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Gut or kut, also spelled goot (굿), is the ritual performed by Korean mu (shamans) in the tradition of Sinism (or Muism), involving offerings a sacrifices to the gods and ancestor worship, rhythmic movements, songs, oracles and prayers. The main varieties of the gut are naerim-gut, dodang-gut and ssitgim-gut.
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These rites are meant to create welfare, promoting commitment between the spiritual and the mundane world. Through singing and dancing the mu begs the gods to intervene in the fortunes of men. The shaman wears a very colourful costume and normally speaks in ecstasy. During a gut a shaman changes his or her costume several times. Gut are performed through a number of ceremonial phases, gori.
Threefoldedness
A gut is a crossroads of three elements: the gods, the believers who pray to them, and the mu mediating between the two. There are different types of gut, varying from a region to another one. The unfolding and style of the Muist rite depends largely on the objective of the ceremony. The individual character and abilities of the mu bring a unique character to the respective ritual to be performed.
Many elements of the gut develop in a three-fold pattern (for example, dances repeated three times). Threefoldedness has important meaning in Sinism, for it signifies completion or fulfillment of the beginning; a three-time repetition of an action means to complete the initial intention. The meaning of this aspect is grounded in the theological concept of the trinity of being—Hwanin, Hwanung, Dangun—, the three stages of manifestation of Haneullim.
Aspect of purity
Important to the gut, and Sinism in general, is purity of both the body and the mind. It makes genuine and efficacious the communion of people and ancestors. Ritual purification of the altar takes place before the start of the gut, and again as part of the first gori through fire and water.
The communion between ancestors or gods and men takes place through a cup of purified wine, called bokjan or "cup of blessings". Also the color white, extensively used in rituals, expresses purity. The purification of the body is performed through burning white paper.
Naerim-gut (내림굿)
This gut is an initiation rite. As part of the rite, someone becomes a shaman by being possessed by a spirit. This ritual causes the shinbyeong a temporary acute psychotic manic episode.
Dodang-gut (도당굿)
This communal rite is common in central provinces in South Korea. Its aim is to wish for the well-being and prosperity of a particular village or hamlet. This rite is normally held annually or once every few years. It is always held either around the New Year or in spring or autumn. The dodang-gut is distinguished by giving prominent roles to the female mudang.
Ssitgim-gut (씻김굿)
This rite is used to cleanse the spirit of a deceased person. Since ancient times there is a Korean belief that when somebody dies, their body cannot enter the world of the dead because of the impurity of their spirit. The ssitgim-gunt washes away this impurity. It is observed mainly in the provinces in the south west of South Korea.
Chaesu-gut (재수굿)
During the sequential performance of the twelve segments that comprise a typical chaesugut, more than half of the costumes the mansin wears are male. The most interactive and dynamic portions of the gut usually occur during the mansin's possession by the pyolsang (spirits of the other world) and the greedy taegam (the overseer), which require male costumes. This cross-dressing serves several purposes. First, since the mansin is often possessed by both male and female spirits and can thus become an icon of the opposite sex, it is reasonable that she use the attire of both sexes. But in a context in which women are publicly demeaned, where their symbolic value is reduced by strong Confucian ideology, the female mansin's cross-dressing becomes complex and multi-functional.
In semiotic terms, the costume is an icon for the person or the spirit it represents. The mansin in the costume assumes the role of that icon, thereby becoming a female signifying a male; she is a cross-sex icon about 75% of the time during a typical gut. In the context of the gut, the mansin is a sexually liminal being; by signifying a man, she not only has access to the male authority in the Confucian order, she provides the female audience an opportunity to interact with that authority in ways that would, in a public context, be unthinkable. Her performance is often a parody of the male authority figures; she often makes off-color jokes and ribald comments, and argues with the audience.
Regional types
The traditional rites are not linked to the Gregorian calendar. They are linked either to a particular event, such as a death, or the lunar calendar.