Korea has a variety of unique customs.
Including eating dogs, which French people hate, there are a lot of traditions
us Koreans have that many others do not understand. The custom I would like to
introduce also falls into the same category where foreigners might not fully
understand. It is called Goot(굿). Similar to exorcism,
Goot is a method used to either extract ghosts from someone or something, or a
way to bring a dead person's soul to reality. Such performance is done by a
person called Mudang(무당), who specializes in the act of
communicating with the dead. Goot has been performed all across the Korean
peninsula for the purpose of curing sick people or ones with serious depressions
due to the death of a family member. The points that should be focused on among
this superstitious action are the meanings of it and the effects of the
execution of Goot.
Historically, Goot is not only found in the
North and South Korean region. But is also found in China and Japan. The
biggest difference between the ones in other countries and the ones in Korea is
that Goots done in other regions are mostly performed by males, while ones in
Korea are mostly done by females. Goot done by men requires the Mudang with a
drum and an individual that catches a ghost with a stick. What male Mudangs do
is to basically find a dead ghost and bring it to life for the family members
who have something to say to the ghost. When the Mudang starts to cast a spell
and hits the drum, then it is said that the ghost finds its way to the stick
and goes inside the holder of the stick. After this is done, the person holding
the stick becomes the dead person that was called from the underworld. They
answer the questions that the other family members ask, and also request other
things back to solve their past resentment.
The female Mudang on the other hand does
two things. One is the 'soul resurrection' that the males did, and the other
role is to work as an exorcist. Female Mudangs casts spells and dances with
bells on her clothing in front of a well-made set of meals. Awkward enough, but
these Mudangs when they do the same thing as the males did, they themselves
become the subject of the ghost. In other words, become the ghost herself who
talks with the family members. In the case when these people perform exorcism,
they dance on top of a razor blade, but that is not the important issue. The
essence of Goot is when the goal of it is to make a dead person come into
another being.
Goot done both by men and women has a
symbolic meaning of a psychological remedy. Back in the time of which there
were no mental hospitals, the only solution to find when extreme psychological pain came was either to bide in time or to meet a Mudang to find a spirit to help
them. What the Mudangs can provide is believed to be something that even the
current society cannot produce. Although the current medical systems do have a
psychology cure to relax a mind, in most cases it is impossible to remove all
the specific problems the families face. They might not had been able to say the
last goodbye, they might not had been able to hold the hand of the dead for the
last time. And in these cases, the family members feel devastated and will have
a sense of regret in their hearts for the rest of their lives. However, Mudangs
and Goots can resolve this problem by actually bringing the dead back to life.
It a nut shell, it is not possible to know
whether these Mudangs or lying or not, but still, the effect that can give can
apply to anyone reading this essay. Introducing Goot to foreign people, I
believe, will be a great chance to show them how Koreans tolerated a huge
mental burden. Also Goots could virtually solve the problems people have there
as well. Goots should be the number one custom we should tell to others from
now on, not being ashamed of its superstitious aspects.
Korea has a variety of unique customs.
Including eating dogs, which French people hate, there are a lot of traditions
us Koreans have that many others do not understand. The custom I would like to
introduce also falls into the same category where foreigners might not fully
understand. It is called Goot(굿). Similar to exorcism,
Goot is a method used to either extract ghosts from someone or something, or a
way to bring a dead person's soul to reality. Such performance is done by a
person called Mudang(무당), who specializes in the act of
communicating with the dead. Goot has been performed all across the Korean
peninsula for the purpose of curing sick people or ones with serious depressions
due to the death of a family member. The points that should be focused on among
this superstitious action are the meanings of it and the effects of the
execution of Goot.
Historically, Goot is not only found in the
North and South Korean region. But is also found in China and Japan. The
biggest difference between the ones in other countries and the ones in Korea is
that Goots done in other regions are mostly performed by males, while ones in
Korea are mostly done by females. Goot done by men requires the Mudang with a
drum and an individual that catches a ghost with a stick. What male Mudangs do
is to basically find a dead ghost and bring it to life for the family members
who have something to say to the ghost. When the Mudang starts to cast a spell
and hits the drum, then it is said that the ghost finds its way to the stick
and goes inside the holder of the stick. After this is done, the person holding
the stick becomes the dead person that was called from the underworld. They
answer the questions that the other family members ask, and also request other
things back to solve their past resentment.
The female Mudang on the other hand does
two things. One is the 'soul resurrection' that the males did, and the other
role is to work as an exorcist. Female Mudangs casts spells and dances with
bells on her clothing in front of a well-made set of meals. Awkward enough, but
these Mudangs when they do the same thing as the males did, they themselves
become the subject of the ghost. In other words, become the ghost herself who
talks with the family members. In the case when these people perform exorcism,
they dance on top of a razor blade, but that is not the important issue. The
essence of Goot is when the goal of it is to make a dead person come into
another being.
Goot done both by men and women has a
symbolic meaning of a psychological remedy. Back in the time of which there
were no mental hospitals, the only solution to find when extreme psychological pain came was either to bide in time or to meet a Mudang to find a spirit to help
them. What the Mudangs can provide is believed to be something that even the
current society cannot produce. Although the current medical systems do have a
psychology cure to relax a mind, in most cases it is impossible to remove all
the specific problems the families face. They might not had been able to say the
last goodbye, they might not had been able to hold the hand of the dead for the
last time. And in these cases, the family members feel devastated and will have
a sense of regret in their hearts for the rest of their lives. However, Mudangs
and Goots can resolve this problem by actually bringing the dead back to life.
It a nut shell, it is not possible to know
whether these Mudangs or lying or not, but still, the effect that can give can
apply to anyone reading this essay. Introducing Goot to foreign people, I
believe, will be a great chance to show them how Koreans tolerated a huge
mental burden. Also Goots could virtually solve the problems people have there
as well. Goots should be the number one custom we should tell to others from
now on, not being ashamed of its superstitious aspects.
