Pamyo: Exhuma — South Korea’s Omen, Superstition, Urban Legend. Interprets

파묘 (‘pa-myo’) means ‘breaking the graves.’ Why is this considered a creepy superstition, a bad omen, and associated with other negative connotations in Korean culture? During the Joseon Dynasty, people deeply respected their bloodlines, and this reverence continues even today. Historically, there was even a penalty of beheading for desecrating the grave of an ancestor. This act brought immense disgrace and disrespect to the criminal’s family.

효 (‘Hyo,’ filial piety) holds a paramount value in Korean society. This is why disturbing an ancestor’s grave is considered taboo. Many stories and beliefs surrounding this taboo have become ingrained in the culture.

풍수(風水), Feng Shui

People might say it is just a bunch of superstitions, but interestingly, they often follow general ideas about where to live, which direction their windows should face, and many other pieces of advice for a better life. Some scholars even lecture them that it reflects a collective wisdom about living, a collection of practical cases for everyday life. I wouldn’t be in a position to judge them but things are not creepy and sometimes it makes sense. The concept of ‘배산임수’ seems relevant here. 배산임수 suggests that when establishing a village, it should be positioned with a mountain to the north, at its rear. This aligns with geopolitical factors, as during winter, cold high-pressure air from the north descends towards the lower-pressure areas in the south of the Korean Peninsula.

The movie touches upon various aspects of Feng Shui, starting with the fox. In Korea, the fox is not considered a favorable animal. In Feng Shui, there are five elements that constitute the world: water, fire, earth, metal, and wood. It’s similar to the four elements theory of the ancient Greek philosopher Anaximenes. However, Feng Shui has concepts like ‘상극’ (mutual overcoming), which describes the relationship between water and fire, and ‘상생’ (mutual generation), which describes the relationship between water and wood. Those who studied Feng Shui believed that the habitat of foxes indicated that burying ancestors in that area would bring negative consequences. The sounds foxes make are actually quite frightening at night, and the presence of a mid-level predator like a fox also implies the existence of tigers. Feng Shui was a discipline that even dealt with the reproductive habits of such animals. The phenomena and explanations related to Feng Shui depicted throughout the movie are quite different from reality. However, you can think of them as a plot device.

Visits from Ancestors in Dreams

In Korea, visits from ancestors in dreams are interpreted in various ways. Sometimes, they are seen as omens that provide lucky lottery numbers, while other times, they are considered hints to prepare for danger. However, if the ancestors appear uncomfortable or distressed in the dream, it’s often believed to signify a need to relocate their grave. This can be considered an almost blind faith.

무당 (Korean Shamanism)

In Korea, most people who become shamans undergo an experience called ‘신병’ (sinbyeong), which involves suffering and illness caused by spiritual beings. It refers to illnesses that afflict people without any specific diagnosis. This could actually be due to other medical conditions, perhaps misdiagnosed by incompetent doctors. However, after experiencing ‘신병,’ they receive ‘신내림’ (sinnaerim) through a senior shaman, which literally means receiving another spiritual being into their body.

Christians probably wouldn’t like this, huh? Don’t think of exorcism! (laughs) The gods they refer to are diverse, including ancestral spirits, mountain spirits, and even the souls of famous generals. By receiving these spirits, they achieve self-awareness as a shaman. In the movie, during the ‘gut’ (shamanic ritual) scene where they dance and self-harm with a knife but remain unharmed, it signifies their unity with the spiritual being within, demonstrating that they are impervious to harm and urging the spirits to peacefully return to the heavens or where they belong.

The Significance of the Japanese General in the Film

In the past, Japan actually drove iron stakes into various locations in Korea under the guise of surveying. This act was a terrible nightmare for Korean Feng Shui practitioners. It was a cultural clash, but these complaints were dismissed as nonsense and not a concern for the Japanese. Consequently, there was retaliation against them in a physical form. Regardless of the intention, faith is indeed an important aspect for individuals, and their actions were perceived as an attempt to sever the nation’s spiritual energy. In the movie, Choi Min-sik soaks a piece of wood in blood to defeat the Japanese general. This general — a shogun — had become an iron stake himself through the tempering of his sword in the blood of countless victims. He essentially embodied the properties of metal in Feng Shui. Since water overcomes metal, the blood-soaked wooden piece was able to pierce his hardened body and inflict harm on the shogun, who was a spiritual being.

The reason why defending against the spiritual being with the Diamond Sutra was ineffective is, as mentioned earlier, that it depends on the specific type of Buddhism. Some Buddhist practices focus on achieving enlightenment and connecting with the divine through individual ascetic practices and introspection. This is why the shogun in the movie recites the Diamond Sutra. He is not merely a ghost, but rather a demi-god, a being who remained on this earth after his death due to his practices.

The Chinese character for ‘금’ (geum) in 금강경 (Diamond Sutra) is the same as the character for ‘쇠’ (soe), meaning metal or iron. In other words, the Diamond Sutra itself was the main incantation for the shogun to transform into an iron stake.

Full Contents on Diamond Sutra

The Diamond Sutra, a core text in Mahayana Buddhism, emphasizes the concept of emptiness (śūnyatā) as the key to achieving enlightenment. It encourages practitioners to transcend attachments to fixed ideas and perceptions, recognizing that all things are impermanent and interconnected.

Here are some of its central ideas:

• Emptiness (Śūnyatā): All phenomena, including ourselves, are empty of inherent existence. They arise due to dependent origination, meaning they exist only in relation to other things.
• Non-Attachment: Clinging to ideas, possessions, or even the self hinders enlightenment. True freedom comes from letting go of attachments.
• The Bodhisattva Ideal: The sutra encourages the cultivation of compassion and the pursuit of enlightenment for the benefit of all beings.
• Impermanence: Everything is constantly changing; nothing remains fixed or permanent.
• The Nature of Reality: The Diamond Sutra challenges our conventional understanding of reality, urging us to see beyond appearances and perceive the true nature of existence.

Key Passages:

• “Thus shall you think of all this fleeting world: A star at dawn, a bubble in a stream; A flash of lightning in a summer cloud; A flickering lamp, a phantom, and a dream.”
• “All conditioned things are like a dream, an illusion, a bubble, a shadow, like dew or a flash of lightning; thus we shall perceive them.”

The Reason for the Pain After Killing the Snake

Many Korean urban legend stories are related to spiritual beings. There are countless urban legends, especially surrounding the relocation of graves and funerals. I still remember when my grandmother was alive; if I attended the funeral of a friend’s relative, she would sprinkle salt over me or place a knife under my pillow. These were superstitious acts to ward off ghosts. Snakes in Korean folklore represent two sides of the same coin, encompassing both benevolent and malevolent aspects… They either ascend to become dragons or fail and become Imugi, an evil creature, tormenting people. The snake with a human face in the movie is actually a yokai (monster) originating from Japan. It’s a terrifying creature that lures and devours humans.

**More Details on this link (wikipedia)**

Why did the ancestor’s spirit kill the whole family?

To be honest, I don’t fully understand it either, but my interpretation is that the pro-Japanese collaborator, after his death and burial, didn’t realize he would become a vessel for the shogun. Therefore, he likely felt wronged and believed his descendants were tormenting him. You know, Korea is patriarchal, and in the past, families had the power to inflict punishment to a certain degree. Of course, it’s a contradiction for people today to try to understand the thoughts of a ghost from the past.

In Conclusion

Although Korea may seem small compared to countries like the US or those on other continents, its numerous mountains and large predators, such as tigers, led to many isolated communities, even during the Joseon Dynasty. Even today, the interpretation of these superstitions varies greatly depending on their origin. After all, these stories are passed down orally through grandmothers and elders, not through written texts. In any case, I recommend watching the movie again with this newfound understanding. It’s fun to watch it with a sense of “Ah, so that’s how it is!” If you have any further questions, please leave a comment below, and I’ll do my best to elaborate.

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