The life and hard times of a Korean shaman: of tales and the telling of tales
1988; Association of College and Research Libraries; Volume: 26; Issue: 02 Linguagem: Inglês
10.5860/choice.26-0885
ISSN1943-5975
Autores Tópico(s)Japanese History and Culture
ResumoAbout one-third of this slender volume consists of personal experience narratives presented to Laurel Kendall by a professional South Korean shaman. These stories focus on a handful of major events in shaman's life, described by herself as the story of my childhood and of my father's taking a concubine, story of my capture and escape during [Korean] War and my meeting with Mountain God, story of my lover and birth of my daughter, story of my marriage, and story of my becoming a mansin [shaman] (p. 26). Kendall's commentary and interpretation of stories add great value to this work. The raconteur was principal subject of, and source of data for, Kendall's earlier book on Korean shamanism (Shamans, Housewives, and Other Restless Spirits: Women in Korean Ritual Life. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press, 1985). The author, an anthropologist, spent several months as a participant-observer in shaman's village, observed and participated in her rituals, later visited shaman over a period of eight years, and thereby came to acquire a familiarity with shaman and her activities. That familiarity, as well as her broader knowledge of South Korean society and her sensitivity to Korean cultural nuances, informs her interpretation and commentary on life history and thereby enables her to convey a much richer understanding of shaman's narratives.
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