Gasin faith () refers to belief and rituals surrounding gods of the household in

Korean shamanism Korean shamanism, also known as () is a religion from Korea. Religious studies, Scholars of religion classify it as a folk religion and sometimes regard it as one facet of a broader Korean vernacular religion distinct from Buddhism, Taoism, Dao ...

. These deities, called ''gasin'', are believed to protect the various objects (such as ''

jangdok ''Onggi'' () is earthenware extensively used as tableware and storage containers in Korea. The term includes both unglazed earthenware, fired near 600 to 700 °C, and pottery with a dark brown glaze fired at over 1100 °C. ''Onggi'' have b ...

'') and rooms of the house.

Joryeong faith

The faith of Joryeong is the deification of one's ancestors. The earliest mention of the faith is in the ''

Samguk Sagi ''Samguk sagi'' () is a historical record of the Three Kingdoms of Korea: Goguryeo, Baekje, and Silla. Completed in 1145, it is well-known in Korea as the oldest surviving chronicle of Korean history. The ''Samguk sagi'' is written in Classical ...

'', a Medieval Korean history book, which mentions the 'golden chest' of

Kim Alji Kim Al-chi (; unknown–?), was a historical figure in Korean history. His descendants formed the Kim royal clan of Silla, one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea. His legendary birth is said to have occurred during the reign of Silla's fourth rule ...

, the first member of the Gyeongju Kim clan. This bears resemblance to modern ancestor worship. In the modern

Honam Honam (; literally "south of the lake") is a region coinciding with the former Jeolla Province in what is now South Korea. Today, the term refers to Gwangju, South Jeolla Province, Jeju Province and Jeonbuk State. The name "Jeonla-do" is used i ...

region in southwest Korea, Koreans keep a large pot in the house, filled with rice. This is called the ''Jeseok Ogari'', and holds rice. The Jeseok Ogari is accompanied with ''Mom Ogari'', which are smaller potteries. The name of the ancestor or rice is put in the Mom Ogari. In the

Yeongnam Yeongnam (, ; literally "south of the ridge") is a region that coincides with the former Gyeongsang Province, one of the ancient Eight Provinces, in what is now South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a countr ...

region, Jeseok Ogari and Mom Ogari is called Sejon Danji and Josang Dangsegi. In festivals and birthdays, the family holds a

jesa ''Jesa'' (, ) is a ceremony commonly practiced in Korea. Jesa functions as a Ancestor veneration, memorial to the ancestors of the participants. Jesa are usually held on the anniversary of the ancestor's death. The majority of Catholic Church in ...

to the Jeseok Ogari and Mom Ogaris. In the jesa, the family prays for good harvests and prosperity. Curiously, the Joryeong faith seems to be based on a matriarchic entity called 'Josang Halmae', or 'Grandmother Ancestor'.

Samsin faith

Samsin is the goddess of childbirth. Her entity was believed to be bound to the Samsin Danji, a pot kept in the inner wing of the house. The pot was filled with rice, then covered in paper and sealed with a knot tied counterclockwise. However, some households perform Geongung Samsin, or the act of honoring Samsin only in the mind. The Samsin was given

Jesa ''Jesa'' (, ) is a ceremony commonly practiced in Korea. Jesa functions as a Ancestor veneration, memorial to the ancestors of the participants. Jesa are usually held on the anniversary of the ancestor's death. The majority of Catholic Church in ...

s every festival or birthday, and also seven and thirty-seven days after delivery. When someone is pregnant or has given delivery, the room holding the Samsin Danji was sealed with ropes. The faith of Samsin is strongest in

Jeju Island Jeju Island (Jeju language, Jeju/) is South Korea's largest island, covering an area of , which is 1.83% of the total area of the country. Alongside outlying islands, it is part of Jeju Province and makes up the majority of the province. The i ...

Seongju faith

Seongju is literally the 'Owner of the Castle'. As the deity of the actual house, he is one of the most common and most famous Gasin. In

Jeollanamdo South Jeolla Province (), formerly South Chŏlla Province, also known as Jeonnam (), is a province in the Honam region, South Korea, and the southernmost province in mainland Korea. South Jeolla borders the provinces of North Jeolla to the nort ...

, the Seongjudok, or the pottery in which Seongju was considered to dwell, was filled with barley every spring and rice every autumn. However, in Jeollabukdo, the people practiced Tteunseongju, or worshipping Seongju only in thoughts. In other regions, Seongju was mostly believed to embody a piece of paper, which was attached to the central pillar. Every birthday or festival, a

was done for Seongju, where housewives prayed for abundance and peace. Seongju was worshipped with other Gasin; however, when a new family was formed, or when a family moved to another residence, Seongju was for a time the only Gasin worshipped. Seongju is generally considered to be the greatest of the Gasin. The gut dedicated to him is one of the most famous, and he is believed to guard the eldest male member of the family.

Jowang faith

Jowangshin () is the goddess of fire and the hearth in

. As the goddess of the hearth, the rituals dedicated to her were generally kept alive by housewives. She is no longer the subject of worship, but still remains one of the most famous Korean deities.

Teoju and Cheolyung faith

Teojushin () is the patron of the ground on which the house is built in the Gashin cult of

Korea Korea is a peninsular region in East Asia consisting of the Korean Peninsula, Jeju Island, and smaller islands. Since the end of World War II in 1945, it has been politically Division of Korea, divided at or near the 38th parallel north, 3 ...

. She is also known as Jishin (), or 'earth goddess'.

Eopjanggun faith

Eopsin () is the goddess of the storage and wealth in

Korean mythology Korean mythology () is the group of myths told by historical and modern Koreans. There are two types: the written, literary mythology in traditional histories, mostly about the founding monarchs of List of monarchs of Korea, various historical k ...

and

shamanism Shamanism is a spiritual practice that involves a practitioner (shaman) interacting with the spirit world through altered states of consciousness, such as trance. The goal of this is usually to direct spirits or spiritual energies into ...

. She is one of the Gasin, or deities that protect the house. However, unlike other Gasin, who were believed to embody pots, paper, and other inanimate objects, Eopsin is special in that she appears in an animal form. This is because Koreans considered snakes and weasels, who ate mice and rats, holy.

Munsin faith

Munshin (), known in the southernly

as Munjeon () is the god of the

door A door is a hinged or otherwise movable barrier that allows ingress (entry) into and egress (exit) from an enclosure. The created opening in the wall is a ''doorway'' or ''portal''. A door's essential and primary purpose is to provide securit ...

. The worship of Munshin is strongest in

, where Munshin (known as Munjeon) is one of the most-worshipped deities; however, the worship of Munshin also exists in the mainland.

Cheuksin faith

Cheuksin () is the toilet goddess of

. Unlike better-known

household deities A household deity is a deity or spirit that protects the home, looking after the entire household or certain key members. It has been a common belief in paganism as well as in folklore across many parts of the world. Household deities fit int ...

such as Jowangshin, god of the

hearth A hearth () is the place in a home where a fire is or was traditionally kept for home heating and for cooking, usually constituted by a horizontal hearthstone and often enclosed to varying degrees by any combination of reredos (a low, partial ...

, her worship forms a minor part of the Gasin cult. She is believed to reside in the outhouse.

Other deities

* Nulgupjisin, god of grain *

Sosamsin Sosamshin () is a Gashin, or household deity, in Korean mythology. As her name reveals, she is the goddess of the birth of cattle, just as Samshin is the goddess of human birth. Etymology In the Korean language, So' refers to cattle.'Samshin' is ...

, god of cowbirth

References

{{reflist Domestic and hearth deities Religion in South Korea