At the eastern edge of the Eurasian continent, Korea has preserved one of the most vital shamanic traditions in Asia. In a country that has known Buddhism, state Confucianism, Christianity and extremely rapid modernisation, the figure of the mudang, the Korean shaman, continues to officiate her rites, called gut, in cities and countryside alike.
A mainly female tradition
One of the most obvious features of Korean shamanism is the predominance of women. Most ritual specialists are women; there are also male shamans, but they are a minority, and they sometimes wear women's clothing during rites.
The term mudang is the most widespread, but it sometimes carries a pejorative nuance; many shamans prefer the term mansin, which can be rendered as «ten thousand spirits». There are also many regional terms.
Two paths to becoming a shaman
Korean scholars traditionally distinguish two main types of shaman, found in different regions of the peninsula:
| Type | Traditional area | How one becomes one |
|---|---|---|
| Gangsinmu, shaman «into whom the spirit descends» | mainly North and centre | by a call of the spirits, after a crisis |
| Seseummu, hereditary shaman | mainly South | by birth into a family of shamans |
In the first path the vocation manifests itself through sinbyeong, «spirit illness»: a period of physical and mental suffering which, according to tradition, finds no resolution until the person accepts the call. An initiation rite follows, the naerim-gut, in which the spirit «descends» permanently into the new shaman, who is then taught by an older shaman, her «spirit mother».
In the second path the role is passed down within families, together with a rich repertoire of songs, dances and music; the hereditary shaman does not necessarily enter trance, but is an expert in the rite.
The gut
The gut is the Korean shamanic rite. It can last from a few hours to several days and consists of a succession of sequences, called geori, each dedicated to a spirit or group of spirits. In each sequence the shaman:
- puts on the costume of the spirit being invoked, often colourful garments of past eras;
- dances to the sound of drums, gongs, flutes and bowed instruments;
- sings or speaks with the voice of the spirit, addressing the sponsors;
- receives offerings and conveys messages, blessings and reproaches.
The spirits invoked are many: mountain deities, legendary generals, family ancestors, spirits of those who died before their time, figures of the folk pantheon. A gut may be held to ask for prosperity, to appease a dead person, to accompany a soul into the afterlife, to protect a village.
One aspect that surprises observers is the atmosphere: the gut alternates moments of deep emotion, such as weeping for the dead, with comic and playful moments, with spirits who bargain, complain and tease those present.
Persecution
Korean shamanism has passed through long phases of hostility. During the Joseon dynasty (1392-1910), which adopted Neo-Confucianism as state ideology, shamans were marginalised, taxed and periodically expelled from the cities. In the 20th century they were viewed with suspicion under Japanese colonial rule and then, in South Korea in the 1970s, modernisation campaigns fought practices deemed «superstition».
Despite this, the mudang never disappeared. They often worked on the margins, in private homes or on hills outside towns.
Shamanism today
Since the 1980s attitudes have changed. Some rites have been recognised as intangible cultural assets and expert shamans as holders of a heritage. The Chilmeoridang Yeongdeunggut rite of Jeju Island, dedicated to the goddess of wind and sea, has been inscribed by UNESCO on the list of intangible cultural heritage.
In contemporary Korea the gut coexists with urban life: it is held for the opening of a business, for an exam, for a dead person. Studio Esoterico Cornelio sees in it an example of how a tradition can remain alive precisely because it knows how to speak to people's concrete concerns.
In short
- Korean shamanism is mainly female, centred on the figure of the mudang or mansin.
- There are shamans called by the spirits, after sinbyeong, and hereditary shamans.
- The gut is a rite in several sequences, with costumes, dance, music and spirit voices.
- Shamans were marginalised under the Joseon and opposed in the 20th century.
- Today some rites, such as that of Jeju, are recognised as intangible heritage.
