Exorcism
‘Gut’: Korean Way of Welcoming Good Life
By Shim Hyun-chul
Staff Reporter
A shaman, costumed extravagantly and holding a fodder chopper and fan, dances to exhilarating drumbeats. The ``gut'' climaxes as prayers to the gods and dance movements become more dramatic.
Gut is a shamanistic ritual in which a shaman prays to heaven for man's fortune before a table full of food.
Korea's gut tradition embodies the local spirit and character. Gut becomes a melting pot for everyone's life stories, surpassing all boundaries set by gender, age and class. While it is the shaman that leads gut, everyone present is united by the spiritual act.
Various gut take place across the country, and the purpose of the ritual can largely be categorized into three types: gut for the living, the dead and the entire community. Gut varies by time and space, as well as the costume, dance and music of the shaman.
A typical gut takes place at a venue organized specifically for the occasion. The shaman's voice and percussion instruments begin slowly and softly, and then speed up and down in a loop. Sometimes, the shaman conjures a specific spirit and allows it to converse with the participants of the gut. Using props such as a drum or bell, the shaman announces the descent of the spirit. After the conversation, the dance begins and the shaman uses props to chant prayers and wish for peace for the participants.
Gut for communities include ``byeolsin gut, which is regularly held in eastern seaside towns to bid seamen safety and good fishing. There is also the Seoul ``cheonsinmaji gut'' that prays for health and peace in the family. This gut is held in the springtime and is thus also called ``kkotmaji gut'' or ``flower greeting'' gut.