hollow.
> (Lee, P.H., 72)

The most famous surviving *hyangga* of all is the Song of Choyong (*Choyong ka*), composed in 879 CE, which is another eight-line song. The title character is the son of the Dragon King of the Eastern Sea, who one night after a party returns home to find his beautiful wife being seduced by the Spirit of Smallpox. Choyong was forgiving, though, and in return the spirit promised never to enter a house which had a portrait of our hero on the door. This is the song which Choyong sang so charmingly to the spirit so that he left in peace:

> Having caroused far into the night
> In the moonlit capital,
> I returned home and in my bed,
> Behold four legs.
> Two were mine;
> Whose are the other two?
> Formerly two were mine;
> What shall be done now they are taken?
> (Lee, P.H., 73)

Choyong has been identified as a shaman for his calm yet magical success in dealing with the spirit. The spirit itself may be a metaphor for the ills of the world. Performers of *hyangga* often wore masks, and the Song of Choyong gave rise to a later tradition of wearing a Choyong mask on New Year's Eve to chase away evil spirits. The dance of the Choyong *hyangga* became a popular court ceremony during the Joseon (Choson) dynasty (1392-1910 CE).

### Ten-line Hyangga

The remaining 18 *hyangga* are all ten-line songs. In our first example, the theme is the separation caused by [death](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/Death/). The title is *Chae mangmae ka* or 'Requiem for the Dead Sister,' and it was composed c. 762 CE by Master Wolmyong in honour of his own lost sister:

> On the hard road of life and death
> That is near our land,
> You went, afraid,
> Without words.
> We know not where we go,
> Leaves blown, scattered,
> Though fallen from the same tree,
> By the first winds of autumn.
> Ah, I will polish the path
> Until I meet you in the Pure Land.
> (Lee, P.H., 75)

In the *Hyesong ka* or 'Song of a Comet' by Master Yungchong the performance of the *hyangga* reportedly worked a miracle not once but twice when it saw off a comet – traditionally an inauspicious omen and often referred to as a long-tailed star – and a fleet of Japanese pirates.

> There is a castle by the Eastern Sea,
> where once a mirage used to play.
> Japanese soldiers came,
> Torches were burnt in the forest.
> When knights visited this mountain,
> The moon marked its westerly course
> And a star was about to sweep a path,
> Someone said, “Look, there is a comet.”
> Ah, the moon has already departed.
> Now, where shall we look for the long-tailed star?
> (Lee, P.H., 74)

In a final example, this song, written by the great poet-scholar monk Master Kyunyo (923-973 CE), calls for the turning of the dharma wheel. It is untitled but was part of a group of 11 *hyangga* titled 'Ten Vows of Bodhisattva Samantabhadra.' In the last couplet the moon is used, as was typical in [Buddhism](https://www.worldhistory.org/buddhism/), as a metaphor for enlightenment.

> To the majestic assembly of buddhas
> In the dharma realm,
> I go forth and pray
> For the dharma rain.
> Disperse the blight of affliction
> Rooted deep in the soil of ignorance,
> And wet the mind's field of living beings,
> Where good grasses struggle to grow.
> Ah, how happy is a moonlit autumn field,
> Ripe with the fruit of knowledge.
> (Lee, P.H., 82)

 This content was made possible with generous support from the [British Korean Society](http://www.britishkoreansociety.org.uk/?utm_source=ancient.eu&utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=ancient.eu).

#### Editorial Review

This human-authored definition has been reviewed by our editorial team before publication to ensure accuracy, reliability and adherence to academic standards in accordance with our [editorial policy](https://www.worldhistory.org/static/editorial-policy/).

## Bibliography

- [Jinwung Kim. *A History of Korea"Land of the Morning Calm" to States in Conflict.* Indiana University Press, 2012.](https://www.worldhistory.org/books/0253000246/)
- [Ki-baik Lee. *A New History of Korea.* Harvard University Asia Center, 1984.](https://www.worldhistory.org/books/067461576X/)
- [Lee, P.H:. *A History of Korean Literature.* Cambridge University Press, 2009.](https://www.worldhistory.org/books/0521100658/)
- [Pratt, K. *Korea.* Routledge, 1999.](https://www.worldhistory.org/books/0700704639/)

## About the Author

Mark is WHE’s Publishing Director and has an MA in Political Philosophy (University of York). He is a full-time researcher, writer, historian and editor. Special interests include art, architecture and discovering the ideas that all civilizations share.

## Cite This Work

### APA
Cartwright, M. (2016, October 28). Hyangga. *World History Encyclopedia*. <https://www.worldhistory.org/Hyangga/>
### Chicago
Cartwright, Mark. "Hyangga." *World History Encyclopedia*, October 28, 2016. <https://www.worldhistory.org/Hyangga/>.
### MLA
Cartwright, Mark. "Hyangga." *World History Encyclopedia*, 28 Oct 2016, <https://www.worldhistory.org/Hyangga/>.

## License & Copyright

Submitted by [Mark Cartwright](https://www.worldhistory.org/user/markzcartwright/ "User Page: Mark Cartwright"), published on 28 October 2016. The copyright holder has published this content under the following license: [Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/deed.en). This license lets others remix, tweak, and build upon this content non-commercially, as long as they credit the author and license their new creations under the identical terms. When republishing on the web a hyperlink back to the original content source URL must be included. Please note that content linked from this page may have different licensing terms.