고구려 胡馬의 유입과 鐵騎兵

Abstract

Goguryeo brought up a dual system of cavalry consisting of light cavalry and iron cavalry. The formoer employed native Gwaha horses, while the latter large-limbed Homahorses. Homa horses had been imported from Northern nomadic countries, the first of which was the divine horse that King Daemusin got while engaged in hunting. In the fifth year of King Daemusin, Goguryeo lost the divine horse during the war against Buyeo, but one day, he returned with 100 Buyeo horses, which are assumed to be descendents in a Western lineage. Goguryeo’s acquisition of such large-limbed horses means that she succeeded in improvement of a new species of larger than middle-limbed horses. Goguryoes’iron cavalry has been confirmed in the 3rd century’s literature, and also with the harness discovered from tomb murals and kingly tombs created in the 4thcentury. The horses and warriors of the iron cavalry were all armed with armor. The warriors wore suits of armor for cavalry, while the horses got entirely dressed in armor except for their legs and equipped with horse face armor on their face. Horses armed in this way were called Gaema, and the cavalry riding them Cheolgibyeong(iron cavalry). Such strong equipment for the protection of horses reflected the fact that cavalry battles were very important. While Goguryeo adopted the strategy of empty fields and castle defense in the early period when her main force was light cavalry, she shifted to the aggressive strategy in the mid 4th century, with which she had the iron cavalry in vanguard to charge. The strategy of charge with iron cavalry was possible with the equipment of harness like saddles and stirrups. After the cavalry armed with long spears and suits of armor charged in vanguard to break the enemy’s line, the infantry behind it assaulted the enemy with swords and axes. At the same time, the light cavalry attacked the collapsing enemy’s infantry from the sides.