“ Putting aside Buddhism with its gross superstitions, practised chiefly in remote places, and the magisterial homage before the Confucian tablets to the memory of the Great Teacher, the popular cult—I dare not call it a religion—consists of a number of observances dictated by the dread of bodiless beings created by Korean fancy, and representing chiefly the mysterious forces of nature. ”

“ In cities the beating of drums accompanied by the clashing of cymbals vies with the laundry sticks in breaking the otherwise profound stillness of night, and in travelling through the country, the mu-tang or sorceress is constantly to be seen going through various musical and dancing performances in the midst of a crowd in front of a house where there is sickness. ”

“ Magic formulas are recited till the rod be- gins to shake and even dance on the stone, this activity being believed to be the result of the daemon having entered the wand. At this stage a talk takes place to test the accuracy of the divination of the daemon's name and nature, and of the cause of the affliction. The Pan-su manages the questions so dexterously that a simple yes is indicated by motion in the wand, while no is expressed by quiescence. At this stage the daemon is given the choice of quietly disappearing ; after which, if he is obstinate, the Pan-su proceeds to dislodge him. ”

“ Korean Shamanism or Daemonism differs from that of northern Asia in its mildness, possibly the result of early Buddhist influence. It is the cult of daemons not necessarily evil, but usually the enemies of man, and addicted to revenge and caprice. Though the Shamans are neither an order, nor linked by a common organization, they are practically recog- nized as a priesthood, in so far as it is through their offices that the daemons are approached and propitiated on behalf of the people. ”

“ In thou- sands they waylay the traveller as he leaves his home, beside him, behind him, dancing in front of him, whirring over his head, crying out upon him from earth, air, and water. They are numbered by thousands of billions, and it has been well said that their ubiquity is an unholy travesty of the Divine Omnipresence.4 This belief, and it seems to be the only one he has, keeps the Korean in a perpetual state of nervous appre- hension, it surrounds him with indefinite terrors, and it may truly be said of him that he "passes the time of his sojourning here in fear." ”

“ The services of sorcerers or geomancers are invariably called for in connection with the choice of sites for houses and graves, in certain contracts, and on the occasion of unusual calamities, sickness, births, marriages, and the purchase of land. The chief functions of the Shaman are, the influencing of daemons by ritual and magical rites, propitiating them by offerings, exorcisms, and the procuring of oracles. ”

“ Outside of many villages are high posts (not to be confounded with the distance posts) with their tops rudely carved into heads and faces half human, half daemonic, from which straw ropes, with dependent straw tassels, recalling the Shintoism of Japan, are stretched across the road. ”

“ On the ridge poles of royal buildings and city gates, there are rows of grotesque bronze or china figures for the purpose of driving away evil demons, and at crossroads a log of wood perforated like a mouse-trap, and with one hole bunged up, over which travellers step carefully, may some- times be seen. ”

“ In these "four columns" the secret of a man's life is hidden, and their relations must govern him in all his actions. When a horoscope contains an arrow, which denotes ill-luck, the Fan-sit corrects the misfortune by formulae used with a bow of peach, with which during the recital he shoots arrows made of a certain reed into a " non-prohibited " quar- ter. One of the great duties of divination is to cast the horo- scope of a bride and bridegroom for an auspicious day for the wedding, for an unlucky one would introduce daemons to the ruin of the new household. ”

“ It appears that admission into the fraternity is only granted to an applicant on his giving proof of proficiency in the knowl- edge of a cumbrous body of orally transmitted Shaman tra- dition, wisdom and custom, much of it believed by the people to be 4,000 years old, and embracing scraps of superstition from the darkest arcana of Buddhism, as well as fragments of Confucianism. ”

“ So far as I know, Shamanism exists only in Asia, and flourishes specially among the tribes north of the Amur, the Samoyedes, Ostiaks, etc., as well as among hill tribes on the southwestern frontier of China. The term Shamati may be applied to all persons, male or female, whose profession it is to have direct dealings with daemons, and to possess the power of securing their good will and avert- ing their malignant influences by various magical rites, charms, and incantations, to cure diseases by exorcisms, to predict future events, and to interpret dreams. ”

“ Without claiming any degree of scientific accuracy for the term Shamanism, as applied to this cult in Korea, it is more convenient to use it, the word daemon having come to bear a popular meaning which prohibits its use where good spirits as well as bad are indicated. ”

“ These legions of spirits which in Korean belief peopled the world, are of two classes, the first alone answering to our conception of demons. These are the self-existent spirits, unseen enemies of man, whose de- signs are always malignant or malicious, and spirits of de- parted persons, who, having died in poverty and manifold dis- tresses, are unclothed, hungry, and shivering vagrants, bring- ing untold calamities on those who neglect to supply their wants. ”

“ One class among the Shamans is incorporated into one of those guilds which are the Trades Unions of Korea, and the Government has imposed registration on another class.2 There are now two principal classes of Shamans, the Fa?i-su and the mu-tang. The Pan-su are blind sorcerers, and those parents are fortunate who have a blind son, for he is certain to be able to make a good living and support them in their old age. ”

“ On green hill slopes, in peaceful agricultural valleys, in grassy dells, on wooded up- lands, by lake and stream, by road and river, in north, south, east, and west they abound, making malignant sport out of human destinies. ”

“ There is an unwillingness to speak to foreigners on this topic, and inquirers may have been purposely misled, but enough has been gained to make it likely that further inquiry will be pro- ductive of very valuable results.1 The superstitions already mentioned, however trivial in themselves, point to that which underlies all religion, the belief in something outside ourselves which is higher or more powerful than ourselves. ”

“ These, however, by due intercessions and offerings, may be induced to assist man in obtaining his desires, and may aid him to escape from the afflictive power of the evil daemons.
The comfort and prosperity of every individual depend on his ability to win and keep the favor of the latter class. ”

“ The second class consists also of self-existent spirits, whose natures are partly kindly, and of departed spirits of prosperous and good people, but even these are easily offended and act with extraordinary capricious- ness. ”