Korean Mythology [pt. 1]안녕하세요! This post was requested by lunax02, who suggested that I talk about K

Korean Mythology [pt. 1]안녕하세요! This post was requested by lunax02, who suggested that I talk about Korean Mythological Creatures as a way to incorporate more Korean culture into my blog! This ask is brilliant and I appreciate all requests made to me (especially if you guys are super interested in it)! In order to tell you about Mythological Creatures in Korea, you first need to know where they come from! This is crucial for understanding their history and why they are an important part of Korean culture! This is also very exciting to me as this post (and future Korean Mythology posts) will be a collab with my friend / mutual, @patrooocle​! Dare I say, the queen of giving us Korean culture blogs. She has been so kind as to share her notes and help me through this process, so if you don’t follow her already please please do!patrooocle’s blog // patrooocle’s twitter // patrooocle’s IGWARNING: This post will be very long! *for this post, I will be using some Hanja ( 한자 // 漢字 ), anything written by me is open to criticism as I am still learning how to make it more natural and the correct stroke order and would love all the help I can getI am using Hanja as a way to incorporate a deeper understanding of the Korean characters and their origins! It is a way to break down the literal meaning of the Korean words so we can have a better understanding of their history!Many of Korea’s Mythological Creatures come from the Shaman religion (신교 // 神敎 ), which can be seen throughout many cultures in Asia called 무속신화 ( 巫俗神話 )What is Shamanism?Shamanism is a religion in which spirits, gods, and ancestors are praised. It is considered to be the oldest understanding of spiritual practice. Here are some key characteristics of Saman Religion:there are spirits everywhere, harmful or not, they are unseen and they play a large role in the lives of those still on this plane of existencecertain people have a “calling”, this allows them to be able to talk to and interact with the spiritual planethese people are called “shaman” ( 무당 /  巫堂 ) - they are commonly women (very few tend to be men - 박수 무당)the shaman act as a medium / mediator between the human world and spirit world - you would go to a shaman if you feel as if you are being haunted with an unwanted spirita shaman helps with all spiritual aspects (healing, protection, cleansing)A shaman can come in many different traditional clothes, depending on the type. There are four different types of Shaman:1. Survival-oriented Shamans: These Shamans tend to be primitive. From the source that I was reading, they tend to be selfish and harmful! These are the types of Shaman that you see in old pirate movies (yes, the depictions can be racist and create stereotypes based on Shaman religion). 2. Self-oriented Shamans: These Shamans are generally more popular and think of Shamanism as a “business”. This is not to say that these Shaman aren’t gifted or spiritual, but they take this to their advantage and will sometimes monetize their abilities. If I’m not mistaken, these are the types of Shaman you will often see in K-Dramas - correct me if I’m wrong (I don’t watch many K-dramas lol @eojetbam-studies​ recommended some K-Dramas aaaages ago)3. Service-oriented Shamans: As the most empathetic Shamans in this group, they tend to serve and live a selfless life - this is where Buddhism ties into Shamanism. They don’t necessarily look to Shamanism for answers, but they let Shamanism guide them - kind of a “one-foot-at-a-time” mindset. They are great healers and communicators! 4. Wisdom-oriented Shamans: These are the teachers of Shamanism. Their intuition helps them see “vertically” as well as see other humans as transparent. They are very trusted and respected in the community and often lead their neighbourhoods. *All Shaman function as a channel between the spirit world and the physical world*There are generally two (2) ways to become a 무당;1. You have to undergo something called “신병” ( 神病 ), which is a prolonged, mystical experience / sickness that cannot be explained. In Shamanism, the only way to recover from this sickness is to accept the presence of spirits in our physical existence. The sick pre-Shaman must then search out a senior, experienced Shaman and undergo the initiation ceremony (내림굿) where she will learn how to “channel her primary spirit” (몸주(신)). This type of Shaman is called “강신무” ( 降神巫 ) and is generally found along the Korean peninsula. 2. The other way is through matrilineal inheritance; if the mother is a Shaman, her daughter will also be one. These Shamans are referred to as “세습무” ( 世襲巫 ) and live around the Han River. note: Hereditary무당 is also commonly called “심방” / “신방” ( 神房 ). This is very common in 제주도 where there are more male shamans. Now with the help of @patrooocle​, here are her notes on the notable deities in Korean Mythology. Not all of them relate back to Shamanism but are extremely important in terms of Korean traditional mythology and culture.  성주 (or 성조): House Guardian God (聖 - “holy” + 主 - “host”), highest household duty. He makes sure the family is safe and the house is well kept. Generally worshipped during the first lunar month (called 상달고사 - “上月告祀”) or the 10th lunar month (called 안택 - “安宅”) 세존 (or 시준 // 시주): Buddhist household God (“世尊”). Because of its association with Buddhism, its sacrificial offerings often exclude fish and meat 조상 ( 祖上 ): the spirit of one’s ancestors. Household Gods, often worshipped by holding a 차례 ( 茶禮 ) -> an example of this is 추석 배서낭 or 배연신 (or 선왕 in Jeju Island): God who protects fishermen and brings them a bountiful harvest 문신 ( 門神 ): Gate God who keeps evil spirits from entering a home. In Jeju Island, these often take the form of a wooden fence placed in front of the house (called 정주목) instead of a portal. More generally, 돌하르방 (돌, which means “rock” + 하르방, Jeju dialect for “grandfather”) are statues (or Gods) placed in front of a house to offer protection. In the same vein, 장승 (also referred to as 법수 or 벅수 in the South) were totem poles (Gods) placed at the entrance of villages in order to scare demons away 서낭신: Patron deity of the village, it’s often worshipped through 제사 (ritual ceremony) in places specifically dedicated to 서낭신. These places take the form of cairns or trees called 서나당 (or 성황당). 서낭신 is one of the most known deities and is still worshipped in mountainous parts of Korea 도깨비: a spirit that uses their powers in order to either trick or helps humans 제석: Gold of childbirth, who overlooks the conception, birth and future of a person 삼신 어머니: Goddess of childbearing, often represented as a grandmother 칠성 (Seven Stars): the deification of the constellation 북두칠성 ( 北斗七星 ). Takes care of your health, wishes and safety. It also oversees one’s fortunenote: Shaman rituals are called “굿”That is all for this post! We will cover more aspects of Korean mythology in the future, however, we hope that you enjoyed this post and that you’ve learned a lot! Happy Learning :) ~ SK101 + Patrooocle -- source link

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