Korean Shamanism

Belief system

Close

About this belief system

Korean Shamanism refers to ancient folk religion of the present-day country of Korea.

Top myths

Legend of Dangun
Creation myth
Unknown author
Read myth

Top deities

Hwanin
Hwanung
Dangun

Background

Korean Shamanism consists of spiritual beliefs related to Korean folk religion in present-day South Korea. In some cases, the religion has been called Shinism or Shindo, among other translated names. Korean mythology, in general, features a long history of traditions, deities, and mythological narratives.[1] In addition, its Korean Shamanism features a strong literary tradition of storytelling.[2]

Notes

1.
🡩Myung-sub, EKFB, ii.
2.
🡩Myung-sub, EKFL, ii.

Korean Shamanism myths: A-Z

  • Legend of Dangun Creation myth

    Nuthsell

    Sit tight. More information about this is coming soon.

    Read more

Korean Shamanism deities: A-Z

  • Dangun Korean Shamanism · 1 myth

    Dangun (Hangul: 단군) was the founder of Korea’s first kingdom, Gojoseon (2333-108 BCE), according to Korean folk religion. He was later deified.

    Read more
  • Hwanin Korean Shamanism

    Hwanin (Hangul: 환인) was a supreme Korean folk religion deity associated with the sky. Hwanin has many alternative name forms that relate to the sky as an abode.

    Read more
  • Hwanung Korean Shamanism

    Hwanung (Hangul: 환웅) was a Korean folk deity associated with being the son of Hwanin; and, he played an important role in creating man.

    Read more

Cite this page

MLA Modern Language Association (8th ed.)

OMNIKA Foundation Contributors. "Korean Shamanism." OMNIKA – World Mythology Index, OMNIKA Foundation, 04 Jul. 2020, omnika.org/stable/800. Accessed 6 Jan. 2026.

content_copy
APA American Psychological Association (6th ed.)

OMNIKA (2020, July 04). Korean Shamanism. Retrieved from https://omnika.org/stable/800

content_copy
CMS Chicago Manual of Style (16th ed.)

OMNIKA Foundation Contributors. "Korean Shamanism." Las Vegas, NV: OMNIKA Foundation. Created July 04, 2020. Accessed January 6, 2026. https://omnika.org/stable/800.

content_copy

Bibliography

Gwang-seop, Shin, director, et al. Encyclopedia of Korean Folk Culture (EKFC). The National Folk Museum of Korea, Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Seoul. South, Korea: The National Folk Museum of Korea, 2014. https://folkency.nfm.go.kr/en/overview. Accessed July 4, 2020.
more_vert
Leeming, David A. Creation Myths of the World: An Encyclopedia. 2nd edition. Vol. 1 [Parts I-II]. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO, 2010.
more_vert
Myung-sub, Chung, ed. Encyclopedia of Korean Folk Beliefs. Vol. 2, Encyclopedia of Korean Folklore and Traditional Culture, Vol. II. Translated by Jung Ha-yun. Seoul, Korea: The National Folk Museum of Korea, 2013.
more_vert
Myung-sub, Chung, ed. Encyclopedia of Korean Folk Literature. Vol. 3, Encyclopedia of Korean Folklore and Traditional Culture, Vol. III. Translated by Jung Ha-yun. Seoul, Korea: The National Folk Museum of Korea, 2014.
more_vert

Fast facts

Basics
supervisor_account Polytheistic Multiple deities
check_box Active Still practiced
language https://folkency.nfm.go.kr/en/main Official website

Share

https://omnika.org/stable/800

content_copy COPY
Close

Report

Thanks for helping OMNIKA become a better website. Report a problem if you see something wrong on this page. All fields are required.

Please keep it short and sweet.

Heads up. By submitting the form, you are also sending information related to your device, such as your browser, screen resolution, and IP address. For more information, please read the privacy policy. Unless you indicate otherwise, we may attempt to contact you using the email address you provided.

Close Submit form