Model of the city with to the left the burial mounds area with in the upper left the burial mounds General survey of the area with the numbered burial

REPORT EXCURSION PROGRAM during 10th Ewha Global Empowerment Program (EGEP) of the Asian Center for Women s Studies of Ewha University in Seoul, South Korea from Monday 6 July to Friday 22 July 2016. A Report of dr. Annine E. G. van der Meer, lecturer at 10th EGEP. I just came home from a wonderful, unforgettable and inspiring experience in Korea, being present at the two weeks long 10 th EGEP conference organized by the Asian Center of Women s Studies. In the following I report on this extraordinary event. Invitation. I was invited by Prof. dr. Pilwha Chang, director of the Asian Center of Women s Studies. I met her during the conference A Motherworld is possible in 2009 in Toronto, Canada, where she gave a lecture about the Mosuo in West-China. I met her again during the Gift-Economy conference in Rome in 2015.She was very interested in my book The Language of MA the primal mother and took it with her to Seoul. On the 6 th of April I received an invitation to give a lecture during the EGEP Ewha Global Empowerment Program of the Asian Center for Women s Studies of Ewha University in Seoul, South Korea, which I accepted. Arrival. I arrived on Friday the 8 th of July. In advance Pilwha Chang had contacted several of her friends who accompanied me on Saturday 9 th and Sunday 10 th of July. On Saturday they took me to beautiful Gyeongju on a distance of 2, 5 hours by train from Seoul. On Sunday they took me to the National Museum in Seoul and to a sacred place outside the ancient city wall of Seoul where a Mudang or female shaman normally gives a gut or shaman ritual which in Korea still is very popular and is considered to be a national cultural heritage. Excursion Saturday 9 th of July. They called themselves the goddess group, the first one in Korea! I got up at 5.30 to be ready at 6.30! They took me by a very clean subway and 2,5 hours train trip to Gyeongju, a 214 square km riverine valley between populated areas with lots of mounds or memorial tombs of the powerful and opulent shaman kings and queens of the Korean Silla-culture. The area included an ancient city, fortress ruins, pagodas, palaces and burial tombs from the 1 st to the 8 th centuries. 1 In the museum we saw the gold crown and the gold girdle from the North Mound of the Hwangnamdaechong Tomb in Gyeongju with the three branches symbolizing the tree of life, the large antlers and wings of the phoenix, shaman and tiny bear ornaments. These precious attributes were owned by a Shilla queen, a shaman queen. Arriving at the station of Gyeongju and waiting for the mini-bus taking us around

Model of the city with to the left the burial mounds area with in the upper left the burial mounds General survey of the area with the numbered burial mounds with in the left the double mound of Hwangnam-daechong tomb: the south mound of the king and the north mound of the queen. In the grave chamber of the queen a golden crown was found with girdle. Excavation started in April 1973 and was finished in October 1975. Six golden crowns and belts were found in several graves.

Hwangnamdaechong tomb or the double mound of king Naemul (356-402) and queen Puban Golden shamanic crown and belt form Hwangnam-daechong tomb, right side, in National Museum. 2 Left side of the crown of the Silla queen. Notice the antlers and branches symbolizing Right side the tree of life. Front side with three brancheshaped ornaments

The crowns and belts also carry many little fetuses of bears, or bear symbols as you can see in the golden crown above and in the green jade bear-icons at the bottom of the picture above. This links the iconography with Siberia. The outstretched wings of a bird, the phoenix, are part of the golden crown. They were found in the Hwangnam-daechong tomb. We have the symbols of the tree of life, the antlers, and the wings. These ornaments in the form of large wings also belong to the golden cap, found in the Geumgwanchong tomb and were attached to it. Cheomseongdae, the oldest astrological observatory of East Asia, built during the reign of Silla queen Seondeok, 632-647 AD, 5.17 m in diameter and 9 m in height. Up to the 12 th layer this hollow tower was filled with soil and pebbles. Between the 13 th and 15 th layer there was a square opening through which an observer can ascend to the top.

On on our way to Granny Buddha We leave our guide, the group and the mini bus and we take on advise of Kim Jeong-Hee, former research Professor, Korean Women s Institute of Ewha Womans University, a taxi to the north side of Mount Nam, called mount Dongnam, that faces the urban district of Gyeongju. At the entrance of three valleys in a place called Bucheogol you find according to my guide the best looking, most diversified and oldest of all the images of Buddha in Mt. Nam. 3 You have to cross a brook and enter the deep cleft through the shadowy and cooler forest. It is noon and outside the forest it is very hot. The mountain is littered with Buddha statues and pagoda s. But in Bucheogol you will find the oldest of all the enshrined Buddha s in Mt Nam. On the description panel we read that people in Gyeongju call her Granny Buddha. She is believed to have been sculptured before the 7 th century AD. Our guide gives her a different but also a female name: Auntie Buddha. We read: The enshrined Buddha is friendly to the point of having a nickname Aunti Buddha and its gentle, humble and benevolent heart that seems like it could forgive any wrongdoings is well expressed with its smile. 4 On the top of the mountain there is a well which brings water from deep in the earth upwards, which is considered a very holy place in nature cultures. I am told that from this well the water runs over the large Granny Buddha rock and makes it fertile. So this place has to be much more ancient than Buddhism. While we are there a women and a man enter the place to perform a shamanic ritual. Grandmother or Granny Buddha

Preparing for a shaman ritual. Excursion Sunday 10 th of July, morning I could sleep a little bit longer and had to be ready at 12.00. We went to the National Museum in Seoul. There we saw the gold crown and the gold girdle from the Seobongchong Tomb, excavated in 1926. Excursion Sunday 10 th of July, afternoon. Visit to the Inwangsa temple outside the city wall of ancient Seoul. It is a place with megalithic stones where a Mudang or Korean female shaman lives and works. The day before our visit on Sunday six Mudangs or female shamans held a gut or séance, one of them climbed the stairs and stood unharmed on very sharp knives. 5 You also can find there the rock Gijaam, rock of childbearing prayer because many married women prayed for child bearing at the site. Entering the sacred area of the sacred mountain Climbing the stairs to ascend the holy mountain with wells, a small river and several holy places

The old Shrine Guksadang where the Mudang regularly gives a gut and shamanistic rites take place, including Naerimgut, Chibyeonggut, Jaesugut. In the shrine a picture of a shamanist god is kept. Grandmother and Grandfather, guardians who are protecting the sacred place. 6 The stairs which the Mudang climbs in trance Ascending the mountain further. Reaching Grandmother Well with to the left the meditation place

The rock inside Grandmother well in vulva form. Next: The guardian of the well and meditation place with one of the members of the goddess group; under the tent Grandfather Well is situated. Climbing the stairs up to the middle of the mountain. Frontside of rock Gijaam, rock of childbearing prayer because many women prayed for child bearing at the site. The very ancient god/dess Samsin is god/dess of childbirth. Backside of rock Gijaam, rock of childbearing prayer because many married women prayed for child bearing at the site. Under the top of the mountain you have this view of a small part of the city of Seoul

We climb higher and reach the shrine of the three saints. Buddhist temples have local or grass root or shaman shrines, called Samseong-gak, literally shrine of the Three God(s)/esses. In the middle there is an image of Buddha, accompanied by the local Deokseong and Chilseongsin. The mountain god of each temple is represented either as an old man with white hair and a long mustache or as a middleaged woman mountain spirit with a tiger, also an embodiment of a mountain god/dess. Behind the Samseung Halmang Exorcism grass root women know the story of Samsin, daughter who was baptized by the highest god of Taoism. He from Taoism and the Buddha from Buddhism are depicted as her parents; but she is much older. The Korean word Samsin consists of two elements: Sam meaning placenta and Shin meaning god/dess or deity. Samsin is the life god/goddess. She/he was the all-powerful Great God/dess from before 3000 or 4000 BC. Korean shamanism and the local people embraced Taoism and Buddhism but kept Samsin als local life god/dess. Samsin ascended to the same grade of god/dess as Buddha and the Supreme God of Taoism. 7 While we were there Kim, Jeong-Hee, told me that recently constructed temples have tended not to include such shrines. They are starting to reject the more ancient Korean shamanism. 8 Monday till Sunday: we were all busy with the EGEP conference. Home again. Writing the report on this excursion I now understand how much I learned. I am very surprised and even excited to find in East Asia a living heritage of many symbols and aspects from ancient egalitarian societies. I found out that in this area the lost language of symbols is much easier to reconstruct than in the west where we lost so much more. Dr. Annine van der Meer, lecturer 10 th EGEP 2016, 7 th of August 2016. PS On Tuesday 19 th of July an article appeared in the Women News, the women s newspaper of Korea. It was written by Hyungmee Choi, graduated from Ewha university and now writing a Doctors thesis or Ph.D thesis. On Tuesday 12 th July I was invited to give a talk for the goddess-group in Korea. With them I worked on the 13 sacral body positions of the Divine Feminine. We had a lovely evening and Hyungmee Choi worte the following article, which appeared the 19 th of July, when I was already at home again. I reproduce it here as she sent it to me!

애니반더미어네덜란드판소피아연구소교수한국여신연구가들과만나 여신연구는모계사회에관한연구 모계사회는돌보고치유해주는사회 애니반더미어네덜란드판소피아연구소교수 이정실여성신문사진기자

애니반더미어네델란드판소피아연구소교수 < 사진 > 가한국의여신연구가들과최근이화여대한국여성연구원에서만났다. 애니반더미어교수는여신연구의전문가로이화글로벌임파워먼트프로그램 (EGEP) 에강사로참여하고있다. 신에대한연구가각각시대의인간들의삶, 가치, 세계관을반영해온것처럼여신연구는모계사회에관한연구다. 역사가기록된이후대부분의인간의세계는가부장제사회였다. 남성이정치적인권력을가졌고종교지도자였으며, 예술가였고도예가였다고기록하고있다. 여신연구는마치남성들이지배했던것처럼여성들이권력을장악하려는시도처럼오해받고있다. 반더미어교수는 모계사회는누군가가지배하는사회가아니다. 평등한사회 라고주장한다. 어머니는자식보다힘이세고지혜도뛰어나지만지배하지않는다. 자식을존중하고돌보고치유해주고사랑한다. 모계사회는그래서가부장제사회와다르다. 반더미어교수는선사시대의유물에서발견된대부분의조각상들이여성이었다는데주목했다. 그의책 ' 원시시대어머니의언어 (The Language of Ma, the primal mother)' 를통해서선사시대조각상들이대부분여성이었으며, 가슴과엉덩이가강조되었고때론다리를벌려아이를낳는포즈를취하고있음을보여주고새롭게해석하고있다. 남성연구가들은여성조각상이뚱뚱하거나, 임신을했거나, 섹스의도구였다고주장했다. 그러나여신시대는아이를낳는여성을숭배했고, 여성들의불러오는배를신비하게여겼으며, 새로운생명을만들어내는여성들의그순간순간들이숭배의대상이며존경의대상이었다. 반더미어교수는 가부장제사회로진행될수록여성들의몸은더이상숭배되지않고, 말라갔으며부끄럽고숨겨야할어떤것이되어갔다. 그뿐만아니라가부장제사회는여성들을공적인공간에서배제시켰다. 심지어무대공연에서도남성들이여성역할을하며여성들을배제했던사례는서구사회, 일본중국에다양하게나타나고있다 여신을숭배하는모계사회는여성이남성에게폭력을쓰고, 남성을성적으로도구화하며, 남성에게노동의권리를박탈하거나저임금착취를하는시대가아니다. 어머니가그러하듯모계사회는약한자식에게더욱마음을쓰며, 힘에의한위계나차별없이안전하게지켜지는사회다. 반더미어교수는 이러한것들을가능하게하기위해서우리들은두뇌가아니고가슴을열어야한다 고주장한다. 더많이몸을사용해세상을느낄수있는감각들을회복해야한다는주장이다. 세계관뿐만아니라세상을인식하는방식을바꿔야한다는것이다. 반더미어교수는특히 좌뇌와우뇌가몸과함께사용되어야한다 고강조했다. 그는고대의여신조각상들의모습을따라하는명상을통해서이것을보여주기도했다. 가부장제사회가오랫동안무시해온여성의배를부풀리는호흡을했고, 다리를벌려

땅과넓은교감을유도했으며, 하늘을향해손을뻗어우주와소통하는몸의동작을보여주었다. 아이에게젖을주는엄마의모습을보여주며세상을돌보는모습을재현했다. 웅크려슬프게흐느끼는모습으로세상과함께슬퍼하는여신들의모습을보여주었으며죽음의모습에서깨어나세상을향해손을들어축복을기원했다. 그는주장하였다. 긴겨울이지나고봄이오듯이몸의언어를읽고, 사람들과함께슬퍼하며함께돌보는여신의시대가올것이다. 김신명숙여신연구자는 여신운동의선생이며동지인반더미어교수를만나서공감이폭발하는시간이었다. 그와함께경주와인왕산방문을했을때, 여신신앙현장에서배우고얘기한것은평생기억될경험이었다. 반더미어교수는경주할매부처, 인왕산선바위나용궁에서절하고기도하는사람들의모습을보고는한국은아직도여신신앙이살아있는흔치않은곳이라고감탄을했다 고말했다. 김반아생명모성연구소소장은 반더미어교수가개인적으로힐링작업을하고계시다는점이기뻤다. 여신연구는이제여신활동으로전환해야하며, 품고살리는힐링을하는책임을감당해야한다 고전했다. 김명주충북대교수는여신문화에대한연구가또다시여성과남성을가르는본질주의로회귀하는것이라는오해가있을수있음을지적하였다. 반더미어교수는여신연구는새롭게남성억압을만드는것이아니라우리몸의남성성과여성성을회복하는과정이라고주장한다. 어둠과빛이함께있듯이, 초승달이보름달이되듯이우리에겐음과양이함께존재한다. 오히려여신문화전통에서여성과남성의상징이함께새겨져있는조각품을보여주기도하였다. 정현경유니온신학교교수는 3 년전나는독일에서테라피스트자격을얻었다. 미국신학생의 40 퍼센트가정신질환을앓고있다는통계가나왔는데미국은정신과병원치료비가너무비싸다. 그들을도울수있는방법을찾기위해서였다. 오늘반더미어교수의여신강연은테라피스트교육과정에서내가배운것과유사했다. 한국은높은자살률, 이혼율, 그리고저출산현상이나타나고있다. 이것은사람들이겪는정신적인고통을나타낸다. 우주와하나가되는경험과훈련을할때사람들은자신을괴롭히는일상의고통이아무것도아니라는것을경험하게되며고통이치료될수있다 고말했다. 여신연구는이처럼강하고자애로운어머니의지혜를회복해세상의상처를치료하기도한다. 반더미어교수와여신모임을준비했던김정희가배울대표는 여신의시대가유토피아라고생각하지는않는다. 그때도배고픔과어려움은있었을거다. 그러나이들은재앙과어려움속에서짓누르고강탈하는방식으로살아남기보다는초연히대처하며함께살아갔을것이다. 살림 이란말을처음꺼낸사람은아마도이런정신세계를가진여성선조였을것이다. 이런의미에서여신시대를접근할필요가있다 고주장했다.

1 Gyeongju. A Field Guide to History, Korea Cultural and Historical Survey Society, 2007, 164-165. 2 Handbook National Museum Korea, English, 2012, 38-39. 3 A Field Guide to History GYEONGJU, written by Korea Cultural and Historical Survey Society, 1994, Engl. ed. 2007, 164-165. 4 A Field Guide to History GYEONGJU, 164. 5 Kim Tae-Kon, Korean Shamanism-Muism, Korean Studies nr 9, Seoul, 1998. 6 Choi Joon-sik, Folk Religion. The Customs in Korea, Ewha Womans University, 2005; Kim Tae- Kon, Korean Shamanism-Muism, Korean Studies nr 9, Seoul, 1998; Religion in Korea. Harmony and Coexistence, Korea Essentials, The Korea Foundation, Seoul, 2012. 7 Kim, Jeong-Hee, Buddhism, Shamanism and Women in Korean History, lecture on 18 th of June 2006 at the 9 th Sakyadhita International Conference on Buddhist Women in a Global Multicultural Community, Kuala Lumpur, 2006, 3-5. 8 Kim, Jeong-Hee, Buddhism, Shamanism and Women in Korean History, 4; Hyun-key Kim Hogarth, Syncretism of Buddhism and Shamanism in Korea, Korean Studies Series nr 21, Seoul, 2002.