Northeast Asian History Network

Eastern Wall of the Antechamber - Detailed View of the Axmen

This is a detailed view of the eight soldiers each carrying axes. All figures can be seeing wearing military attaché Chaeks (Headwear worn by civil servants and military attachés. Civil servants wore Chaeks with tops that were split in the back and curving forward. Military attachés wore Chaeks with cone-shaped points.), red Jeogoris (traditional Korean upper garment), and white form-fitting trousers known as Gung-gos. Gung-gos were primarily worn by the lower-class and often by military attachés for their comfort and high degree of mobility.
Axes have been used to symbolize the king's authority since ancient times. This fact is credited to the ancient logogram representing an axe strongly resembling the Chinese character for king (王). Of course, axes were weapons of war and continued to be used throughout the Koguryo era. The use of axes as weapons has been well-documented in the Samguk sagi or the History of the Three Kingdoms. Records state that General Nul-Choi of Silla was killed by an axe during a battle against Baekje. This historical fact indicates that the axe had been used as a weapon of war not only in Koguryo but in other kingdoms of the Three Kingdoms of Korea.
The axmen depicted on the eastern wall of the antechamber in Anak Tomb No. 3 strongly mimic the characteristics of the honor guard procession. As the tomb correlates to the living space of the entombed, the presence of axmen solidifies the high status and authority of the deceased.