tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5541500.post5426349601085416654..comments2024-03-29T11:29:58.276+09:00Comments on BigHominid's Hairy Chasms: not the best PR for Korean shamanismKevin Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01328790917314282058noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5541500.post-80247814396283680402010-07-16T22:02:21.486+09:002010-07-16T22:02:21.486+09:00Such is life. I will survive.Such is life. I will survive.Charleshttp://www.liminality.orgnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5541500.post-46893978255264927242010-07-16T16:39:44.527+09:002010-07-16T16:39:44.527+09:00One of the ways in which Blogger sucks is that you...One of the ways in which Blogger sucks is that you can't go back and edit your comment. I've hit "send," much to my regret, on many occasions, and on many blogs.<br /><br />As Mr. Clinton would say: I feel your pain.<br /><br /><br />KevinKevin Kimhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01328790917314282058noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5541500.post-61205834273178241722010-07-16T16:35:28.285+09:002010-07-16T16:35:28.285+09:00Ah, after rereading my comment, I see a goof. In t...Ah, after rereading my comment, I see a goof. In the first paragraph, I write: "As you know, Korean shamanic individuals..."<br /><br />"Individuals" there should, of course, be "rituals." I have no idea how I got "individuals" from that. My mind works in mysterious ways.<br /><br />(And I even previewed the comment!)Charleshttp://www.liminality.orgnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5541500.post-36197526367978050162010-07-16T12:28:13.942+09:002010-07-16T12:28:13.942+09:00Good points.Good points.Kevin Kimhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01328790917314282058noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5541500.post-17461334318666020212010-07-16T09:45:23.338+09:002010-07-16T09:45:23.338+09:00Not to defend any of the parties involved, but tha...Not to defend any of the parties involved, but that article is a bit of a misrepresentation of Korean shamanism. Shamanic rituals in Korea are not like exorcisms in the West. Western exorcisms are focused on the possessed or plagued individual, and thus may involve physical contact with that individual. As you know, Korean shamanic individuals are focused on the spirits themselves, and are designed to placate the spirits rather than expel them from a person or place--these rituals are conciliatory gestures rather than confrontational gestures.<br /><br />Of course, I am assuming that the ritual was performed the way such rituals would be performed in Korea, and had not been influenced by local shamanic practices. I know nothing about shamanism in the Maritime Territory.<br /><br />However, the mention of negligent homicide would seem to indicate that the police don't feel that there was any direct violence against the boy. And the only possible targets of a negligent homicide charge would be the parents, not the shaman.<br /><br />So this is really just a case of parents not taking care of their child. But you're right about it being negative PR for Korean shamanism. What actually happened (probably that the parents were simply negligent) doesn't matter as much as what people might think happened (the exorcism got out of hand, à la <i>The Exorcist</i>, and the shaman killed the child).Charleshttp://www.liminality.orgnoreply@blogger.com