An Illustrated Guide to Korean Mythology
An Illustrated Guide to Korean Mythology

Author: Won-Oh Choi

Publisher: Global Oriental

Published: 2008-04-10

Total Pages: 330

ISBN-13: 9004213252

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This highly engaging volume by one of Korea’s leading scholars of comparative mythology – the the first study of its kind in English – provides a valuable introduction to centuries-old beliefs, myths and folk tales relating to Cosmology and Flood, Birth and Agriculture, Messengers of the Underworld, Shamans, Disease, Good Fortune, Love and Family, Gods of Village Shrines, and Heroes. Containing thirty traditional stories, the book is fully illustrated throughout and contains a wide variety of Korean art, including rare shamanist paintings, as well as the work of some contemporary Korean artists. All the stories, based on Korean oral tradition, have been retold by the author according to their main plot and meaning because the original texts’ songs by shamans, containing many obsolete words and obscure idioms, are not easily understood today. The original title and source, including text notes, are provided at the end of each story. The author’s Introduction sets out the historical background and significance of the myths that appear here. He also provides full details of each of the Korean gods and their roles in mythology. While being a welcome addition to the literature on Korean culture for the non-specialist, An Illustrated Guide to Korean Mythology also provides an invaluable reference source for scholars and researchers in the fields of East Asian Mythology and Anthropology, as well as Korean History, Religion and Literature.

Transforming Gender and Emotion
Transforming Gender and Emotion

Author: Sookja Cho

Publisher: University of Michigan Press

Published: 2018-03-22

Total Pages: 311

ISBN-13: 0472900854

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The Butterfly Lovers Story, sometimes called the Chinese Romeo and Juliet, has been enduringly popular in China and Korea. In Transforming Gender and Emotion, Sookja Cho demonstrates why the Butterfly Lovers Story is more than just a popular love story. By unveiling the complexity of themes and messages concealed beneath the tale’s modern classification as a tragic love story, this book reveals the tale as a rich academic subject for students of human emotions and relationships, comparative geography and culture, and narrative adaptation. By examining folk beliefs and ideas that abound in the narrative—including rebirth and a second life, the association of human souls and butterflies, and women’s spiritual power—this book presents the Butterfly Lovers Story as an example of local religious narrative. The book’s cross-cultural comparisons, best manifested in its discussion of a shamanic ritual narrative version from the Cheju Island of Korea, frame the story as a catalyst for inclusive, expansive discussion of premodern Korean and Chinese literatures and cultures. This scrutiny of the historical and cultural background behind the formation and popularization of the Cheju Island version sheds light on important issues in the Butterfly Lovers Story that are not frequently discussed—either in past examinations of this particular narrative or in the overall literary studies of China and Korea. This new, open approach presents an innovative framework for understanding premodern literary and cultural space in East Asia.

Historical Dictionary of the Republic of Korea
Historical Dictionary of the Republic of Korea

Author: James E. Hoare

Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield

Published: 2020-10-13

Total Pages: 873

ISBN-13: 1538119765

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South Korea (Republic of Korea) is the more successful of the two Koreas in both economic and political terms. Even the Asian economic crisis of 1997–1998, which hit badly, was weathered successfully, and when the next crisis came along in 2007, South Korea coped better than many other countries. This economic strength, taken with the steady progress of democratization since 1987, indicates that when the peninsula is eventually reunified, as one day it probably will be, a new unified Korea will follow the South Korea model rather than that of North Korea. This fourth edition of Historical Dictionary of the Republic of Korea contains a chronology, an introduction, appendixes, and an extensive bibliography. The dictionary section has over 700 cross-referenced entries on important personalities as well as aspects of the country’s politics, economy, foreign relations, religion, and culture. This book is an excellent resource for students, researchers, and anyone wanting to know more about the Republic of Korea.

Traditional Cosmology, vol. 5: Solar and Lunar Anomalies
Traditional Cosmology, vol. 5: Solar and Lunar Anomalies

Author: Marinus Anthony van der Sluijs

Publisher: All-Round Publications

Published: 2018-01-01

Total Pages: 357

ISBN-13: 1999438302

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This work, in 6 volumes, is a compendium of traditional cosmologies worldwide. The material includes the global mythology of creation and destruction, but also comprises information drawn from other areas of traditional knowledge, ritual, iconography, shamanism, costume, and dance. Relying on original sources, universal points of agreement are identified, often on counter-intuitive ideas. These suggest a single template, a blueprint for a universal mythology of origins with local variations. Volume 5 documents a large number of traditions concerning unusual and often undesirable properties and activities of the sun and moon. To name just a few examples, prominent beliefs were that the moon was originally brighter than the sun and that the earth once succumbed to the heat caused by the sun's former proximity, its greater strength, its failure to move or the appearance of multiple luminaries.

The Shaman's Wages
The Shaman's Wages

Author: Kyoim Yun

Publisher: University of Washington Press

Published: 2019-09-30

Total Pages: 255

ISBN-13: 0295745967

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Breaking from previous scholarship on Korean shamanism, which focuses on mansin of mainland Korea, The Shaman’s Wages offers the first in-depth study of simbang, hereditary shamans on Cheju Island off the peninsula’s southwest coast. In this engaging ethnography enriched by extensive historical research, Kyoim Yun explores the prevalent and persistent ambivalence toward practitioners, whose services have long been sought out yet derided as wasteful by anti-shaman commentators and occasionally by their clients. Intrigued by discord between simbang and their clients over fee negotiations, Yun set out to learn the deep-rooted legacy of condemning or trivializing the practitioners’ self-interests, from a neo-Confucian governor’s purge of shrines during the Chosŏn dynasty to the recent transformation of a community ritual into a practice recognized through UNESCO World Heritage status. Drawing on a wealth of firsthand observations, she shows how simbang distinguish ritual exchanges from more mundane instances of bartering, purchasing, bribing, and gift giving and explains why ritual affairs are nonetheless inevitably thorny. This original study illuminates the intertwining of religion and economy in shamanic practice on Cheju Island.

Greek Myths and Legends
Greek Myths and Legends

Author: Cheryl Evans

Publisher: Usborne Books

Published: 2007

Total Pages: 63

ISBN-13: 9780746087190

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Identifies the gods, goddesses, heroes, and monsters of Greek mythology, recounts the most famous stories, and briefly describes Greek history and culture.

Indigenous Psychology of Spirituality
Indigenous Psychology of Spirituality

Author: Alvin Dueck

Publisher: Springer Nature

Published: 2020-10-01

Total Pages: 326

ISBN-13: 3030508692

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This book presents cutting-edge research and theory in the emerging field of the indigenous psychology of religion. Its authors examine the influence of colonization and illustrate the use of novel research methodologies utilised in studies with communities in India, Korea, China, Indonesia, America, and Poland. Whereas Western psychology has traditionally viewed religion through an institutional lens and from a Euro-American perspective, this book aims to facilitate an understanding of indigenous spiritualities on their own terms and from the indigenous people’s lived experience. In doing so, the contributors seek to support indigenous communities in the recovery of their voice, original vision, and ancient practices, and to follow their yearning as echoed in T. S. Eliot’s words: “In my beginning is my end.” The book is replete with examples of this recovery of indigeneity in, for example, Chinese notions of harmony and resilience; cultural differences in hearing the voice of the divine; the influence of animism on Christians in Korea; and in savoring the bereavement of loved ones. This novel collection presents fresh insights for students and scholars of the psychology of religion, indigenous studies, cultural psychology, and anthropology.

Insect Mythology
Insect Mythology

Author: Gene Kritsky

Publisher: iUniverse

Published: 2000

Total Pages: 158

ISBN-13: 0595150179

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Mythology is a subject that has entertained people for thousands of years. These stories of gods and supernatural beings of the distant past are important in explaining how things came to be and are an integral part of societies. Insect myths are numerous and widespread in mythology, but have received little attention. This is the first book dedicated specifically to showing the important roles insects have played in mythology. This is a comprehensive and readable survey of insect myths from around the world. The book ranges from older, better-known insect myths such as sacred scarabs to new unpublished subjects such as insects as examples of parallel mythology. Numerous black and white figures are found in the book including new figures not previously seen in entomological literature. How insects are related to larger themes of mythology such as symbols and parallel mythology is discussed. Insects in Old World mythology (Egypt, China, etc.) and New World mythology (Native American, Mayan, etc.) are featured. This book brings to light the fascinating role that insects played in mythology and is the most comprehensive and authoritative reference on the subject.

Mythology 101
Mythology 101

Author: Kathleen Sears

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Published: 2013-12-03

Total Pages: 392

ISBN-13: 1440573336

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Explore the fascinating myths of Greek and Roman civilizations! The tales of gods and heroes are often turned into tedious discourse that even Ovid would reject. This easy-to-read guide cuts out the boring details, and instead, provides you with a thrilling lesson in classic mythology. From the heights of Mt. Olympus to the depths of the Underworld, this book takes you on an unforgettable journey through all the major myths born in ancient Greece and Rome, such as Achilles's involvement in the Trojan War; Pluto's kidnapping of the beautiful Proserpina; and the slaying of Medusa by Perseus, the heroic demi-god. You'll also learn all about the wonders of the world as well as the greatest creatures ever recorded in history. Like Charon navigating the River of Wailing, Mythology 101 will guide you through the most glorious (and completely terrifying) tales the ancient world has to offer.

World Mythology for Beginners
World Mythology for Beginners

Author: Zachary Hamby

Publisher: Sourcebooks, Inc.

Published: 2021-09-21

Total Pages: 259

ISBN-13: 1648764797

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Lose yourself in the world's most compelling myths People have always created stories to explain and explore the world around them. World Mythology for Beginners introduces you to 50 of the most incredible tales of gods, heroes, and monsters. From common classics to lesser-known tales, these compact and modern retellings are a joy to read. You'll never forget the myths, their meaning, and their place within history. Go beyond other mythology books with: Tales from around the world—Discover myths that cover every corner of the globe, from the Greek classics to the oral traditions of Africa. Stories come to life—Read myths and legends presented with a storyteller's flair that makes it easy to enjoy them time after time. Mythology 101—Contextualize each story with a collection of quick facts about its origin, key figures, and insights into the lessons and legends each myth celebrates. Start your journey into the world of mythology with this engaging introductory guide.