Death rituals for the living: Exploring the history and diversity of the shamanic death rituals in Korea

Korean shamanic death rituals have continually evolved through adaptation to societal changes. Korean shamanism, or musok, centers on shamans and an orally transmitted worldview that has never been fixed. Shamans have adopted elements from various religious traditions, transforming existing rituals and creating new ones. One example is the sanogu kut, a death ritual performed while a person is still alive. This ongoing adaptation has produced the rich diversity of shamanic death rituals seen in South Korea today.

Study at a glance

Abstract

This article examines the diverse forms of shamanic death rituals observed in Korea from a historical perspective. Korean shamanism, or musok, is a highly dynamic form of faith centred on the figure of the shaman, associated rituals, and a worldview that has been passed down orally among shamans from generation to generation. It is important to note, however, that this worldview, and therefore the ritual itself, has never been fixed or unchangeable. To the contrary, Korean shamans have demonstrated the capacity for continual adaptation of their practices in response to the evolving needs of their society. This has been achieved by the adoption of elements from a variety of religious traditions, which has resulted in the continuous transformation, and even creation of new ritual forms. The death ritual performed when person is still alive, known as sanogu kut, is an exampleof this. This ongoing evolution has resulted in the rich diversity of shamanic death rituals observed in South Korea today.