May 2012
3 posts
Shamanism in Entertainment
Advantage: It makes people more aware of what shamanism is and may lead to intimacy between the community and the spirit world.
Disadvantage: The religious aspect or significance of shamanism is reduced in the media because it becomes tailored to entertain the audience.
The Three Themes of Shamanism
1. HARMONY: Shamanism emphasizes the importance of harmony between humans, spirits or ancestors, and the power of nature. For example, a person who wants to harvest wild mountain ginseng should pray to the mountain spirit and ask for permission.
2. ECSTASY: Describes the experience of being in contact with a spirit. Staying in contact with spirits causes joy, healing, and the opening of mental...
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The Four Types of Korean Shamans
According to Kim T’ae-gon, a professor at Won-gwang University, there are four types of shamans.
Ones who can only exorcise
Ones who can only divine
Ones who can do both, exorcise and divine
Ones who can only chant spells.
The ones in the first category can only officiate. The shamans in the second category can communicate with the spiritual world. The ones in the third category can do...
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WatchIn this video a court-maiden pretends to be a shaman, Mok-yi, to help spread hangul while other court ladies and men are hidden in the crowd to rile up the crowd into thinking that a real shaman is within them. She says the fortune is bad today and to come tomorrow with more family and friends, thus helping spread hangul.
The clip is from the drama Tree with Deep Roots, which is about a series of...
April 2012
6 posts
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A Little History on the Foundation of Korea...
In olden times, Hwanin’s son, Hwanung, wanted to live with humans instead of live above them in Heaven. Hwanin then decided to give Hwanung three heavenly seals and let him settle on Mount T’aebaek so that he could help the humans and rule over them. Hwanung, along with three thousand followers, settled by the Holy Altar on the mountain and called it the City of God. He became in charge of the...
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Tangun's Connection to Shamanism!
Because Tangun is the son of a god and a human, he is considered the great shaman and the connection between Heaven and Earth. He enables the spirits from Heaven and the gods of Nature to coincide in harmony with the components of the real world.
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WatchIn these clips you see the shaman from the first clip, Nok Young, telling a younger shaman to leave the palace. After the younger shaman, Jan Shil, breaks down there is an evident change in the mood of the scene and Jan Shil stands up and starts channeling Prince Yang Myung (seen in the second clip).
This scene is another modern depiction of a shaman’s powers through the eyes of this director....
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Watch
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WatchDON’T UNDERESTIMATE THE POWER OF SHAMANS.
The video posted above was a modern depiction of a shaman’s powers. This modern depiction although may seem like an accurate depiction of Korean Foundational Shamanism, is based on the Joseon Dynasty which was around 1392-1897. The drama this scene is taken from, is fictional and does not base itself off of any historical event. This is a...
