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ljwrites:research:unforgotten_sisters:start [2025/04/19 01:18] – Seondeok's birth year in excruciating detail ljwritesljwrites:research:unforgotten_sisters:start [2025/04/22 16:07] (current) – Moved part of conclusion to body of text ljwrites
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 This is not impossible, certainly, but somewhat unlikely. This is not impossible, certainly, but somewhat unlikely.
  
-Even if we disregard Jinpyeong's birth year in the *Hwarang Segi,* and there is some reason to do because its authenticity as a record is in dispute, there are indicators in the historical record to believe Seondeok took the throne as a mature woman in her 40s or even 50s rather than a young one at 22:+Even if we disregard Jinpyeong's birth year in the *Hwarang Segi,* and there is some reason to do so because its authenticity as a record is in dispute, there are indications in the historical record that lead us to believe Seondeok took the throne as a mature woman in her 40s or even 50s rather than at 22:
  
 For one, When she was elevated as her father's successor to the throne she was given the title 聖祖皇姑, which means "Imperial elder lady of the holy bloodline" with 姑 in particular connoting a female elder. For one, When she was elevated as her father's successor to the throne she was given the title 聖祖皇姑, which means "Imperial elder lady of the holy bloodline" with 姑 in particular connoting a female elder.
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 While, again, this commentary is very misogynistic, the sexism does not require describing a young woman as an old one: While, again, this commentary is very misogynistic, the sexism does not require describing a young woman as an old one:
-Rather, it seems likely that the king would have been berated as a callow and silly girl instead if she had taken the throne as a young woman of 22.+Rather, it seems likely that the king would have been berated as a callow and silly girl instead if she had taken the throne as a young woman of 22.((This discussion of Seondeok's age when she became king is drawn from Park Hyun-Sook, *A reconsideration of the formation process and meaning of 'Three affairs that already known by Queen Seondeok' in 「Samguk yusa」*, 韓國史學報 No. 86 (2022) pp. 14-15.))
  
 ### Claimed age of 15 during events ### Claimed age of 15 during events
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 I also looked through all the working links in the Web section of the bibliography and could not find Seondeok mentioned in any of them. I also looked through all the working links in the Web section of the bibliography and could not find Seondeok mentioned in any of them.
 +
 +#### Note on citations in the book
 +
 +Overall *Unforgotten Sisters* suffered from inadequate citations, having only a bibliography for the entire book without pinpoint citations, footnotes, or endnotes. 
 +The vague citations made it difficult to match ideas and information to sources. 
 +Though understandable that a work of popular science would not have the same citation standards as a full academic work, at the very least chapter-level bibliographies would have made for better attribution and sourcing.
  
 ### Sŏndŏk: Princess of the Moon and Stars ### Sŏndŏk: Princess of the Moon and Stars
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 ### Tentative conclusions ### Tentative conclusions
  
-  * Unless some alternate non-fiction source can be presented, almost all Bernardi's dubious claims about Seondeok appear to originate from Holman's *Princess of the Moon and Stars* or to have been influenced by it.+  * Unless some alternate non-fiction source can be presented, almost all Bernardi's dubious claims about Seondeok and one about Cheomseongdae appear to originate from Holman's *Princess of the Moon and Stars* or to have been influenced by the novel. Further points in this conclusion proceed on this assumption, which I believe has enough support to stand until and unless Bernardi can present an adequate alternate source.
   * Other assertions with unclear factual support need to be sourced better or retracted.   * Other assertions with unclear factual support need to be sourced better or retracted.
-  * The Seondeok chapter in *Unforgotten Sisters* and the Cosmos Magazine article based on it should be retracted, or heavily corrected to remove the fictional material.+  * The Seondeok chapter in *Unforgotten Sisters* and the Cosmos Magazine article based on it should be retracted or heavily corrected to remove the fictional material.
   * If the chapter and article are left in their current state, they should be marked or otherwise notified as largely fictional, and Ms. Holman's permission should be sought for the use, with appropriate credit, of fictional details she originated. She may also be due some form of apology, acknowledgement, and amends.   * If the chapter and article are left in their current state, they should be marked or otherwise notified as largely fictional, and Ms. Holman's permission should be sought for the use, with appropriate credit, of fictional details she originated. She may also be due some form of apology, acknowledgement, and amends.
   * Ideally, all live outlets purporting to be non-fictional sources on Seondeok, such as Encyclopedia.com, would be contacted to make corrections. I am focusing specifically on the *Unforgotten Sisters* chapter because it is newer than these other sources and should be held to higher standards in vetting its sources as a publication from a major scholarly/nonfiction publishing house,   * Ideally, all live outlets purporting to be non-fictional sources on Seondeok, such as Encyclopedia.com, would be contacted to make corrections. I am focusing specifically on the *Unforgotten Sisters* chapter because it is newer than these other sources and should be held to higher standards in vetting its sources as a publication from a major scholarly/nonfiction publishing house,
ljwrites/research/unforgotten_sisters/start.1744993105.txt.gz · Last modified: 2025/04/19 01:18 by ljwrites