[108] As many new shamans now learn narratives from published books or recordings rather than being taught personally by a more experienced shaman as was traditional, the regional diversity of the mythology may also be in decline. One example is the tale of Cheoyong. Non-shamanic music, such as folk songs or Buddhist hymns, is integrated into the narrative at appropriate moments. In both, the final challenge is a flower-growing contest, in which the god that grows the better flower will take charge of humanity. Hwang Sok-yong’s recent novel Princess Bari takes its name from the Korean myth of a seventh daughter of a royal family who travels to the ends of the world to find an elixir that will save her parents’ souls. This includes tearing out all her hair, twisting them into a rope, boring holes into her palms, and hanging from the rope in the middle of the air, with the rope passing through her palms, without screaming in pain; immersing her fingers in oil for three years, then praying while setting them on fire; and, finally, paving rough mountain roads with only what remains of her bare hands. Previous novels include The Ancient Garden, The Story of Mister Han, The Guest, and The Shadow of Arms. [10] Recent trends in the study of Korean mythology since the 1990s include a greater focus on comparisons with neighboring mythologies, new research into the hitherto neglected village-shrine myths (당신화/堂神話, dang sinhwa) that involve the patron god of one specific village, and feminist interpretations. A journey to hell to save souls is not an uncommon myth in the West: Orpheus from Greek mythology and Odin from Norse/Germanic tradition are prime examples.
Size: In the northern and East Coast-Gyeongsang traditions, the girl offers the priest lodging in her father's room, but he refuses. Regional allusions, references, and traditional lyric songs abound. Alone and in a strange land, Bari will have to fight, through pain and deepening sadness, to find love and the will to stay alive. [43], The river god sends Yuhwa into exile. [208], The state-foundation myths have been adapted into several South Korean TV series, such as the popular 2006 series Jumong, but their potential in popular culture is limited due to the small size of the corpus and the lack of thematic diversity. Adopted by a kindly old couple, Bari learned the truth about her when she was 15 years old.
[109], Unlike the Greco-Roman or Norse mythologies familiar to Western readers, the deities of Korean shamanic mythology exist mostly independently of each other. Shamans of Korea call the Princess Bari myth their origin story and revere her as the healer of souls.