Robert Neff has authored and co-authored several books, including Letters from Joseon, Korea Through Western Eyes and Brief Encounters.
Koryo Mine Part 2: Appeasing the Mountain God
A mudang (shaman) at the OCMC during the early 1900s.
By Robert Neff
Mining is inherently a dangerous occupation, so it is little wonder that many miners are religious ― if not superstitious.
The Korean miners at the Koryo Mines were no exception. The “Mountain God” was believed to be responsible for the success or failure of a gold mine; depending on whether it was sufficiently appeased determined whether gold would be found.
Whenever a new mine was opened, or a spate of bad luck dictated, a ceremony was held in hope of garnering the goodwill of this fickle deity. In June 1963, a reporter for Stars & Stripes (an American armed forces newspaper) witnessed one of these ceremonies (gat) at the Koryo mine. According to him:
A crowd of miners and their honored male guests (women were prohibited from attending) watched as a “white-robed priest began the solemn ceremonies by bowing in homage several times to the seven-tiered altar, bedecked with fruit, rice cakes and the pig. The seven tiers represent the seven precious minerals to be found in Mt. Dilbo [where the mine is located].”
After the prayers were read, they were set afire ― the belief being that if the ashes rose the miners would be assured success and great wealth. Fortunately, on this day, the ashes rose into the air, further elevating the miners' spirit and their expectations.
The mudang and her followers at the OCMC during the early 1900s.
After the ceremony, all the food ― except a single portion that was left on the altar for the deity ― was taken to the nearby village and, accompanied by a great deal of makgeolli, consumed throughout the day. Anyone and everyone was treated to this feast.
Yet, despite these offerings, there were sometimes serious accidents. In the early 1900s, Homer Hulbert visited the American-owned Oriental Consolidated Mining Company (OCMC) in northern Korea and described what happened after a fatal accident:
“The Korean practice of driving out evil spirits is well illustrated at the American gold mines at Un-san in the north whenever a Korean miner is killed in the mine.
The Koreans suppose that his death is caused by some spirit of the earth who feels himself aggrieved in some way or for some cause.
“No sooner does the accident occur than all the miners come flocking from the shaft and work is at a complete standstill until the matter is adjusted. It ordinarily takes an hour and a half or two hours to get things back to a working basis.
“The wife of the dead man or his nearest female relative is summoned to the mouth of the mine. Live chickens and pigs are brought in goodly numbers. The miners provide themselves with rude drums or kettle-pans or anything else that will produce a loud sound while some arm themselves with brooms.
“When these preparations are complete the chickens are tied fast and thrown one by one down the empty shaft, and the pigs are treated the same way. At the same time the woman kneels at the edge of the shaft and holds her hand as far down in it as she can reach, with the thumb and fore-finger pinched tightly together. Meanwhile they all listen to the sounds that come up the shaft from the immolated animals and when they hear the right sound they all give a loud shout and the woman draws out her hand as if she was drawing out the spirit.
“The thumb and forefinger are still tightly held together. At this point the miners begin to beat the woman severely and the tom-toms and drums beat and the sweepers sweep the floor and the air as if sweeping out the evil influence. The woman is beaten till so exhausted that she can no longer hold thumb and finger together and her hand opens. This means that the spirit has been exorcised and soon the miners go back quietly to their work.”
Many of the Western missionaries and miners witnessed and wrote letters home describing these ceremonies, derisively denouncing them as superstitious nonsense. Seems kind of ironic when you consider superstition is defined as “the excessive credulous belief in and reverence for supernatural beings.” It is all a matter of view.
My appreciation to the Lower family for providing the pictures.