Korean traditional funeral

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A Korean traditional funeral features Korean Confucianism as well as centuries of indigenous Shamanism. Numerous anthropological scholars have attempted to discern which practices come from Shamanistic roots, and which are more purely Confucian. [1]

Contents

Funeral rituals

Traditionally, the body will stay in the house for three days, however in more recent times, it can (on rare occasions) extend to five or seven days, depending on the season of the year. [2] The time of death is of great importance to traditional Koreans, so much so that a white piece of cotton is often put under the nose of someone who is thought to be near death to ascertain the most accurate account of the time. Immediately after the individual has passed, a white coat or cloak that was last worn by the recently departed is rushed to the roof, and a declaration is made in all four cardinal directions, as Confucian ideals attributed meanings to each. The family of the dead will prepare three bowls each of rice, vegetables, soups and set out three units of money and three pairs of shoes outside the entrance of the house to the messengers from the other world. [3] The eldest son will go find a burial location, often with the aid of a professional geomancer, as the location is very important from a Confucian standpoint. There is an entire school of thought dedicated to the life-energy associated with the perfect physical location known as pungsu-jiri. [4] It is believed that, if all things are not settled correctly, the spirit of the deceased will fail to proceed to the afterlife, and a ‘lost’ soul is thought to bring unfortunate happenings to the village. [5] The perfect location is to have four natural features around it. First, to the front of the burial site, (preferably to the south) a form of water such as a river, stream, or the sea. Secondly, a mountain to the left signifying a protective tiger is always seen as good, along with a mountain to the right, signifying a protective dragon. Finally, a hill or mountain behind symbolizes a lucky turtle. [6]

The wife of the eldest son will be responsible for the food and for the preparations for the main funeral service and can enlist the assistance of relatives of the family who will come to help with arrangements and cook preparation of food for the many guests who will come to pay their respects and gain or maintain some standing with the family, as depicted by the 1996 award-winning film, Chukje (translated Festival).

Also, the corpse will be washed in incense water and dressed in grave clothes. Then, after plugging cotton in the ears and nose of the dead and placing coins over the eyes, the mouth will be filled with three spoonfuls of rice. [7] Each spoonful is given with a statement that it is to represent far more, wishing the deceased an afterlife of plenty. The body will be bound from head to foot with shrouds in seven layers and put in a coffin, which is bound in three places by long strips of cloth, with a mattress under the body, a blanket covering the body, and the deceased's clothes filled in other spaces. [8]

During the Imperial period, for a royal funeral, servants needed to make decorative instruments like thick paper, wood, straw mats, and cotton fabrics for the funeral ceremony. [9]

Korea became a colony of Japan in August 1910, and in June 1912 the Japanese Governor-General announced the "Ordinance to control graves, crematories, burials and cremation" (jp. Bochi kasō maisō oyobi kasō torishimari kisoku), which instituted public cemeteries and cremation. As Biontino notes, "These policies aimed at improving health and hygiene, but they were also deemed necessary out of a concern for space: much arable land was occupied with graves," although by doing so, "Japanese authorities challenged not only secular problems, but also attacked the spirituality of the Koreans." [10] As Han also notes, "public cemeteries were incompatible with the burial practices that permeated Korean society at that time," and in fact "this dissonance between the stipulations of the Ordinance and resilient local beliefs triggered the masses’ wish for specially selected graveyards, which facilitated the overall expansion of the Fengshui-related professions." [11]

Burial rituals

The first step of preparing for burial is bathing the corpse with perfumed water and dressing it in the traditional death dress made of silk or sambe hempen fabric. Then, the corpse is wrapped up in a hemp quilt and bound with ropes seven times. After the corpse is fully dressed, the coffin's lid will be tightly sealed and placed in a dry and secure place within the house.

The second step is transporting the coffin to the gravesite. Those who carry the bier out of the house have to stop before the gate and lower the coffin three times as a form of ritual bowing. The procession is led by someone who sings the mournful song and the other family members, relatives and friends follow at the back. [12]

After that, the burial is started. A shaman will perform a special ritual to exorcise the evil spirits from the grave after arriving at the gravesite. Then, the coffin is lowered and the eldest male mourner takes a deep bow and stands on top of the coffin, treading down on the earth as it is thrown into the grave, followed by the other family members.

Finally, the grave is completed by building a mound of soil and covering it with grass. [13]

Confucian death rites

Many Korean traditional ceremonies are influenced by Confucian culture. The following methods and requirements of mourning are one such example.

First, people should be mourning for three years during which time Jesa ceremonies must be held, because when their parents died it reflects their filial piety. It is the most important sentiment in Confucian culture. [14]

Second, during the funeral, the female family members must be continuing to weep and demonstrate their grief. People believe this performance proves the importance and value of the deceased. However, men are not allowed to cry at the funeral and are required to control their emotions. In traditional Korean culture, the image of a male should be rational and calm, and female is emotional and sensitive. Therefore, the male must restrain his sadness. [15]

Third, the relatives and friends will write a funeral oration to mourn the deceased and express their grief. This not only details the life of the deceased, but also praises his merits and achievements. It reflects the culture and history of the whole family of the deceased. Consequently, the oration is very formal. It can be written as a biography, epitaph or a letter to the deceased. [16]

Shamanistic death rites

Though it is diminishing in commonality, there are still two variations of Shamanistic funeral rites that survived the Joseon and Japanese periods of Korean history. The kosa, an offering rite to the spirits before starting a new company. The offerings and the prayers are to bring the graciousness of the spirits. The kut/gut is a shamanistic dance declined under various aspects, that the mudang or the paksu carries out in trance. It allows to contact the spirits, to predict the future or to know the past. They vary mostly by the regions from which they originate but have very much the same basic premise, that souls of those who fail to completely or properly transition to the afterlife, can linger and create bad fate for the villages they are from. Much of this idea comes from the veneration of their ancestors that came from the Neo-Confucian teachings that became prevalent just before the Joseon dynasty as they were melded with the organic religions of the ancient Korean peoples.

In the more Southern and South Eastern portions of Korea, now known as the Jeolla provinces, Shamanistic Priestesses, known as Sesup-mu, were a hereditary priestly line. [17] One of the death rites they typically performed, known as the ‘Ssigum Kut (or ritual), appears very much as a cleansing of the soul to prepare it for the afterlife. It consists of rolling up an article of clothing or a parchment signifying the individual in a rug, standing it up vertically, capping the rug with a metal lid, and pouring scented water over it. This form of Shamanism is in more rapid decline as the hereditary Sesup-mu are becoming increasingly rare.

In other parts of Korea, particularly those to the North of the Han River, but spread more broadly across the whole of the peninsula, are a different kind of Shaman known as the Mudang. They are also predominantly female and are known individually as ‘Kangshin-mu’ Rather than a priestess, they act as more of a spiritual medium who invites spirits into their person to perform various functions on behalf of the dead. There are more variations of their kut, but one of the most common is known as the Chingogwi Kut, and can consist of anywhere from nine to 16 or more individual rites during the process. The number and type are often tailored to the way the individual lived and or died, with those who passed more tragically requiring more interaction with various deities, and therefore more individual ‘rites’ to be added to the process. One of the most common among all ceremonies involve the Mudang inviting the spirit of a deity known as ‘Princess Pari’ who assist the newly departed to pass from this life to the next by crossing a cotton cloth that is spread across the room (symbolizing the path to eternal bliss) and avoiding a parallel path down a hemp cloth, symbolizing a less desirable outcome. [18]

Contemporary funerals

Today, these funeral traditions are upheld with a modern twist. The two prominent changes concern the venue of the funeral and the method of body disposal. Traditionally, death occurs at home. When people are hospitalized with serious illness, every effort is made to bring them home to die and thus keeping their spirits from wandering and becoming disoriented. Nowadays, most hospitals are equipped for holding funerals, transforming the mortuary into a funeral hall to allow for the following cremation. Funeral shops in hospitals often offer one-stop funeral services to satisfy every need of the client. [19]

Since class distinction has declined, Koreans today seldom decide funeral dates based on the deceased's social status, and rather tend to hold the funeral on the third day after death. [20] In modern Korean funerals, no eulogies are held.[ citation needed ] Visitors bow twice to the deceased and once to the mourner with words of condolences to show respect. Various delicacies and wine are served to the visitors. Instead of burial, cremation, which has a shorter period of bodily decay, is more commonly practiced nowadays. [21]

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Veneration of the dead</span> Cultural or religious practice

The veneration of the dead, including one's ancestors, is based on love and respect for the deceased. In some cultures, it is related to beliefs that the dead have a continued existence, and may possess the ability to influence the fortune of the living. Some groups venerate their direct, familial ancestors. Certain religious groups, in particular the Eastern Orthodox Churches, Anglican Church, and Catholic Church venerate saints as intercessors with God; the latter also believes in prayer for departed souls in Purgatory. Other religious groups, however, consider veneration of the dead to be idolatry and a sin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Burial</span> The ritual act of placing a dead person or animal into the ground

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Korean shamanism, also known as musok or Mu-ism, is a spiritual practice from Korea. Scholars of religion classify it as a folk religion and sometimes regard it as one facet of a broader Korean vernacular religion distinct from Buddhism, Daoism, and Confucianism. There is no central authority in control of musok, with much diversity of belief and practice evident among practitioners.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roman funerary practices</span> Care of the dead in ancient Rome

Roman funerary practices include the Ancient Romans' religious rituals concerning funerals, cremations, and burials. They were part of time-hallowed tradition, the unwritten code from which Romans derived their social norms. Elite funeral rites, especially processions and public eulogies, gave the family opportunity to publicly celebrate the life and deeds of the deceased, their ancestors, and the family's standing in the community. Sometimes the political elite gave costly public feasts, games and popular entertainments after family funerals, to honour the departed and to maintain their own public profile and reputation for generosity. The Roman gladiator games began as funeral gifts for the deceased in high status families.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christian burial</span> Religious funeral practice

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Gurung Shamanism is arguably one of the oldest religions in Nepal. It describes the traditional shamanistic religion of the Gurung people of Nepal. There are three priests within the Gurungs which are Pachyu, Khlepree and Bonpo Lama. Tamus do not have a written script; nowadays they use the Devanagari script. However, the Tamus have created their own script called 'Khema Script' which is taught in Rupandehi, Nepal, and is widely taught even in overseas countries like Sikkim, India. The pronunciation of the word 'Pachyu' and 'Khlepree' are often different from one village to another. Pachyu are sometimes referred to as 'Poju or Pajyu' and Khlepree is also known as 'Lhori or Ghyabri'. Bonpo Lamais the proper term for a Gurung Lama. The "Pachyu" is understood to be the first priest amongst the three priests followed by Khlepree and lastly the Bonpo Lam. Pachyu, Khlepree and Bonpo Lams' recite chants of ancient legends and myths. These sacred myths and legends within the Pe are historical events and stories which dates back to as early as the creation of Earth to stories that have occurred within the Gurung societies as they are one of the indigenous people of Nepal.

<i>Gut</i> (ritual) Korean shamanic rite

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chinese funeral rituals</span>

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The Four Ceremonial Occasions. The four rites of passage celebrated in this tradition are the coming of age, marriage, death, or the funeral rites, and rites venerating the ancestors. The word Gwanhonsangje an acronym, made of the first letter of each word.

Josang refers to one's immediate ancestors, offspring, a deceased relative or any unrelated soul; and worshipped as a god in Korean Shamanism. It is viewed as a supernatural being rather than blood relations, includes all immediate and extended family, both male and female, and all other deceased souls that influence the family. These include who died before marriage, or who died a tragic, untimely death.

References

  1. ↑ Pettid, Michael J. (2014). Death, Mourning, and the Afterlife in Korea from Ancient to Modern Times. University of Hawaii Press. p. 137.
  2. ↑ Schwartz, Enid. "Death Practices from a Korean Perspective". Indiana. Grief in a Family Context.
  3. ↑ Lee, Kwang Kyu (2003). Rites of passage. Jimoondang. pp. 195–199.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  4. ↑ Yoon, Hong-key (1975). "An Analysis of Korean Geomancy Tales". Asian Folklore Studies. 34 (1): 21–34. doi:10.2307/1177738. JSTOR   1177738.
  5. ↑ Pettid, Michael J. (2014). Death, Mourning, and the Afterlife, form Ancient to Contemporary Times. University of Hawaii Press. p. 137.
  6. ↑ Kalland, A (1996). "Geomancy and Town Planning in Japanese Community". Ethnology. 35 (1): 17–32. doi:10.2307/3774022. JSTOR   3774022.
  7. ↑ Dredge, Paul. "What's in a Funeral? Korean, American-Mormon and Jewish Rites Compared". Religious Studies Centre, Brigham Young university.
  8. ↑ Lee, Kwang Kyu (2003). Rites of passage. Jimoondang. pp. 195–199.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  9. ↑ Park, Mee Hae (June 2014). "An Evolving Confucian Patriarchy: An Analysis of Wedding&Funeral Rites In Sixteenth-Century Korea". Acta Koreana . 17 (1): 299.
  10. ↑ Biontino, Juljan (2020). "Changes in funerary rites and burial practices in Modern Korea (1876–1945)". Contemporary Japan. 32 (1): 12, 21. doi:10.1080/18692729.2020.1717131. S2CID   212940383.
  11. ↑ Han, Ri-Hye (2020). "Graveyard geomancy in Korea under Japanese rule – Focusing on the 1930s". Contemporary Japan. 32 (1): 25–42. doi:10.1080/18692729.2020.1716143. S2CID   212789409.
  12. ↑ "Funeral Rites". Korean Society Celebrations. Asianinfo.
  13. ↑ Dredge, Paul. "What's in a Funeral? Korean, American-Mormon and Jewish Rites Compared". Religious Studies Centre, Brigham Young university.
  14. ↑ Lee, Kwang Kyu (2003). Rites of passage. Jimoondang. pp. 195–199.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  15. ↑ Shoe, Keysook (2013). "A Weeping Man and the Mourning Ritual: Literati Writing and the Rhetoric of Funeral Oration in Eighteenth-Century Joseon". Korea Journal . 53 (1): 143–171.
  16. ↑ Shoe, Keysook (2013). "A Weeping Man and the Mourning Ritual: Literati Writing and the Rhetoric of Funeral Oration in Eighteenth-Century Joseon". Korea Journal . 53 (1): 143–171.
  17. ↑ Hogarth, Hyun-kye Kim (1994). "Korean Shamanism and Cultural Nationalism". TRANSACTIONS of the Royal Asiatic Society, Korea Branch. 69: 22.
  18. ↑ Hogarth, Hyun-kye Kim (1994). "Korean Shamanism and Cultural Nationalism". TRANSACTIONS of the Royal Asiatic Society, Korea Branch. 69: 1.
  19. ↑ Ladner, Mimsie. "On Death, Dying, and Funerals in Korea". Seoul Searching.
  20. ↑ Dredge, Paul. "What's in a Funeral? Korean, American-Mormon and Jewish Rites Compared". Religious Studies Centre, Brigham Young university.
  21. ↑ Park, Chang-Won (5 Mar 2010). "Funerary transformations in contemporary South Korea". Mortality. 15 (1): 18–37.
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