Healing Rhythms: The World of South Korea's East Coast Hereditary Shamans

This book explores the world of mudang, South Korea's hereditary shamans, focusing on the Kim family and their cultural significance.

In Healing Rhythms: The World of South Korea's East Coast Hereditary Shamans, Simon Mills delves into the fascinating world of mudang, the shamans of South Korea’s syncretic folk religion. These intermediaries, often called to their profession by divine forces, play a crucial role in diagnosing and resolving personal and communal issues through spirit possession. While the majority of mudang possess spirit-power, a small number serve as ritualists without such abilities, focusing on music, dance, and song to facilitate healing experiences for larger groups.

Mills provides a comprehensive analysis of the hereditary mudang institution, particularly emphasizing the Kim family, recognized as government-appointed cultural assets. This book marks a significant contribution to the understanding of this tradition, being the first of its kind in English to explore it in depth. Through extensive fieldwork conducted between 1999 and 2000, Mills captures the voices of key family members, including Kim Junghee and Jo Jonghun, revealing their insights and beliefs, as well as documenting the family's rich history and the evolution of their practices.

Additionally, Healing Rhythms discusses the decline of the hereditary mudang institution and its kinship customs, alongside the changing dynamics with outsiders. The book also examines ritual procedures, musical structures, and learning methods, highlighting how the powerful rhythms of ritual music are gaining recognition in non-ritual contexts. Accompanying downloadable audio resources enhance the reader's experience, providing a deeper connection to the rhythms and rituals described.