Korean shamanism. From tradition to performance

Abstract

The article takes an attempt to review the Korean shamanic ritual Jeju Chilmeoridang Yeongdeung gut in the framework of the traditional Korean philosophy. original sources are used to analyze the historical and philosophical aspects of the Korean shamanism as a part of the ancient religion of the Koreans, which includes common shamanistic views along with Confucian, Buddhist, and Taoist concepts. As far as we can judge based on the contemporary worldview, shamanism in the modern Republic of Korea has turned into one of the national brands, and the government of the Republic of Korea has made its promotion to internal and external markets a national goal. Different programs were have initiated in order to preserve and popularise the cultural heritage, of which the shamanism is an important part. First of all, this article reviews the Korean shamanic ritual in honor of the spirits of wind, rain, and sea - Chilmeoridang Yeongdeung gut. In 2009, the ritual was included in the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage List. Today, the ritual is performed by invited shamans from the mainland in a different dialect and does not possess a sacred significance for the locals. As a result, the shamanism becomes an enterprise aimed at tourists. An attempt is made at discovering what caused the ritual’s desecration. The conclusion is drawn that the practice of cultural heritage preservation devolves into its profanation: the form starts to take over the content, and the ritual becomes a performance.