Dominik Rutana

10.18399/acta.2021.24.1.002

Kṣitigarbha and the Ten Kings of Hell belief shamanism death rituals bricolage mythical thought ιhinogi kut ssikkim kut

By late Chosŏn times, the ideas of hell, punishment, and possible ways of salvation expressed in the Kṣitigarbha and the Ten Kings of Hell belief (chijang siwang sinang [inline-graphic 01]) had not only deeply penetrated popular consciousness, but also gained so much popularity that they influenced other worldviews, including shamanism. Accordingly, Korean shamans started to adopt motifs derived from the belief into their mythology and ritual, something which is still visible today. The way Korean shamans adopted and applied motifs derived from the belief in Kṣitigarbha and the Ten Kings of Hell to death rituals like chinogi kut [inline-graphic 02] or ssikkim kut [inline-graphic 03] varies from ritual to ritual but they serve as a medium that connects the present (isŭng [inline-graphic 04]) and the otherworld (chŏsŭng [inline-graphic 05]). Korean shamans use this medium, along with other symbols and deities such as Princess Pari, not only to explain and secure the ontological transformation of the deceased from worldly to otherworldly beings during the liminal process of the ritual, but also to meet the needs of their clients and make the ritual more persuasive. This amalgamation of Buddhist and shamanistic elements, a kind of bricolage, should be considered a creation of the specific mythical thought pattern of Korean shamans.