Feixiao Xin---Week3

After reading the article " Chongho Kim Shamanism in Trouble" I learned a lot about Korean shaman.

Korean shaman works in the field of misfortune. The characteristics of Korean shamanism are quite different from medical modalities in health care. The author states that it shouldn’t be included in health care resources.  Korean shamans are ritual practitioners rather than health-care practitioners. Shamanism is not seen as a sort of medicine, including traditional medicine.

Except for Korean shaman, there are also many other practitioners who work in the field of misfortune. Ordinary people call shaman as musin which can also refer to other traditions like geomancy. Different from shaman considered as superstition, many Koreans deem geomancy to be a science on the basis of rational principles. Fortune-tellers are another important practitioner working in the field of misfortune. In addition, there are many others.

To sum up, shamanism is considered as a conventional label of Korean religious practice.

I have three questions want to share based on the article. Firstly, In the story about Mumo’s mother, I wonder why she was willing to pay so much for the shamanic healing while she didn’t consider it as a sort of medicine and even was shamed of it. Secondly, what makes people hold different opinions towards shaman and geomancy? Lastly, what are common characteristics, if existing, of shaman, geomancy, fortune-tellers and many other types of people working in the field of misfortune?