▲ This photo, shows the Gangneung Danoje Festival, which has opened on the 15th with the theme of "The meeting of god and human" in the city of Gangneung. (Yonhap)

 

▲ This photo, shows Daegwallyeong Guksa Seonghwangje, which has opened offline in 3 years. The Daegwallyeong Guksa Seonghwangjae which marks the opening of the Gangneung Danoje Festival has been held on the 15th. (Yonhap)

 

▲ This photo, shows Guksa Seonghwangje haengcha held on the 15th at Daegwallyeong. (Yonhap)

 

 

SEOUL, May 16 (Yonhap) -- The Daegwallyeong Sanshinje (a ceremony to honor the mountain god (Sanshin) of Daegwallyeong Ridge) and Guksaseonghwangje (a ceremony to honor the Village Guardian, who plays a prominent part in the Dano proceedings), which marks the opening of the 2022 Gangneung Danoje Festival, were held offline for the first time in three years on the 15th.

The Gangneung Danoje Festival Committee and the Gangneung Danoje Festival Preservation Association held the Daegwallyeong Sanshinje at the Daegwallyeong Sansingak and the Guksa Seonghwangje at the Guksa Seonghwangdang.

Daegwallyeong Sanshinje and Guksa Seonghwangje are rituals to bring Guksaseonghwang (believed to be State Perceptor Beomil of late Silla who founded the temples Simboksa and Gulsansa), the deity of Gangneung Danoje, into the human world to sleep with Yeoseonghwang (Village Goddess).

During the Daegwallyeong Mountain God Festival, the officials announced to General Kim Yu-sin, a mountain god in Daegwallyeong that they would bring Guksaseonghwang (State Perceptor God) into the human world.

Guksa Seonghwangje holds rituals to the god of Dano, Guksa seonghwang with gut (rites performed by Korean shamans, involving offerings and sacrifices to gods, spirits and anestors) in order to bring him back to the human world.

After the end of Guksa Seonghwangje, a Guksa Seonghwangje haengcha is followed, in which the sinmokjabi serves the Guksa Seonghwang who descended on the maple tree to the human world.

After stopping by at Gusan and Haksan to hold the Seonangje (ritual collectively organized by villagers to worship Seonang, the village guardian deity, to pray for security, good fortune and good harvest for the coming year and to keep away bad fortunes), finally at 6 p.m. on the same day, it will be taken to Guksa Yeosung Hwangdung in Hongje-dong, Gangneung city, and will be followed by the enshrining ceremony, where the Guksa Seonghwang and the female emperor are united.

The Shinju used in the ritual used on this day is an alcoholic beverage made from the rice that the citizens paid for on the 5th.

Citizens and tourists who attended the Sansinje (ritual for worshipping the mountain god) and the Guksa Seonghwangje shared rice cakes and spirits to pray for family well-being and peace.

On the other hand, the main event Gangneung Danoje Festival, inscribed on the List of the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity and important intangible cultural properties, will be held from the 30th till the 6th of June at the Namdaecheong Danojang area in Gangneung city, with 50 programs in 10 fields.
 

 

(This article is translated from Korean to English by Haemin Kim.)

 

 

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[ⓒ K-VIBE. 무단전재-재배포 금지]