| 4342 (2009) Dodang-je Ceremony of the "Samgak Dodang-ji" San-shin Shrine Held at the Shamanic Mountain-spirit Altar on the east side of Seoul's Three-Horns Mountain |
The public Samgak-san Dodang-je [Village-Shrine Ritual Festival] is held every 3rd
Day of the 3rd Moon (Lunar Calendar 3.3), which was Sunday March 29th in 2009.
For full introduction and explanation of its procedure, see my 2007 Dodang-je pages.
On this page, I will try to show some aspects that weren't covered there.
This year we had wonderfully-clear Spring weather, and many of my friends and
students (from seven different countries other than Korea!) joined in watching the
shamanic rituals at the classic shrine, with a large crowd.
See my Samgak-Sanshin-je page for a general introduction, if you haven't already.
Day of the 3rd Moon (Lunar Calendar 3.3), which was Sunday March 29th in 2009.
For full introduction and explanation of its procedure, see my 2007 Dodang-je pages.
On this page, I will try to show some aspects that weren't covered there.
This year we had wonderfully-clear Spring weather, and many of my friends and
students (from seven different countries other than Korea!) joined in watching the
shamanic rituals at the classic shrine, with a large crowd.
See my Samgak-Sanshin-je page for a general introduction, if you haven't already.
| Promotional banner at the entrance to Choga-jip [Mother-in-Law's House] Restaurant compound, in back of which is the ancient shrine. |
Starting the characteristic ritual in front of the Gut-dang Altar loaded with offerings (mostly grain-based, but
including a pig's head), a famous Manshin [Mudang, Korean female Shaman] chants prayers to the Samgak-Sanshin
while two elder officiants in Confucian clothing tap fresh-cut local saplings (young trees) into bowls of rice and
cash-donations, which causes the "male" spirits of this mountain (representing Insu-bong and
Manggyeong-dae Peaks) to become embedded in those saplings.
including a pig's head), a famous Manshin [Mudang, Korean female Shaman] chants prayers to the Samgak-Sanshin
while two elder officiants in Confucian clothing tap fresh-cut local saplings (young trees) into bowls of rice and
cash-donations, which causes the "male" spirits of this mountain (representing Insu-bong and
Manggyeong-dae Peaks) to become embedded in those saplings.
| They then parade, very slowly, the 15 meters from the gut-dang over to the Samgak-Sanshin Altar. The two elder male officiants carry the sacred boughs with eyers closed while chanting an invocation of the mountain-spirit, shaking them rhythmically to demonstrate the spirit's presence. |
| political & social leaders bow to the Samgak-san Sanshin |
| Myself with (L to R) National Assembly Representative for this District Chung Yang-seok, Gangbuk-gu's spirited Mayor Kim Hyun-pung, and Cha Seung-hyeon, the owner of the Choga-jip & this altar/shrine and founder/chairman of the association. |
| Mr. Cha is always honored as the first speaker |
Mayor Kim declares the reasons
for his devotion to these mountains,
their spirit and this ritual.
for his devotion to these mountains,
their spirit and this ritual.
| my turn to speak about the same |
| We play a kind of fortune-telling game with initial letters, to determine the rank-order of the officiants of next year's ceremony. |