Jeoseung Saja (저승사자)

SpiritKorea · East AsiaMythFear 5/10

Description

Grim reapers in black hanbok and tall gat hats who escort souls to the underworld judge King Yeomra. Cannot be bribed or deceived, always fulfill their duty

The Legend

In Korean mythology, the Jeoseung Saja (저승사자; 'Messenger of the Underworld' or Jeoseung Chasa) is a judge who guides the souls of the deceased to the afterlife. The Jeoseung Saja is depicted as a servant of Yeomra (염라대왕), who leads all souls, regardless of good or evil, from the living world to the afterlife. One of the representative names of the Jeoseung Saja is Gangrim Doryeong (강림도령), who guides souls to the entrance of the underworld. According to legend, the Jeoseung Saja always carries a list called Jeokpaeji (적패지; a red cloth with the names of the deceased written on it), and when he calls out a name from the Jeokpaeji three times, the soul leaves the body and follows him.

In Popular Culture

In Korean shamanistic traditions, the Jeoseung Saja is generally depicted as a soldier, but in the KBS drama 'Legend of the Origin' (전설의 고향), he appears in a bizarre form wearing a black robe and a gat (갓) with pale makeup. This image has become the most recognizable representation of the Jeoseung Saja in contemporary thought.

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