Come and touch the suid

 

The scholarly (!) YouTube channel ReligionForBreakfast takes on (South) Korean shamanism in this 23-minute long video. First, we learn that shamanism is a problematic term and that many question Mircea Eliade´s classical definition. OK, dude. Then it´s off to the ROK to investigate the many faces of Musok or Mugyo, the terms usually used to denote this cluster of spiritual beliefs and practices. Or folk superstitions! 

Due to its folkish and decentralized nature, there are many different forms of Korean shamanism. In some regions, you become a shaman by falling dangerously ill. Sounds familiar? In others, shamanism is based on hereditary family lineages. Some shamans are ecstatic, others are not. Often, shamanism hides behind a (very nominal) Buddhist facade. In South Korea, this means that shamanic shops are marked by swastikas (a Buddhist symbol). Actual syncretism is also a thing, with Korean shamans claiming contact with Chinese deities or even the immortal soul of General MacArthur!

Under Japanese rule, Musok/Mugyo was derided as primitive by both the Japanese colonialists and Western Christian missionaries (who moreover claimed that the shamans were in contact with demons). Korean nationalists inverted the reasoning, claiming that primitive shamanism proved that the Korean nation was more pure and primordial than other Asians. After independence, shamanism was still stigmatized and to some extent still is. When President Park Geun-hye was impeached in 2016, her advisor Choi Soon-sil was accused of "shamanism" due to her involvement in a new religious movement. The term was not intended as a compliment...

On the other hand, shamanism is sometimes seen as a legitimate form of Korean culture. The clip features a young female shaman who acts as an "influencer" on the web and a somewhat exotic life coach IRL.

We learn nothing about shamanism in North Korea in the clip, but Mount Paektu *is* featured. Sacred to shamanism, the mountain is situated at the North Korean-Chinese border. Since China allows South Korean tourism, shamans from the ROK can visit Paektu from the Chinese side. Dramatic visions have been reported, und so weiter. Not sure what MacArthur´s undead soul thinks about that, but there you go.

And yes, through out this YouTube video, we constantly see the shamans handle dead pigs, but the narrator never elaborates! Still, an interesting presentation.