Wutae


Wutae, is a figure in the founding legends of the kingdom of Baekje, one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea. He was an illegitimate son or grandchild of the King of Dongbuyeo, Hae Buru.

Background

Wutae married So Seo-no, the daughter of the Jolbon chieftain, Yeon Ta-bal. She gave birth to the sons Biryu and Onjo who became the founders of Baekje. After Wutae died So Seo-no married Wutae's relative, Jumong who founded the kingdom of Goguryeo and is posthumously known as Dongmyeongseong.

Theories

, the author of the Samguk Sagi presents two founding legends and states "it is unknown which of these accounts is true". The two stories have overlapping stories but the father of Biryu and Onjo differ. A third legend from Chinese records states that a certain "Gutae" was the founder of Baekje.
According to the most accepted Onjo Founder Legend :
According to the Biryu Founder Legend:
According to the Gutae Founder Theory :
Most scholars believe that "Gutae" refers to Wutae because of the similarity of the names but another theory is that Gutae refers to Goi of Baekje who is traditionally the eighth king of Baekje.
In contradiction of these some scholars think that Biryu was a son of Wutae but Onjo was the son of Jumong.

Family