성황당

DeityKorea · East AsiaMythFear 3/10

Description

한국 설화에 등장하는 Deity. The seonangdang (Korean: 서낭당), also known as the seonghwangdang (성황당; 城隍堂) are stone cairns or trees

Origin & Background

The origin of Seonangdang is uncertain, and there are two theories among archaeologists and historians. The first theory suggests that Seonangdang originated in Korea. According to these historians, Seonangdang started as a boundary marker between several villages, and as religious concepts developed, these boundaries were worshipped as the homes of boundary gods. They equate Seonangdang with the sacred sites called Sodo from the ancient Three Kingdoms period. Other historians argue that Seonangdang evolved into an altar for mountain gods. The second theory posits that Seonangdang is a Korean variation of the Mongolian stone piles known as Ovoo. The worship of Ovoo in Mongolia is made of stones and is similar to Seonangdang worship in that it is believed to grant the wishes of travelers. According to this theory, the worship of Seonangdang spread after the Mongolian invasion of Korea in the 13th century, although records of Seonangdang existed prior to that.

The Legend

Seonangdang is a pile of stones or wood dedicated to Seonangsin, the guardian deity of the village, commonly found in mountainous settlements in Korea. Seonangdang is located at the boundary of the village, where villagers hold rituals and pray to Seonangsin. Seonangsin is one of the best-known deities among ordinary people and was respected even during the Joseon Dynasty. The Joseon government categorized Seonangsin into two categories: Gukhaeng Seonang, the guardian deity of the nation, and Sasaseonang, the guardian deity of the village.

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