(IX. 12.) hearing that Silla had rendered up its maps and registers,[1] and made submission, secretly caused the warlike power (of the Empress) to be spied out. Finding then that they could not be victorious, they came of themselves without the camp, and bowing their heads to the ground, and sighing, said:—"Henceforth for ever, these lands shall be styled thy western frontier provinces, and will not cease to offer tribute." Accordingly interior Governments were instituted. This is what is termed the three Han.[2]
The Empress returned from Silla.
12th month, 14th day. She gave birth to the Emperor Homuda in Tsukushi. Therefore the men of that time called the place where he was born Umi.[3]
- ↑ i.e. the territory described in them.
- ↑ Corea at one time was divided into three kingdoms, called Ma-han, Sin-han, and Pyön-han, corresponding respectively to Pèkché, Silla, and Koryö. But there is some doubt on the subject.
The three Han are rendered in the kana gloss mitsu no Kara-kuni. But although Kara is sometimes used loosely for all Corea, and even to include China, I doubt much whether there ever was such a phrase as the three Karas. It looks like a mere literal translation of Samham.
For an estimate of the historical value of this narrative of the conquest of Corea, I would refer the reader to my paper on Early Japanese History in the "T.A.S.J.," XVI. Pt. I.
- ↑ Birth.
long before, and there are examples of it in Chinese literature as early as A.D. 500 (Parker, "Race Struggles in Corea," "T.A.S.J.," XVIII., Pt. II.). The capital was Phyöngyang, at least at one time.
The Japanese name for this kingdom was Koma, a word of doubtful derivation. I think it possible that it means bear (in Corean kom), and that the Koma of Corea and the Kuma of Japan were the same race—like the Saxons of Germany and the Saxons of England. Parker, in the article just referred to (p. 216), suggests that Koma was really a part of Pèkché, and not Koryö. The town of Koma or Kuma was certainly in Pèkché territory, and was for a while the capital. But I cannot think that the Japanese could have been mistaken on this point. They were far too well acquainted with Corean matters, and with them Koryö and Koma are the same thing. It is probable nevertheless that Koma or Kumanari was at some time the seat of the race of that name, as Kumamoto in Japan was of the Japanese Kuma. It is now Ung-chhön (bear-river), near the mouth of the R. Nak-tong, and a convenient port for crossing over to Japan.
Pèkché, known to the Japanese as Kudara, was the S.-W. kingdom of Corea.
