Artwork,  Video

Video: Sanshin: The Mountain Spirit – 산신

Hello Again Everyone!!

Without a doubt, Sanshin is one of my favourite figures to enjoy at a Korean Buddhist temple. And with over 70% of Korea being occupied by mountains, it’s no wonder that Koreans have worshiped the shaman deity, Sanshin (산신), The Mountain Spirit, for thousands of years. This shaman deity, which is one of the most popular figures that Koreans pray to at a Korean Buddhist temple isn’t even Buddhist in origins. Sanshin can be male or female and is highly revered, often occupying a place in the main hall; or more typically, in a shaman shrine hall to the immediate rear of the main hall. So who is Sanshin? What does Sanshin look like? And why is Sanshin at a Korean Buddhist temple? Find out these answers, and so many more, in this latest installment of Korean temple artwork!