장승

SpiritKorea · East AsiaLegendFear 3/10

Description

한국 설화에 등장하는 Spirit. A jangseung (Korean: 장승) or village guardian is a Korean totem pole usually made of wood. Jangseungs

Origin & Background

Jangseung (장승, Jangseung) is a totem pole in Korea, primarily made of wood. Traditionally, it was placed at the boundaries of villages to mark the village's borders and drive away evil spirits. It was also worshipped as the guardian deity of the village.

The Legend

Jangseung serves as the guardian deity of the village, protecting the village, driving away harmful spirits, and gathering happiness for the village. Jangseung is divided into male and female forms, with male Jangseung inscribed with the characters 'Cheonhadaejanggun' (천하대장군) or in Hangul, and adorned with headgear used by Korean nobility or scholars. In contrast, female Jangseung has less ornate headgear and is inscribed with 'Jihayeojanggun' (지하여장군) or 'Jihadaejanggun' (지하대장군).

Variants

In the Jeolla (전라남북도), Chungcheong (충청도), and Gyeongsang (경상도) regions, Jangseung is also referred to as Beopsu (법수) or Beoksu (벅수), which is a variation of Boksa (복사), meaning male shaman. In the Jeolla region, Jangseung is often made of stone in a shape similar to Jeju Island's Dolhareubang (돌하르방).

In Popular Culture

In the 18th century, King Jeongjo of the Joseon Dynasty ordered the erection of Jangseung near Sangdo-dong for the royal procession to his father's tomb in Suwon. Subsequently, this area became known as Jangseungbaegi (장승배기), which is the origin of the name for Jangseungbaegi Station on Seoul Subway Line 7.

This article is based on the Wikipedia article "Jangseung" (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Wikipedia