The story of Gimhae Kim's clan


Story_of_Origin.mp3

The story of Gimhae Kim's clan was narrated in Samguk Yusa, a Korean chronicle written by a monk, Iryon.
It is set in the Kaya kingdom in the first century CE. It says that the area (which is Gimhae Area now), in the south central Korean peninsula, was first ruled by nine elders (tribe chiefs), but there was no king.
According to Samguk Yusa, the Gimhae Kim family founder, Kim Suro, came in answer to a prayer offered by the nine elders of the ancient Gaya area, which is Gimhae region now. In 42 ad, these elders met together to pray for a king. In answer to their prayer, one day a voice spoke from heaven at a place called Kujibong (means 'the hill shaped like turtle' in Korean). A few hundred people gathered there, along with nine elders. The voice instructed them to go to the top of the mountain, dig up the land, dance and sing a song (now known as Kujisong). They did as instructed and a plum-colored cord descended from heaven.
They found a golden chest at the end of the cord and when they opened it, they discovered six golden eggs. The elders brought the chest home and the next day the eggs had transformed into six baby boys.
The boy who came out first named Kim, Suro (Suro means came out first and Last name Kim means Gold or Golden in Korean and Chinese) - who is the progenitor of Gimhae Kim's clan.
Suro Kim, the king of Geumgwan Gaya kingdom was the founder of Gaya confederacy. The other five eggs became the five kings of Garak’s neighboring kingdom, Gaya confederacy.
*Born from eggs from heaven symbolizes spiritual life. It may be related to Christian baptism and or Buddhist enlightenment. That's why they became king as soon as born, and King Suro married 6 years later.

(source: en.wikipedia.org)

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