UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII OUTREACH COLLEGE Korea's National Shaman Kim Keum-Hwa will be here to perform ceremonies for Ch'ol Muri Kut. The Korean ritual for honoring and appeasing the gods and spirits of ancestors will be held at Andrews Amphitheatre Sunday.

Pageant of
purification

Korea's national shaman will
perform the Ch'ol Muri Kut
at Andrews Amphitheatre

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Star-Bulletin staff

Korea's national shaman, Kim Keum-Hwa, is coming to Honolulu with her troupe of 15 master shamans, musicians and assistants to direct the Ch'ol Muri Kut, a traditional Korean ritual for honoring and appeasing the gods and spirits of ancestors.

The community is invited to participate in the finale of this large-scale ritual at Andrews Amphitheatre.

The Ch'ol Muri Kut brings Korea's spirits to life, represented by colorful original folk paintings and decor, vibrant costumes and props including swords, knives, fans and bells. An altar abundant with the traditional food and drink offerings is also displayed during the ceremony.

Held at the outset of the lunar year to petition the spirits' blessings for safety and prosperity, the Ch'ol Muri Kut generally consists of 12 parts, but will be presented here in a condensed form with 10 scenes. Because the spirits dictate the outcome, Kut are highly improvisational. The shamans, or mudangs, divine the future by reading the signs that appear. Once the situation is assessed, they conduct the appropriate purification ceremonies to rid the participants of unwanted spirits and finally oversee sacrifices to the gods.

UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII OUTREACH COLLEGE The food offered during Ch'ol Muri Kut includes a variety of fruits and vegetables.

Keum-Hwa was initiated into her profession at age 17 by her grandmother. She rose to national prominence in 1972 when she won the National Folk Art Competition for her performance of Gen. Hae-Ju Kut, and was designated as a living national treasure in 1984.

THE CH'OL MURI KUT begins with the Shinchong Ollim, or "Summoning of the Gods," which clears participants' hearts and minds of demons and all evil or unclean things. Drums, gongs and conical oboes are played to attract gods to the site. The hunting ritual, Sayang Kut, is a comical enactment of animals hunted for sacrificial offerings, after which the sun, moon and Big Dipper make an appearance for the Iwol Songshin Maji, the heavenly spirit invocation.

Next is the Kut, in which Songju the guardian spirit of the house and family, who is believed to live in the main beam of the roof, is invoked. If he is well-treated, the peace and health of the family is assured. Saeng T'asal is the sacrificial offering where the animals captured in the Sayang Kut are presented to the spirits of the ancestors. Ikun T'asal prepares the gift for the gods, cooking the meat to cleanse it before the spirits' feast.

Taegam Nori Kut, the high official invocation and exchange ritual, is the most humorous part of the ceremony. It centers on the god Taegam, whose previous stature as a high-ranking official of old Korea has made him very demanding when it comes to offerings of food and money. He constantly badgers devotees. His appeasement ensures good business and prosperity.

The climax of the Ch'ol Muri Kut is the Pisu Kori, in which the mudang becomes a knife-wielding general in elaborate Silla dynasty uniform. He performs a rite of exorcism to drive away evil spirits. In this spectacular scene, the barefooted mudang dance with and upon a double bladed sword. For the village festival finale, Heung Puri, audience members are invited to the ritual area to dance. It is believed that these participants will be safeguarded from all evil, misfortune and unhappiness in the year to come.

Ch'ol Muri Kut Where: Andrews Amphitheatre, University of Hawaii at Manoa When: 4 p.m. Sunday Tickets: $15 general; $10 for students and UH faculty and staff Call: 956-6878

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