Princess Bari is one of the most characteristic of the Seosa muga, and has been passed down through a countrywide oral tradition. The version excerpted here was recited in the 1930s by the Seoul-based shaman Bae Gyeongjae and recorded in 1937 by the Japanese scholar Akamatsu Chijō. In addition to its literary value, this record is a significant historical resource, offering insight into regional variations in narrative structure and patterns of transmission. Editors’ note: According to Hwang Rushi’s research, Korean shamanism did not originally distinguish between worlds associated with the afterlife, such as heaven and hell. However, after the introduction of Buddhism to the Korean peninsula, shamanism and Buddhism became closely intertwined. The Seosa muga (epic shamanic songs) often refer to the afterlife as a “paradise” located in the “Western Pure Land,” aligning with the whereabouts in Buddhism of Amitābha’s land, or “Ultimate Bliss.”
Jinogigut is a ritual to comfort the soul of the deceased and guide it to dharma, or afterlife. It is referred to by different names and is applied in different circumstances in the various regions of Korea: in most cases, a shaman is brought within a few years after death in order to complete the departure of the dead, and the story of Princess Bari is recited.
According to some theories, Gongsim was a royal princess who is revered as an ancestral deity of shamans.
In the Seoul and Gyeonggi regions, this character is called Mujangseung, a towering guardian spirit believed to protect the sacred spring of life. In the Yeongdong region, he is known as Dongsuja.
The Story of Sim Cheong is a classical Korean novel about filial love. The titular Sim Cheong throws herself into the Indang Sea as a sacrifice so that her blind father can regain his eyesight. This act of filial piety causes her to be resurrected and enthroned as an empress, while her father’s blindness is cured.
