Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1917-03-24

world is populous with active
and malevolent beings who are
ready at any moment to fall
upon them In wrath, according to a
statement made by DIR. I. M. Casano-
wicz, assistant curator Of old world
archaeology of the United States Ma
tional museum, concerning the para
phernalla of a Korean sorceress now
deposited in the museum collections.
Doctor Casanowicz says the Koreans
believe that these beings or spirits
haunt every tree, mountain and wa
tercourse; are on every roof, fireplace
and beam, and infest even their CHM
neys, living rooms and kitchens; that
they beset them at home and waylay
them when abroad. They seem to be
everywhere at all times and make
their lives miserable. To their influe-
ence the Koreans attribute every Ill,
all bad luck, official malevolence, loss
of power or position, and especially
sickness; demons consisting of self
existent malicious spirits and spirits
of departed impoverished persons who
died In distress, and spirits whose ma
lures are partly kindly, which include
the ghosts Of prosperous and good peo-
pie, but even the latter appear to be
easily offended and extraordinarily ca
PRECIOUS.
Two Glasses of Sorcerers.
To cope with these two forms of
spirits and be assured OF little peace
and quiet, the Koreans have two
classes of sorcerers, or, as they call
them, "shamans :" the Pansu and the
Mutang. Both classes are mediators
between the people and the spirits, but
they bear little relation to each other.
The former are "fortune-tellers," and
the latter, the "deceiving crowd" or
"bad lot" In this connection. Doctor
Casanowicz said:
''The office of the Pansu Is restrict
ed to blind men, perhaps owing to the
common belief among primitive peo-
pies that those who have been de-
prived of physical sight have been Civ
en- an inner spiritual vision. The Mu-
tang Is always woman, generally
from the lower classes and OF bad re-
pute, and her calling Is considered the
very lowest in the social scale. While
the Pansu is, as 1t WERE born or made
by dint of his loss of eyeslght. the Mu-
tang enters upon her office In conse-
quence of supernatural CALL con-
sisting in the assurance OF demoniacal
possession, the demon being supposed
to have become her double and to have
superimposed his personality upon
hers. The possession is often accom-
panied by hysteria and pathological
symptoms. The spirit may seize any
woman. maid or wife, rich or poor
plebelan or patrician, and compel her
to serve him, and on receiving the call
of the spirit a woman will break ev-
cry tie of custom and relationship.
leave home and family to become
henceforth social outcast. so that she
is not even allowed to live within the
city walls. But notwithstanding her
low social status. her services are In
constant demand.
s'In travelling through the country,
the Mutang or sorceress is constantly
to be seen going through the various
musical and dancing performances in
the midst of a crowd in front of q
house where there is sickness. And
at the close of the nineteenth century
the fees annually paid in Korea to the
sorcerers were estimated at $750000.
Pansu is Master of Spirits.
'"The Pansu acts as master of the
spirits. having gained by his potent
formula and ritual an ascendancy over
them. By his spells he can direct
them. The Mutang is supposed to be
able to influence them with her friend
ship with them. She has to pray to
them and coax them to go. BY her per-
formances she puts herself en- rapport
with the spirits and is able to ascer-
tain their will and TO namc the ran