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@article{ART002006782},
author={Kim Nanju},
title={A Comparative Study of Child-birth Gods in Korea and Japan},
journal={Cross-Cultural Studies},
issn={1598-0685},
year={2015},
volume={39},
pages={127-152},
doi={10.21049/ccs.2015.39..127}

TY - JOUR
AU - Kim Nanju
TI - A Comparative Study of Child-birth Gods in Korea and Japan
JO - Cross-Cultural Studies
PY - 2015
VL - 39
IS - null
PB - Center for Cross Culture Studies
SP - 127
EP - 152
SN - 1598-0685
AB - This thesis comparatively looks into folklore faiths, expecially child-birth gods related to child-birth customs and aims to find out both nations’ faith in child-birth gods and their features. It looks into birth gods protecting delivering mothers and babies by appearing at the delivery sites at time of delivery and child-rearing gods intervening in growth of babies after they are born. In both nations, many gods are believed in for selection of babies, safe delivery and their healthy growth but those appearing at delivery sites are only birth goddesses called Samsinhalmony and Obugami. What make this phenomenon appear in both nations’ folklore faiths? Seeing the reason in the fact that common negative concept regarding childbirth exists in both nations’ established faiths, the writer comparatively analyzed various cases of delivery-related defilement in both nations’ delivery customs. Its result showed that Japan is stronger in delivery-related defilement concept than Korea is. For instance, Japan regard child birth-related defilement more horrible than that related to funeral. Pursuantly, in Japan stricter regulations on childbirth rooms and stricter taboos for babies have been passed down. Besides, in the process of its comparative study on both nations’ divine images and appearances, the writer paid attention to the fact that unlike Japan’s mountain gods and restroom goddesses appearing at delivery sites, they don’t get involved in childbirth in Korea and discussed Japan’s theory of reincarnation and its mountain goddess’ marginal nature working behind the curtain. I also discussed the phenomenon that both nations’ childbirth gods are passed down as Three gods, which means that their faith in childbirth gods has to be seen as a result of the faith in childbirth gods interacting with the faith in Three gods or the Three-gods theory, accordingly I indicated that it is worth re-consideration to see the Three-God Theory as the core of the faith in Samsinhalmoni. Lastly, though in both nations’ childbirth faith underlies their fear for divine beings, the faith in childbirth gods, strongly coupled with death heritages, is distributed throughout the nation, which is because Japan’s childbirth gods intervening in birth and growth of a new life also actually involve themselves deeply in the sphere of death as well.
KW - child-safe God;child-birth God;Samsinhalmony;Ubugami;Ubagami
DO - 10.21049/ccs.2015.39..127
ER -

Kim Nanju. (2015). A Comparative Study of Child-birth Gods in Korea and Japan. Cross-Cultural Studies, 39, 127-152.

Kim Nanju. 2015, "A Comparative Study of Child-birth Gods in Korea and Japan", Cross-Cultural Studies, vol.39, pp.127-152. Available from: doi:10.21049/ccs.2015.39..127

Kim Nanju "A Comparative Study of Child-birth Gods in Korea and Japan" Cross-Cultural Studies 39 pp.127-152 (2015) : 127.

Kim Nanju. A Comparative Study of Child-birth Gods in Korea and Japan. 2015; 39 127-152. Available from: doi:10.21049/ccs.2015.39..127

Kim Nanju. "A Comparative Study of Child-birth Gods in Korea and Japan" Cross-Cultural Studies 39(2015) : 127-152.doi: 10.21049/ccs.2015.39..127

Kim Nanju. A Comparative Study of Child-birth Gods in Korea and Japan. Cross-Cultural Studies, 39, 127-152. doi: 10.21049/ccs.2015.39..127

Kim Nanju. A Comparative Study of Child-birth Gods in Korea and Japan. Cross-Cultural Studies. 2015; 39 127-152. doi: 10.21049/ccs.2015.39..127

Kim Nanju. A Comparative Study of Child-birth Gods in Korea and Japan. 2015; 39 127-152. Available from: doi:10.21049/ccs.2015.39..127

Kim Nanju. "A Comparative Study of Child-birth Gods in Korea and Japan" Cross-Cultural Studies 39(2015) : 127-152.doi: 10.21049/ccs.2015.39..127