Seonangshin (

Hangul The Korean alphabet, known as Hangul, . Hangul may also be written as following South Korea's standard Romanization. ( ) in South Korea and Chosŏn'gŭl in North Korea, is the modern official writing system for the Korean language. The l ...

: 서낭신) is the

patron deity A tutelary () (also tutelar) is a deity or a spirit who is a guardian, patron, or protector of a particular place, geographic feature, person, lineage, nation, culture, or occupation. The etymology of "tutelary" expresses the concept of safety an ...

of the village in Korean mythology. As the goddess of villages, boundaries, and war, the deity is one of the better-known Korean deities.

Worship

Tablet of Seonghwangsin at the National Folk Museum of Korea

The goddess was believed to embody the

Seonangdang The Seonangdang (Hangul: 서낭당), also known as the Seonghwangdang (Hangul: 성황당, Hanja: 城隍堂) are holy stone cairns or trees that are dedicated to the deity Seonangshin, the patron of villages. The Seonangdang still remain common i ...

, a stone tower, large stone, house, or holy tree where people prayed to Seonangshin. Travelers built

s on trails, and other travelers added three stones to the

. After adding three stones, the travelers prayed for safety on their journey. Other travelers left an object that he (or she) owned, or spat on the Seonangdang, before praying. She was regarded to defend against disease and misfortune and bring luck and plenty to the travelers or village. Most Seonangshin are

female Female ( symbol: ♀) is the sex of an organism that produces the large non-motile ova (egg cells), the type of gamete (sex cell) that fuses with the male gamete during sexual reproduction. A female has larger gametes than a male. Fema ...

; however, a few are a pair of female and male deities. In the Golmaegi Seonangdang, a Seonangdang in Gangwon Province, it is believed that two Seonangshin, a

god In monotheistic thought, God is usually viewed as the supreme being, creator, and principal object of faith. Swinburne, R.G. "God" in Honderich, Ted. (ed)''The Oxford Companion to Philosophy'', Oxford University Press, 1995. God is typically ...

and a

goddess A goddess is a female deity. In many known cultures, goddesses are often linked with literal or metaphorical pregnancy or imagined feminine roles associated with how women and girls are perceived or expected to behave. This includes themes ...

, reside as a family within one Seonangdang. The Seonangshins of the Golmaegi Seonangdang are also the gods of plenty. In fishing villages, there is a deity called Baeseonang, the Seonangshin of

boats A boat is a watercraft of a large range of types and sizes, but generally smaller than a ship, which is distinguished by its larger size, shape, cargo or passenger capacity, or its ability to carry boats. Small boats are typically found on inl ...

. She is believed to defend the boats from sinking. Certain records show the Malseonang, a characteristic male form of Seonangshin. The Malseonang is a war deity, with a large sword in one hand and reining a flying horse in the other. He is dressed in full armor from hear to toe, with a bow and

quiver A quiver is a container for holding arrows, bolts, ammo, projectiles, darts, or javelins. It can be carried on an archer's body, the bow, or the ground, depending on the type of shooting and the archer's personal preference. Quivers were trad ...

on his back and a helmet on his head. He was believed to kill

Gwishin Gwisin ( ko, 귀신) are a type of spirit or ghost in Korean folklore. They are considered similar to a ''Yogoe'' ( ko, 요괴);, and ''Mamul'' ( ko, 마물); they are people who have died, not monsters or creatures such as Dokkaebi. Accord ...

, or evil spirits, with his blade. The

Gut (ritual) Gut (, also romanised kut or goot) are the rites performed by Korean shamans, involving offerings and sacrifices to gods, spirits and ancestors. They are characterised by rhythmic movements, songs, oracles and prayers. These rites are meant to ...

dedicated to Seonangshin was done every three years; however, smaller rites were given to her annually. The Seonanggut was the second Gut in the Jeseok Bonpuli ritual (First: Bujeonggut, ''cleansing Gut'', Second: Seonanggut, ''Gut of Seonang'', Third: Josanggut, ''Ancestor Gut'', Fourth: Seongjugut, ''Gut of Seongju'', Fifth: Jishingut, ''Gut of Jishin'', Sixth: Shijungut, ''Gut of Dangeum Agi'', Seventh: Sanshingut, ''Gut of the Sanshin'', Eighth: Yongwanggut, ''Gut of the

Dragon King The Dragon King, also known as the Dragon God, is a Chinese water and weather god. He is regarded as the dispenser of rain, commanding over all bodies of water. He is the collective personification of the ancient concept of the '' lóng'' in C ...

'', Ninth: Chukwongut, ''Praying Gut'', Tenth: Georipuli, ''Gut of the

'')

In Mythology

According to the ''Seongjugut'', the Seonangshin are the children of the evil Sojinhang. The patron of the house, the deity Seongjushin, made the children of Sojinhang turn into Seonangshin, who had to feed on saliva. This origin of Seonangshin shows that in Korean mythology, Seonangshin was considered to be one of the weaker deities, especially as the ''Seongjugut'' mentions that Seonangshin are 'lowly soldiers'.Alive Korean Mythology, page 265

References

{{Korean mythology Korean mythology War goddesses Fertility gods Tutelary deities

Worship

In Mythology

See also

References