week2 Xinyu Yang

Week2

ASA189

Xinyu—Yang

In fact, before this class, I didn’t know much about shamanism. Even, I don't know the existence of the Korean Shamans. Chongho Kim, author of the article "Korean Shamanism, The cultural paradox", mentioned that shamans are considered a superstition in Korea, although traditional herbal medicines occupy a large economic market. However, they do not pay taxes and are not recognized by Korean medical insurance. 

Of course, I don't think shaman can represent traditional medicine. Through the guest speaker, the shaman is more of a person who communicates with the soul and senses that they have spirit established contact. As she said about animal sacrifices, it is to communicate with these souls, not simply killing. There is also a view that animal sacrifices send the soul of animals to better places. Is this a manifestation of human beings being too arrogant? And with modernization, the shamanic rituals, or some traditional religious rituals, have a history of simplification and change. Does that change their role in spiritual connection?

Q：Whether shaman therapy can be considered as traditional medicine?

      Is animal sacrifice a manifestation of human arrogance?

The photo is a shaman ritual in northern China