Background and Origin

Chunwang Mae-gi is the Jishin Puli for King Gichun, King Jungchun, and King Malchun that Bisan-dong residents has been praying for a long time. There is a big old tree for King Gichun in Bisan Crossroad and a big old tree for King Malchun in Samsung Wedding Hall at Bisan 3-dong. King Jungchun is located in the location of Bisan 1-dong 1-beonji. For the worship for the king, old tree, shrine, and mountains are paired in groups. Inside the shrine, there is a drawing of Chunwang (King of Sky). However, the shrines and mountains were torn down in the process of urban development after 1960s.

Chungwang Mae-Gi is the Jishin Puli which has been performed before the Korean War. According to the oral tradition, about 400 years ago, many people suffered from continuous drought and plague in Daegu and the public sentiment got worsened. Then, the village residents built a shrine with soils at the place of King Jungchun and prayed devoutly. While passing the shrine, the residents threw a stone. The accumulated stones created small stone mountain and the residents regarded throwing the stone to the stone mountain as the prayer for Chunwang.
Every early January, the residents cleaned their body and mind and wore fine clothing to hold rites for Chunwang. They put pork head, alcohol, and rice cake on the altar and held up the Chunwang flag. It is said that the residents suffered from drought and diseases again when the prayer was insufficient. During the Japanese colonial area, the Japanese forces dug the place to make an emergency bunker and tremendous amount of brass coins were found in the place.

While general Jishin Balgi are performed at every door, Chungwang Mae-gi has the unique characteristic of ‘Village Gut’. Chunwang Mae-gi is performed in the process of Daenaerim  Selection of Participants (in early January)  Jil Gut  Mun Gut  Reading written prayer  Chunwang Mae-gi  Village Gut. In the process, Village Gut is for the Nongak while Mun Gut and Chunwang Mae-Gi is for Jishin Puli. Also, reading the written prayer is performed in a pure Confucian style. When assuming that Chunwang Mae-Gi has a Buddhist name, it would be considered as the dance and music combined with shamanism, Buddhism, and Confucianism.

Chunwang Mae-Gi once disappeared after the Korean War. In October 1988, the member of cultural heritage committee, Taekyu Kim and Youngchul Kwon excavated Chunwang Mae-Gi. Then, Daegu-si participated in the 29th National Folk Art Contest and got award from the Minister of Culture and Tourism. In June 15, 1989, Chunwang-Mae-Gi was designated as No.4 intangible cultural property of Daegu and it is well-preserved until now.

Key Awards and Events

Performers

50 (Person reading written prayer, gong, drum, janggu, leader with flag, sogo, lord, wife, gunner, pole holder, Taepyeongso)

Performance Time

60 minutes

Performance Process

Details

Bisan Nongak is a farmer’s music originating from Bisan-dong called Nalmoe. The Nongak is assumed to have basis on Jisin Puli performed together with Chunwang Mae-Gi Gut held during the 15th of the January in Chunwang-dang (Gichun-dang, Jungchun-dang, Malchun-dang) worshipped by the residents from the far back in the past.

There is also a folk tale that Bisan Nongak was performed not only in Chunwang Mae-Gi or Jishin Puli but also in Wongogae during the visit of the local governor. Therefore, Bisan Nongak has the characteristics of Gunsa Gut rather than Nongsa (Agriculture) Gut. Although Bisan Nongak is composed of 12 parts, during the heyday of Bisan Nongak, the parts could be extended and people enjoyed the music for a long time.

In accordance to the record, there were shrines for King Gichun, King Jungchun, and King Malchun before the Korean War. The shrine for King Gichun was near the Wongogae market in Bisan 1-dong, Seo-gu while the shrine for King Jungchun was near the former Indongchon Market in Bisan 1-dong. Also, the shrine for King Malchun was near the present Samsung Wedding Hall (Bisan 2-dong, Bisan 3-dong). Before the Korean War, people performed rites in the shrines. After finishing the rites, people had a pleasant time with Bisan Nongak.
However, due the urban development in 1965, all shrines were torn down. In 1988, Daegu-si started excavation work for Chunwang-dang and got grand prize from National Folk Art Contest held in 1989. In June 15, 1989, the Chunwang-dang was designated as the intangible cultural property of Daegu.
In Dalseong-gun, there is the Chunwang-dang keeping its original form and the drawings of King Chunwang can be found inside Chunwang-dang.