Queen Seondeok
선덕여왕
KoreanSilla Period (595-647 CE)
"The Enlightened Queen, First Female Ruler"
✦ Personality Traits
✦ About
Queen Seondeok (ruled 632-647 CE) was Korea's first female monarch and one of its most enlightened rulers. In an era when women rarely held power, she led Silla through dangerous times with wisdom, diplomacy, and cultural patronage.
She was renowned for her intelligence and foresight. Famous stories tell of her predicting events from subtle clues—knowing soldiers were coming from a painting of peonies without bees, or predicting her own death date. She built the Cheomseongdae observatory, the oldest surviving astronomical observatory in East Asia.
Under her patronage, Buddhism flourished, and she initiated the construction of Hwangnyongsa's nine-story pagoda, the tallest wooden structure in East Asian history. She laid the foundations for Silla's eventual unification of the Three Kingdoms.
✦ Famous Story
When Tang China sent peony seeds with a painting showing no bees, Seondeok predicted the flowers would have no fragrance—and she was right. She explained that a king would not send a picture of flowers with butterflies and bees to a queen without a husband, subtly mocking her unmarried state.
✦ If You Match
Your features reflect the enlightened wisdom of Queen Seondeok. There is a prophetic, pioneering quality to your presence—the look of one who sees what others miss and leads where others fear.
