Draft Folk Belief

Title	Folk Belief
Author	Lyndsey Twining
Concept	shamanism, household religion, village religion, gut, gosa, sacred tree (dangsan namu), guardian post (jangseung), sacred pole (sotdae), mountain prayers (sangido), Mountain Spirit (sansin)

1차 원고

Folk belief is comprised of those religious beliefs and practices held by the people of a society and which does not fall under the umbrella of an organized religion. In the case of Korea, folk religion can be divided broadly into three categories – shamanism, household religion, and village religion.

Shamanism can be considered the oldest Korean religion. In Korea, shamans are usually female, called mudang, and become a shaman either hereditarily or after a spirit possession and initiation ritual. These shamans are employed by private individuals or a community for fortune telling or to lead rituals, called gut, to console the spirits of the deceased or to wish for good fortune. During the rituals, the shaman serves as a medium between the spirits (either the deceased or other gods) and the lay person. They always include music and dance. Shamanism was officially suppressed during the officially Confucian Joseon dynasty, however it was widely practiced in private and by women, in particular. This suppression was continued during the Japanese occupation and Park Chung-hee era.

Household religion include ancestral worship, led by men, and household spirit worship, led by women. Ancestral worship includes rituals held on the anniversary of one’s ancestors (jesa), rituals held on holidays (charye) such as Lunar New Year and Chuseok, and rituals held at the tomb of the deceased (sije). These rituals are held by extended families and serve as a way to unite the kin-unit, both physically and through co-action, and also keep ancestors alive eternally through remembrance and communion. Women are responsible for preparing offerings of food and alcohol for the altar, while the men perform the ritual itself. As these rituals are a family affair, their offerings and steps differ from family to family. Worship of various household spirits via a ritual called gosa is also performed by the women of the house to ensure good fortune for the house.

Village religion includes local rituals and festivals involving the worship of local spirits and sacred trees (dangsan namu). It also includes the installation of totems (jangseung), wooden poles with a perched duck (sotdae), and other decorations which served as sign posts, boundary markers, and tokens of spiritual protection. Local rituals and festivals were a way to bring the various clans of the village together and serve as a structured and sanctioned way for people of all classes, ages, and sexes to be temporarily freed from their social roles.

Korean folk religion plays a significant role in modern Koreans’ lives. Fortune telling stalls can be easily found on Seoul’s sidewalks, while shamans can be hired for private rituals. Gosa to wish for good luck are commonly held when opening a new business, constructing a new building, or before a performance. Ancestral rituals are still commonly held on holidays by most of the population. Korean Christianity has incorporated various shamanistic practices, such as mountain prayers (sangido) and revival meetings, while Korean Buddhist temples have a hall for worshiping the Mountain Spirit (sansin) – a folk, not Buddhist, spirit. Mothers of all faiths pray for their children’s success 100 days before college entrance examinations. A great deal of traditional Korean music, dance, and performances has its roots in folk religion. This prevalence of folk religion in both secular society and organized religion – despite its repeated suppression – demonstrates the extent to which it is a fundamental part of Korean culture.

2차 원고

Folk belief is comprised of religious beliefs and practices held by the people of a society which do not fall under the umbrella of an organized religion. In the case of Korea, folk religion can be categorized – shamanism, household religion, and village religion.

Shamanism can be considered the oldest Korean religion. In Korea, one can become a shaman hereditarily or after a spirit possession and initiation ritual. These shamans are employed by private individuals or a community for fortune telling or to lead rituals, called gut, to console the spirits of the deceased or to wish for good fortune. During the rituals, the shaman serves as a medium between the spirits (either the deceased or other gods) and the lay person. They always include music and dance. Shamanism was officially suppressed during the Confucian Joseon dynasty, however it was widely practiced in private and by women, in particular.

Household religion refers to spirit worship of various household gods. While the men of a family hold Confucian ancestral worship rituals on the anniversary of one’s ancestors death (jesa), on holidays (charye) such as Lunar New Year and Chuseok, and at the tomb of the deceased (sije), women of the household hold similar folk rituals to honor and appease spirits which are believed to oversee various parts of the home. These offering rituals are called gosa and are performed to ensure good fortune for the house. Examples of such household spirits are spirit of the main roof beam (seongju sin), three-spirit grandmother (samsin halmeoni) or three-spirit monk (samsin jeseok), spirit of the kitchen fire (jowang sin), lord of the yard (teoji daegam), spirit of the storehouse (eop sin), maiden of the toilet (byeonso gaksi), and more.

Village religion includes local rituals and festivals involving the worship of local spirits and sacred trees (dangsan namu). It also includes the installation of guardian posts (jangseung), sacred poles (sotdae), and other decorations which served as sign posts, boundary markers, and tokens of spiritual protection. Local rituals and festivals were a way to bring the various clans of the village together and serve as a structured and sanctioned way for people of all classes, ages, and sexes to be temporarily freed from their social roles. Some such village folk rituals, namely the Gangneung Danoje Festival and the Jeju Chilmeoridang-yeongdeung-gut Shaman Ritual, have been designated as UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritages.

Korean folk religion still plays a role in modern Koreans' lives to a certain extent. Some still visit fortune telling stalls and hire shamans for private rituals. Gosa to wish for good luck are commonly held when opening a new business, constructing a new building, or before a performance. Korean Christianity has incorporated various shamanistic practices, such as mountain prayers (sangido) and revival meetings, while Korean Buddhist temples have a hall for worshiping the Mountain Spirit (sansin) – a folk, not Buddhist, spirit. Some mothers - of all faiths - pray for their childrens' success during the 100 days leading up to college entrance examinations. A great deal of traditional Korean music, dance, and performances have their roots in folk religion. This prevalence of folk religion in both secular society and organized religion demonstrates the extent to which it is a fundamental part of Korean culture.

References

• Choi, Joon-sik. 2005. Folk-religion: The Customs in Korea. Ewha Womans University Press.
• Peterson, Mark. Korea's Religious Places. Seoul Selection. p. 104-7.