The shaman is on fire and holds the crowd mesmerized. People are now bursting into laughter, now shedding tears. People are so aroused that they start standing up and dancing along with the shaman. Indeed, this rite looks deceptively like a festival.

Umok-ri, Pohang, Gyeongsangbuk-do is an ordinary fishing village for all intents and purposes. In this small village, a byeolsinje ceremony is held every five year, on the Lunar 3rd of March to pray for a bounteous catch.

Byeolsinje is a village rite performed in fishing communities in the eastern and southern coastal areas of Korea, usually presided over by a shaman. In addition to praying for a large catch, the rite also serves other purposes such as ensuring the peace of the village and preventing accidents while traveling away from home.

Professional shamans are called upon to officiate the byeolsinje ceremony. Six or seven shamans take turns to preside over the various sessions of this ritual which lasts two nights and three days.

One of the most important preparations in the days leading up to the day of byeolsinje is making paper flowers. Twelve total varieties of colorful paper flowers are crafted for use during the ritual. The beauty of paper flowers is in fact commensurate with the years of experience of a shaman. In other words, a veteran shaman with long years of experience tends to be better at creating beautifully realistic flowers.

When the so-called heogae lantern is hung from a long bamboo pole at the entrance of the venue, the rite is ready to begin.

The first segment of the ritual is known as cheongjwa-gut during which village representatives make libations and bow to the altar to summon the guardian spirit.

After village elders thus paid their respect, it is now time to escort the guardian god to the venue. They march toward the shrine, following the winding shoreline, and perform a ritual, once arrived at the site. This segment, known as a god welcoming rite, is carried out like a street parade. People flock to watch them or take part in the parade.

The shaman proposes a drink of wine to a villager.

Even an experienced shaman sometimes needs help from the audience to get in the right mood. In fact, without a responsive audience, the performance of a shaman can fall flat. A rapport must exist between the shaman and the participants for the success of this kind of ritual.

A village elder who is receptive to spiritual communication is chosen to hold a bamboo stick. When communication is established, the bamboo stick starts shaking. When the shaman begins her ritualistic dance, the bamboo stick indeed starts shaking as though moved by an invisible force. Seeing this, both the shaman and the audience become trilled. The excitement builds up and soon spreads throughout the small village. The streets are now abuzz, with the sounds of drums and gongs heard increasingly loudly.

The shaman who briefly exited the venue to cheer up the crowd outside returns to proceed to the Sejon rite. The goal of the Sejon rite is to implore gods for health and longevity and ensure the prosperity of descendants. When her song nears its climax, the shaman approaches the audience to ask for money under various excuses. People are willing to loosen their purse strings, when they are told that this will buy them health or the prosperity of their descendants.

Money rolls in, and this makes the shaman merrier and merrier.

To thank for the audience’s generosity, she wants to put up a performance that is worth their while. With a conic hat on the head and dressed in a rainbow-striped jacket, she performs exquisite dance moves and mimes. For village elders, charmed and overjoyed, the spectacle is worth every penny.

Shaman: Mr.__, Mrs.__

(The shaman reads out loud names off a list)

Ship owners step forth toward the altar one by one, as their names are called by the shaman.

Next, car owners, taxi drivers and truck drivers are asked to step forth. Ship owners pray for an abundant catch and others operating a vehicle pray for safe driving and the success of their business.

Shaman: Don't get into an accident. Don't get caught speeding.

People's hopes and desires also change in time. Meeting life's basic needs is certainly no longer what people yearn for in today's society.

While the rite is underway, women are busy in their make-shift kitchen, preparing sacrificial food and meals for the participants.

Next on the program is notdongi-gut, also known as jangsu-gut, during which the shaman picks up a heavy brass jar with her mouth.

This ritualistic routine is for parents with sons in the army who want to pray for their safe service and success in life.

Shamanistic rituals thrive on people's hopes and wishes, and as long as mankind exists, there will be hopes and wishes.

During the rituals, shamans alternate their communication with spirits with communication with humans, which takes the form of singing and dancing for their audience. This is because a shamanistic ritual is the act of connecting gods and humans. After several ritualistic routines, all shamans step forth together and perform songs and dances that delight the participants.

When the ritual draws closer to its final phase, villagers are all up on their feet dancing along with the shamans. As villagers mingle and dance together, thus becoming one for a brief moment, the curtain slowly falls on another byeolsinje festival.

During the duration of the byeolsinje festival, all fishing boats fly the manseongi flag. Although this flag is normally flown by a boat returning to the port, laden with a large catch, it is exceptionally flown by all boats during the festival period.

This might be because the people of Udok-ri, as they believe in the power of prayer, consider that their prayer has been already granted. A custom born out of people’s ardent yearning for a better life, shamanistic rituals may continue to be among us as long as we continue to hope and dream.