Princess Bongnyeong (Sukjong)

Not to be confused with Imperial Consort Gwiin Yang or Princess Bongnyeong.

Princess Boknyeong
Princess of Goryeo
Coronation	1114
Predecessor	Princess Ansu
Monarch	Wang Ong, King Sukjong
Born	1096 Goryeo
Died	30 June 1133 (age 37/8) Goryeo
Burial	July 1133
Spouse	Wang Yeon; half first cousin
Posthumous name Jeonggan (정간, 貞簡; "Chaste and Brief")
House	House of Wang (by birth and marriage)
Father	Sukjong of Goryeo
Mother	Queen Myeongui of the Jeongju Yu clan
Religion	Buddhism

Princess Boknyeong (Korean: 복녕궁주; Hanja: 福寧宮主; 1096 – 30 June 1133) was a Goryeo Royal Princess as the youngest daughter of King Sukjong and Queen Myeongui,[1] also their most favourite and beloved daughter.

She later married her half uncle's son–Wang Yeon the Count Jingang (진강백 왕연).[2] She was said to have a gentle, filial, and diligent personality. Even after getting married, she still achieved solemn virtues, making her loving by both of her parents.[3] Her wealth was the highest among the other royal family members and she was said to be a devout buddhism and revered Dharma by being very hard and passionate in built and decorated the pagodas (탑) and tombs (묘).[4] However, she later died on 30 June 1133 (11th years reign of her nephew) without any issue and her funeral was held at the northwestern foot of Gyeongsan (경산; 京山) a month later.

Legacy

Princess Bongnyeong's epitaph was written by Gim Jeong (김정; 金精) under her brother, the king's order[5] and there, she was called as Royal Woman (왕희; 王姬), Virtuous Woman of the Imperial Clan (종실현녀; 宗室賢女), also Daughter of the Son of Heaven (천자지녀; 天子之女).

According to her epitaph, there was a phrase said:

"The Daughter of the Son of Heaven, like a full moon"
천자(天子)의 따님이여, 보름달 같으셨네[6][7]

From this, many modern scholars believed that Goryeo declared itself as the Heaven's land since it was the country's heyday and can be seen that the goryeo peoples called their ruler as the "Son of Heaven" (천자; 天子) and regarded it as equivalent to the Chinese emperor.[8][9] Meanwhile, the words "like a full moon" believed to refer to the Princess's bright appearance that is just like a moon.

Her epitaph was once exhibited in the "Revisiting History Letter, Epitaphs of Goryeo" (다시 보는 역사편지, 고려 묘지명) which held by the National Museum of Korea from July 11, 2006, until August 27, 2006.[10][11]

Family

• Father - Wang Eung, Sukjong of Goryeo (숙종 고려; 2 September 1054 – 10 November 1105)
• Mother - Queen Myeongui of the Jeongju Yu clan (명의왕후 유씨; ? – 8 August 1112)
• Siblings
  • Older brother - Wang Woo, Yejong of Goryeo (예종 고려; 11 February 1079 – 15 May 1122)
  • Older brother - Wang Pil, Marquis Sangdang (상당후 왕필; ? – 31 October 1099)
  • Older brother - Wang Jing-eom, Wonmyeongguksa (원명국사 징엄; 1090 – 28 May 1141)
  • Older brother - Wang Bo, Duke Daebang (대방공 왕보; ? – 1128)
  • Older brother - Wang Hyo, Duke Daewon (대원공 왕효; 1093 – 6 May 1161)
  • Older brother - Wang Seo, Duke Jean (제안공 왕서; ? – 1131)
  • Older sister - Princess Daeryeong (대령궁주; ? – 1114)
  • Older sister - Princess Heungsu of the Kaeseong Wang clan (흥수공주 왕씨; ? – 1123)
  • Older sister - Princess Ansu (안수궁주)
  • Younger brother - Wang Gyu, Marquis Tongui (통의후 왕교; 1097–1119)
• Husband - Wang Yeon, Count Jingang (진강백 왕연; 晉康伯 王演; ? – 1146) — No issue.
  • Father-in-law - Wang Yu, Duke Jinhan (진한공 왕유; 辰韓公 王愉; ? – 1099)
  • Mother-in-law - name unknown

References

1. 고려사 > 권88 > 열전 권제1 > 후비(后妃) > 숙종 후비 명의태후 유씨 > 명의태후 유씨의 왕비 책봉과 소생 자녀. Goryeosa (in Korean). Retrieved May 29, 2022.
2. 고려사 > 권90 > 열전 권제3 > 종실(宗室) > 문종 왕자 진한후 왕유. Goryeosa (in Korean). Retrieved May 29, 2022.
3. 韓國女性關係資料集: 中世篇(中) [A Collection of Korean Women's Relationships: The Middle Ages (Part 2)] (in Korean). Ewha Womans University Women's Research Institute: Ewha Womans University Press. 1985. p. 99. ISBN 9788973000432.
4. 복녕궁주. Institute of Korean Studies (in Korean). December 31, 2008. Retrieved May 31, 2022.
5. "복령궁주 묘지명". National Museum of Korea (in Korean). Retrieved May 31, 2022.
6. "묘지명 한자리 고려史 한눈에". Seoul Shinmun (in Korean). July 6, 2006. Retrieved May 31, 2022.
7. [배한철의 역사품은 국보] 먼저 간 아내에 바치는 눈물의 묘지명. Maeil Business Newspaper (in Korean). May 9, 2022. Retrieved May 31, 2022.
8. Younghwan (March 6, 2021). [중앙박물관특별전, 대고려] 고려의 수도 개경. Culture & History Traveling (in Korean). Retrieved May 31, 2022.
9. Jong-ki, Park (2020). 새로 쓴 오백년 고려사 [A New 500 Years History of Goryeo] (in Korean). Humanist. ISBN 9791160803945.
10. 국립중앙박물관 (July 4, 2006). 국립중앙박물관, 기획특별전 '다시 보는 역사 편지, 고려 묘지명' 개최. Korea Newswire (in Korean). Retrieved May 31, 2022.
11. 다시보는 역사 편지 고려 묘지명. News Hankook (in Korean). September 12, 2006. Retrieved May 31, 2022.

External links

• 복녕궁주 on Goryeosa (in Korean).
• 복녕궁주 on EToday News (in Korean).