강신무의 신당이 지니는 종교적 함의

Abstract

The purpose of this study lies in identifying religious implications that the sanctum of Gangsinmoo(the possessed shaman) holds. As a place for permanent and unchangeable sacredness, the sanctum of Gangsinmoo seems to have maintained a certain structure from the pastWhile the structure of the shrine was various in the past, now it has increasingly simplified these days. The shrine also reflects the characters of Gangsinmoo’s Mom-Ju-sin (몸주신, the Owner God). Symbolic icons located in the sanctum include the Body of God (神體) which visualizes the God, and Jeomguryu (占具類). These icons act as the medium which connects the shaman with the Owner God and express the sacredness of the Owner God. Moo-Dang (the shaman) means the house (Dang) of Shamanism (Moo), and thus the name indicates a place for religious activity. For the shaman, the shrine is a place for sacredness and purification rites. It also serves as a place for the shaman to have an audience with the God as a religious person. In addition, the shrine explicitly exposes the dignity of the God to the shaman. The sanctum is also used as a religious place where a believer interacts with the God through shamanism activity. The believer visits the shrine and prays to one of the Gods based on the ability of the God. Those Gods mainly have the ability to control childbirth, longevity, luck and the good fortune in money. Sometimes the God’s message is delivered to the believer by the shaman through shamanism activity. Furthermore, a Dangol (a follower of the shaman) prays for longer life, using Myeongdari (a life bridge) as a medium. In other words, the shrine is not only a place both for the sham and believer to meet the God, but also a sacred place for the believer to communicate with the God through the shaman. In that context, it can be argued that the shrine of Gangsinmoo is a religious place which has a variety of religious implications.