Korean shamanism terms
Summary
Korean shamanism terms explain names for shamans, spirit sickness, and ritual practice in musok and mugyo. Mudang is the gender-neutral term for shamans, while baksu refers to male practitioners and mansin is a respectful term meaning 10,000 spirits. Sinbyeong describes the illness that precedes spirit-called initiation, and gut and Naerim Gut refer to shamanic rituals and initiation. The terms also distinguish inherited shamans, spirit-possession shamans, and ritual mentor relationships.
Key Facts
- Musok is an older term associated with shamanism as a folk tradition, while mugyo is a newer term often used in more scholarly contexts.
- Sinbyeong, or spirit sickness, is described as an illness experienced by someone called by spirits and usually improves once the person is initiated as a shaman.
- Gangsinmu become shamans through spirit possession after experiencing sinbyeong, while seseupmu inherit their positions through families and do not usually experience sinbyeong.
- Gut rituals include music, singing, chanting and dance, and the contents are transmitted orally and through practice between shamans and their apprentices.
- Naerim Gut is an initiation ritual that can take days, months or even years and includes asking the gods for permission, finding an auspicious date, traveling to important shamanic sites and performing the ritual itself.
A shaman holding a hand fan sings at an altar loaded with offerings of food during a ceremony at Geumseongdang Shrine in Seoul's Eunpyeong District, Oct. 22, 2021. Korea Times photo by Jon Dunbar
• Musok and mugyo are common names for Korean shamanism. Musok is an older term associated with shamanism as a folk tradition, while mugyo is a newer term often used in more scholarly contexts.
• Mudang is the gender-neutral term for shamans. The less common "baksu" refers exclusively to male practitioners.
• Mansin is a respectful term for shamans, meaning “10,000 spirits.”
• Sinbyeong, or “spirit sickness” is an illness experienced by someone who is called by spirits. It usually manifests as a period of poor health encompassing both physical and psychological symptoms, and improves once the person is initiated as a shaman.
• Gangsinmu become shamans as the result of spirit possession. They are called to the practice after experiencing sinbyeong.
• Seseupmu are shamans who inherit their positions, which are transmitted through families. They do not usually experience sinbyeong.
• Gut are rituals used in shamanic practice. They include music, singing, chanting and dance as performative aspects, the contents of which are transmitted orally and through practice between shamans and their apprentices.
• Naerim Gut is an initiation ritual. The full process of initiation can last for days, months or even years. It involves asking the gods for permission, seeking an auspicious date, traveling to important shamanic sites, and finally, the ritual itself to become a fully ordained shaman.
• Aaedong-jaeja, loosely translated as “lovely baby for the god,” is a term used for a shaman initiate until they become a fully ordained shaman.
• Sineomeoni and sinttal, meaning spirit mother and spirit daughter, are terms that describe a ritual mother–daughter relationship between shamans. A sineomeoni is an established shaman who takes another shaman as her protege, or sinttal.
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