The Semiotic Symbolism and Power Configuration of Korean Shamanic Rituals: A Quantitative Analysis of Ssitgim-Gut and Byeolsin-Gut
Ting Zhou, Wenbo Ci
Religions December 30, 2025 DOI: 10.3390/rel17010043 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Korean shamanic rituals Ssitgim-gut and Byeolsin-gut, examined through audiovisual materials, archival records, and performative documentation |
| Topics | Shamanism |
| Key points | The authors argue that institutionalization reshapes symbolic power in Korean shamanic rituals: Ssitgim-gut's purification segments show a shaman-centered unipolar power structure while its community performance segments show collaborative power distribution, and Byeolsin-gut's incorporation into ICH stage performances scripted and codified its signifiers, narrowing the shaman–family power gap while shifting interpretive authority toward institutional agencies. They propose the Dual-Axis Symbolic Regime Model (DSRR) to link symbols and power in ICH governance. |
Abstract
In the governance of intangible cultural heritage (ICH), traditional rituals often fall into a paradox of institutional exhibition. The Korean shamanic rites Ssitgim-gut and Byeolsin-gut, respectively, represent the two poles of ritual institutionalization, displaying semiotic logics of original iconicity and institutional textualization. This study, based on audiovisual materials, archival records, and performative documentation, constructs event-level coding of the signifier–subsystem–power relation and, through hierarchical regression and Mann–Whitney nonparametric tests, proposes the Dual-Axis Symbolic Regime Model (DSRR)—comprising the Symbolic Purification–Differentiation Axis (S) and the Textual–Institutional Axis (I). Results indicate that along the S-axis, the purification segments of Ssitgim-gut, dominated by iconic signifiers of soul pacification, manifest a shaman-centered unipolar power structure, whereas its performance segments, involving community participation, reveal a collaborative and co-performative power distribution. Moreover, institutionalization significantly affects the distribution of symbolic power. Along the I-axis, after Byeolsin-gut was incorporated into ICH stage performances, its ritual signifiers became scripted and codified, acquiring administrative value; consequently, the power gap between shamans and families narrowed, and interpretive authority shifted toward institutional agencies. These results remain robust after controlling for media-related variables.In conclusion, the DSRR model elucidates the correlation between symbols and power, offering empirical insights for ICH governance—specifically, how to preserve ritual integrity while avoiding the semantic attenuation of symbols caused by over-textualization.
Comparable studies
Other theoretical and historical papers on shamanism, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ayahuasca Shamanism in the Amazon and Beyond | 2014 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Shamanism as the Original Neurotheology | 2004 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Cognitive Neuroscience, Shamanism and the Rock Art of Native California | 1998 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| From Culture to Experience: Shamanism in the Pages of the Soviet Anti-Religious Press | 2020 | Historical analysis | |
| Anthropology, Shamanism, and Alternate Ways of Knowing–Being in the World: One Anthropologist's Journey of Discovery and Transformation | 2010 | Reflective essay or personal narrative |