Study on the Hamgyeong Shamanic Epic Senggut through the Relationship of Shamanism and Buddhism

Abstract

Understanding the stories of different Seo-in told in Senggut in its entirety is the aim of this article. The creation myth, the god of production myth, and the flood myth—the beginning, middle, and end of Senggut—are told in Seoka Seoin, Cheonyeon Jangjaebi, and Samjeseok. The purpose of these stories is to spread Buddhism, presenting that when you no longer believe in Buddhism, a new world will emerge as a result of global flooding, so you must pay Buddhist homage to Seoin who propagated and stabilized Buddhism in a confused world. It says that Samjeseok, Seo-in’s successor, finally appears in the new world and declares that the Buddhist system is still in place. Stated differently, Jangjaebi’s punishment indicate that failure awaits those who reject Buddhism. However, in the central part of Senggut, Gangbak Deck-i, Cheongae Seonbi, and Wonmaeki are narrated which are known as the seongju(house guardian) myth, the temple creation story, and the inju(sacrificing human during construction) myth. They articulate the rationale behind shamanism’s existence. Cheongae Seonbi couple eventually loses their children despite their constant sacrifices to the Hwangkeumsan temple. It includes information that calls into question the effectiveness of Buddhism. Furthermore, the bell of the Hwangkeumsan temple, constructed at Wonmaeki’s expense, is unable to ring correctly, and dongti takes place in the palace of the Jade Emperor, which Gangbak Deck-i constructed. Currently, shamanistic practices called Antaekgut and Sonpuli—rather than Buddhism—are used to resolve the issue. Therefore, Senggut asserts Buddhist beliefs on the surface, but it also implies that Buddhism has limitations overcome by shamanism.