Northeast Asian History Network

Hunter in the hunting scene on the ceiling of the antechamber (southern wall) 03

This is a detailed view of the hunting scene on the ceiling of the antechamber (southern wall) in Tokhung-ri Tomb. The mounted archer in the image has his bow drawn with his torso turned towards the tiger running behind him. Interestingly, the archer's horse also has its head turned back while running. This type of shot is known as the Parthian shot, an archery tactic made famous by a nomadic tribe of ancient Iranians in Central Asia in the 3rd century BCE.
The widely-acclaimed Koguryo era bows were known as Maekgung (literally “bow of the Maek people”; Maek were considered the ancestors of Koguryo people) and highly revered by the Chinese. Unlike bows made from birch wood, the Maekgung was a type of composite bow made with the horns of an ox or water buffalo. According to records, the bow's impressive performance allowed arrows to travel a “thousand paces.” A flat type of arrowhead was used in addition to the traditional pointed type. As the flat arrowhead was in the shape of a hatchet blade, it dealt tremendous blunt force to targets. The flat arrowhead, used by the mounted archer in the image, was particularly effective in hunting tigers, boars, and other large and powerful prey.
The hunter in the image is wearing a Geon (a type of ancient headwear that wraps around the entire head and tied in the back, similar to a bandanna). Although Geons were primarily worn by valets or the lower-class during the Koguryo era, they were also used by soldiers for hunting or other outdoor activities. He is wearing a Jeogori with Seons (accents on garments mimicking the black feathers on a crane’s neck or wingtips, influenced by Siberian shamanism) and form-fitting trousers that provide high mobility known as Gung-go. Although Gung-gos were primarily worn by the lower-class, they were also utilized for hunting or during battles when a high degree of mobility was required. The horse's dynamic full stride is well-expressed as it chases after prey. Although the horse's movement seems almost anatomically impossible, the sensation of a wild hunt is fully realized in the depiction.
People of Koguryo routinely trained equestrianism and archery through hunting activities and were renowned for their exceptional performances in battle. The Koguryo people's martialistic mentality and combat expertise were likely to be the greatest contributing factors for Koguryo's territorial dominance from the Korean peninsula to China's northeast regions.