• Journal of The Geomorphological Association of Korea
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.153-162
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• 2011

This study analyzed and examined the entries of natural disasters recorded in Samguk-sagi in relation to the mythological thoughts. In the ancient Korean view of nature thought the Three Kingdoms surveyed their view on nature in terms of natural calamities and terrestrial upheavals. In the first place, I came to know that the important natural disasters such as droughts, floods, hails, locusts, earthquakes, landslides, storms uprooting trees, tornado recorded in Samguk-sagi have something in common with the entries of natural disasters in the ancient Chinese histories. Accordingly, they interpreted natural disasters in terms of good omens and heavenly punishments. The king refrained from luxurious food and drink, released prisoners or reduced their sentence as a sign of his benevolence. they thought that natural disasters were caused by the heavenly instruction due to lack of virtue on the part of the king. I think that these were acts of ritual on the part of the king as a ruler to fulfill his responsibility for a benevolent administration.