Week 2: Shamanism & Healing - Mary Moua
I thought it was interesting to
read about how Shamanism was stigmatized and looked down upon in Korean
society and I wonder if this is still a common belief in Korea because in
other cultures and traditions like the Hmong culture, Shamanism is
commonly practiced and does not face any stigmatization. Are Korean
shamans still looked down upon in Korea to this day and if so, why? Or has
this popular belief changed? As the article "The Pa Lor Story - The Journey Between Two Worlds" demonstrates, Shamanism is a significant aspect of the Hmong culture and is used for multiple purposes so reading about the differences between Korean shamanism and Hmong shamanism was interesting and demonstrates the notion that Shamanism differs based on the cultural and historical practices of the ethnicity.
Author Chongho Kim notes the differences between
Korean shamanism and other types of healing practices and it was
especially interesting reading about how Korean shamanism is defined
primarily by Spirit talk where through tools like the Spirit Stick,
clients can communicate with spirits whereas with the Pa Lor article, she's used as a mediator to communicate and talk to spirits. In particular, reading about the experience of Muno
and his sister was a good example of this and how Korean shamanism differs
from other types of Shamanism and healing practices out there.
References:
Chongho Kim. “Shamanism in Trouble.”
Txawb-California Asian Directory. “The Pa Lor Story-The Journey Between Two Worlds.”
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