Fantastic Korea

Gods, Ghosts and the Supernatural (1)

(Fall 2014) SPGE 176-00
Introduction to Korean History & Culture
SPECIAL LECTURE 1

Stuff like this.

wasnt scary at allfor older Koreans

But this used to scare the hell out of them

Home of the Legends

1977-1989

The Wailing Woman (1986)

emetery under the Moon (1967)

The Evil Twin (2006)

300 Types of Ghosts and Demons

Spirits of Korea Murayama Jijun (1929)

I. Supernatural Specialists
In the Arthurian Legend
there is

Merlin the Magician

In the Lord of the Rings there

is

Gandalf

Saruman

In China, there is

Wuxia ( )

In Korea, we have

DOSA
( )

1. Dosa ( )
Originally Daoist clerics and practitioners of
asceticism to achieve the dao ( )

But closer to wizards in the popular imagination

Examples of Dosa magic

Chukji - Shrinking the Earth

Biwol Flying over
talismans (bujeok): http://
comic.naver.com/webtoon/detail.nhn?titleId=423384&no=130&weekday=thu

Weather control: Master Samyungdang (early 17th C)

Teleport To the East Sea and West Sea in a flash
Transmutation (shapeshifting)
Jangpung: Palm winds
Telekinesis

2. The Mudang

Diviners and mediums

Performs rituals
Commune with the dead
Perform curses and magic
Magic includes good and evil magic
- Similar to white magick and black magick of the west
Divided into hereditary and possession types
Possession mudangs (gangshinmu) experience the shinbyung ( ), or godly illness

Mudangs are usually usually fe

male

But some are male called baksu

Example of

mudang black magic

Buys or abducts young child

Places child in hug jar with

rock salt with a bell inside

Child starts crying and

eventually dies

The childs spirit becomes

bound to the bells owner
to do his/her biddung
Childs spirit absorbed
into the bell dies

Mudang riding blades

Jewoong