Korean Shamanistic Rituals

268 Pages·1981·23.565 MB·English

by  Jung Y. Lee

Korean Shamanistic Rituals
Religion and Society 12
GENERAL EDITORS
Leo Laeyendecker, University of Leyden
Jacques Waardenburg, University of Utrecht
MOUTON PUBLISHERS · THE HAGUE · PARIS · NEW YORK
Korean Shamanistic Rituals
JUNG YOUNG LEE
University of North Dakota
MOUTON PUBLISHERS · THE HAGUE · PARIS · NEW YORK
ISBN: 90-279-3378-2
(g) 1981, Mouton Publishers, The Hague, The Netherlands
Typeset by β H Charlesworth & Co Ltd, Huddersfield, England
Printed in Great Britain
To Mircea Eliade

Preface
Except for a few articles there is practically no material available in
Western language on Korean shamanism,1 even though it is still the most
fundamental and influential religion of the Korean people.2 Therefore, in
this book I have made the first major attempt to introduce a
comprehensive English language work on Korean shamanism to the
Western world. The special emphasis in this book is to make a
phenomenological study of the ritualistic aspects of Korean shamanism.
In order to present the actual phenomena of shamanistic rituals as
objectively as possible, I have kept my own interpretation to a minimum.
Thus this study may be of special interest to the historians of religions,
cultural and social anthropologists, psychologists and those who would
like to know the inner life of most people in Korea. The significance of
introducing this subject to the West is well illustrated in the remark of
Professor Mircea Eliade, of the University of Chicago, who said,
'Certainly the subject is a fascinating one, and far too little is known about
it in the West'.3
I would like to express my deepest appreciation to Professor Mircea
Eliade, who has not only suggested but encouraged me to undertake this
study. Therefore, this book is cordially dedicated to him. I am also
thankful to Professor Ichiro Hori, of the University of Tokyo, who has
kindly guided me in my research. However, this book would not be
possible without the genuine cooperation of many shamans, shamanesses
and friends in Korea. Since shamanistic rituals are no longer in practice
in North Korea after the establishment of Peoples' Republic of Korea, I
1 See the bibliography section of A History ofKorea by William E. Henthorn (New York:
The Free Press, 1971), pp. 247-248.
2 Even though the official estimation of shamanistic believers in Korea is not possible, it
is believed that more than 80 per cent of Korean (South) population in our time adhere to
shamanistic practices. See Korean Religions, Vol. 2, No. 1 (January 1970), p. 67.
3 In his letter addressed to me on April 25, 1972, expressing his interest in my article for
publication in the History of Religions.
viii Preface
have to heavily rely on oral traditions as well as the data collected prior to
the Second World War. Even though it is difficult to list everyone of
them, I must not fail to mention Professor Kim T'ae Gon, Director of
Folklore Research Institute, Kyung Hee University, who has provided
me with valuable information and assisted me during my field research in
Korea. Also my father's personal knowledge of shamanism and
acquaintance with shamanesses made it possible for me to get into the
secret world of Korean shamanism. Thanks are due to Steve Axtman, who
has carefully prepared the Index to this book.
I would like to acknowledge my indebtedness to Otterbein College for
a sabbatical leave during the 1971-72 academic year to carry out this
research. I also acknowledge the support given by the University ofNorth
Dakota through a faculty research grant for the completion of this book.
'The Seasonal Rituals of Korean Shamanism' was previously
published in the History of Religions, and 'Concerning the Origin and
Formation of Korean Shamanism' was published in Numen: International
Reviewfor the History ofReligions. I am grateful to the University of Chicago
Press and E.J. Brill for permission to reprint them with extensive
revisions in this book. 'The Communal Rituals of Korean Shamanism'
was originally published in the Journal of Asian and African Studies. The
article has been revised and included in this book. I am thankful for
permission to use it here. Chapter 10 is a complete revision of
'Shamanistic Thought and Traditional Korean Homes', which was
presented at the 1975 annual meeting of the Society for Asian Studies in
San Francisco, and was later published in Korea Journal. I am grateful to
Korean National Commission for Unesco for permission to use the article
in this book. Chapter 11 was added later. This chapter represents an
attempt to find a fundamental motive in Korean shamanism through a
study of sexual repression. Despite the fact that it has very little to do with
ritualistic aspects of Korean shamanism, it is useful to any attempt to
understand the essential nature of Korean shamanism. This chapter is a
revision of a paper presented at the Fulbright-Hays Forum in Seoul, Korea
on November 14, 1977. I am grateful for the assistance provided by the
Fulbright-Hays Fellowship which permitted me to carry out the research
involved. I am also deeply indebted to various cultural and academic
institutions in Korea for permission to reproduce illustrative materials in
this book. Finally I am most grateful to my people, the descendants of the
Preface ix
great shaman Dan Gun, who deserve whatever the contribution that this
book can make in the world.
The University of North Dakota,
Grands Forks, N. Dak. JUNG YOUNG LEE
Map of Korea