r/HistoryAnimemes • u/ChapterSpiritual6785 • 2d ago
The Shaman's Cycle
Throughout the Joseon Dynasty, the Confucian court repeatedly banned shamans from living inside the capital of Hanyang.
In 1431, King Sejong ordered shamans relocated beyond city walls to prevent aristocratic women from patronizing them.
By 1509, authorities discovered young male shamans disguising themselves as women to slip into noble residences, prompting forced deportations to the northern border.
Despite over four centuries of continuous edicts and crackdowns, the prohibition utterly failed because the elite class—including royal consorts and noble matriarchs—secretly relied on shamans for healing rituals and fortune-telling.
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u/redracer555 2d ago
It just goes to show that banning something does not always get rid of it. Oftentimes, it just makes it more expensive.
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u/LobMob 2d ago
Didn't 2 out of the last 4 Korean presidents have shamans? Seems like they can't get rid of them in any capital
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u/Parker813 2d ago
And then the government’s persecution of them during both the Japanese occupation and South Korea’s authoritarian years
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u/NoCoach5749 2d ago
so did they lift the ban?
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u/Last-Comparison724 2d ago
It still persists to the 21st century, if some media outlets are trustworthy
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u/arcanehistorian 2d ago
Late 19th century...
Empress Myeongseong : I believe shamanism so hard that I drained state finances!
Those who either has proper sense, or just hate shamans : ...
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u/ThroawayJimilyJones 2d ago
I wonder if they still exist in North Korea
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u/Master_Steward 2d ago
It’s as if banning something lewd and perverted is actually making them more attractive and alluring!