Once again, Choe Sang-Hun has done a wonderful job in his latest article on Korean Shamanism and its cultural role in Korea. Only in Korea is there such a tradition or such a connection of the land to its people as exemplified in Korean Shamanism. As per Choe’s article:
. . . an estimated 300 shamanistic temples nestle in hills less than an hour from the city center, and the clamorous ceremony known as gut (pronounced “goot”) is a daily routine. The shamans offer a pig to placate the gods. They dance with toy guns to comfort the spirit of a dead child (child spirit). They intimidate evil spirits by walking barefoot on knife blades (Jakdu Daeshin).
As Choe writes, though there is a modern society, here in Seoul, there is a part of the Korean psyche that still lives in the world of spirits and beliefs that are very old.
Unique to this tradition is the idea that places like mountains channel energy (ki) from the land and because of this energy, auspicious people of great merit are born into the land; I include one link for background information (reference). This idea is interesting and notable in, because of such, “musok-in” may be the true environmentalists in Korea:
“Look around,” said Kim Myung Soon, 41, a husky “mudang” who, in a recent ritual, decapitated a chicken with her bare hands. “So much of nature has been ruined. Spirits of trees and rocks are displaced and haunt humans because they have nowhere else to go. No wonder the country is a mess.”
One professor in Seoul noted that there were approximately “273 categories of gods venerated by Korean shamans.” and that Korean Shamanism was like a spiritual “melting pot” but, in the past, Buddhism has also incorporated parts of Shamanism, thus it is common to find a special place at most temples that are dedicated to Sanshin or the mountain god. Below is one plaque from Donghaksa where there is a shrine dedicated to three Shaman gods and not just the Sanshin.
For more of Choe’s article, check here. For more about Sanshin or the Korean mountain god, try David Mason’s excellent site. To see the companion video report, click here
Sphere: Related Content
18 Comments
Amen, sister. Amen.
“So much of nature has been ruined. Spirits of trees and rocks are displaced and haunt humans because they have nowhere else to go.”
My comment might invite staunch disagreement but I’ve to say Korean shaminism is very similar to the traditional Chinese folk religious practice.
I read an old book detailing Korean shaminism and I was surprised that dieties such as The Guardians of Four Corners were exactly same as what the Chinese believe.
I don’t get the part about mountains channeling ki to be unique, with a resulting impact on events in that area. That’s feng shui, isn’t it?
Not to promote my own piece, but in the latest issue of SEOUL (available in .pdf here), I interviewed shaman Lee Hae-kyung, who featured in the documentary film “Between.”
Benkaiser, it is my understanding that some gods or ideas are shared or translated from other places — in addition to the Obang Shinjang you mentioned. For example, one Chinese general (관우장군) Gwanwoo Changun, from the three-kingdom period, is a shaman deity that protects one from disease. (석가불) Seokgabul represents the founder of Buddhism (?) that helps protect humankind.
Chilseong, whose picture heads this thread is supposed to be an amalgamation of Buddhist, Taoist and Shamanistic ideas.
I do not believe there is a “Sanshin” in China, though Dave Mason mentions a somewhat similar deity in his book on Sanshin. Though I understand Korean shamanism to have unique characteristics, I would rather have a scholar who is more experienced on this subject discuss this further (I would need to go digging and I have not the time!)
China does have mountain-spirits, fairly similar to our San-shin, but they are not very important in the folk-Daoism and hardly at all in Confucianism & Buddhism — whereas San-shin is central to Korean culture, important to most of its religious traditions. Mountain-spirits are hardly ever “personified” in China (except for the greatest one of them all, Tai-shan), while they are usually personified in Korea.
WJS, an introduction to an answer to your query above on the relationship between Korean Pungsu-jiri-seol beliefs/practices and Chinese Feng-shui can be found on:
http://www.san-shin.net/Pungsu-jiri.html
Literally true, since the use of the phrase “Korean shamanism” at the end renders it a tautology. Otherwise. BS in its intended claim of “only in Korea”.
M.S.
PhD.
#7 - “PhD.”
By that you mean “Piled High and Deep,” right?
Yep.
That was a nice article Robert. The Mudang seems to be really cool and I can understand why she likes Hendrix.
It’s always interesting to talk to shamans. I also enjoyed talking to amateur and professional psychics abroad, while psychics and shamans are different.
Interesting article.
My name was given by an 이름쟁이, who determined a ‘name of fortune’ by analysizing my time of birth; I was never happy about that fact, that my name was given by a random, superstitious stranger.
I think the article shows the korean 기복신앙 very well. Koreans tend to pray for their personal or family welfare - to mtn spirits, Buddha, Christ, ancestors or any combination from above.
I thought the post was going to be about the painting(s) because title says 무신도.
I’ve heard some disagreement as to whether the term “sanshin” refers to a single mountain god/spirit worshiped on many mountains, or to multiple mountain spirits– i.e., one for each mountain. Some Koreans I’ve spoken with incline toward the latter notion. Which notion is more widespread? Any help would be appreciated.
Kevin
Kevin, the theory that Founding King Dan-gun, upon his retirement, became *THE* San-shin, a single Mountain-spirit worshiped on many mountains, is held by Prof. James Grayson of Sheffield Univ in England, and expressed in his well-respected book _Korea: a Religious History_. As far as i know, Grayson originated this theory himself, although some Koreans may have independently believed it too.
The opposite theory, that Dan-gun became *A* San-shin, of a particular mountain (Guwol-san?), and that Korean Mountain-spirits are multiple and individual, one or more for each mountain — altho there is *also* iconization and ritual-respect of San-shin in the collective sense (as a Catholic might offer a prayer to “all the saints”) — is held by myself, and thoroughly explored in my book on this subject (with consideration of Grayson’s theory, attempting to refute it ). This latter notion is certainly more widespread in Korea.
I have debated Grayson over this several times, in public and in e-mail. I think i’m right (big surprise!) and have lots of evidence to support my side. Check the point in his book, look all thru my book and decide for yourself….
Kevin, it is my understanding that each mountain has its own spirit and that exceptional people can actually become the sanshin for a certain mountain but it is my understanding that the sanshin is more an abstract essence of a mountain than an actual person. To believe otherwise is like thinking that God has a white beard and sits on a gigantic throne.
Hopefully “sanshinseon” will weight in on this topic further but do check the links in the thread for more information.
R. Elgin has it right, IMHO — 2 minutes after my own reply, heh.
The debate i describe in #15 might seem silly to some, but it’ earth-shaking to me & my fellow frogs in the little korean-studies folk-religions well
It’s the sortta thing that excites us who have no Life… and yes we get paid for delving into it…
Thank you, gentlemen.
Kevin
One Trackback
Exorcising People’s Cash…
After reading Choe Sang-hun’s ode to superstition, I recalled Party Pooper’s two-part piece on James Randi in South Korea. As if broadband coverage now connotes “civilization” for westerners who know nothing of the business pra…