Sammaksanamnyeogeunseok

The "Male and Female Rocks of Sammaksa Temple" are two natural rocks located northwest of Chilseonggak (Seven Stars Hall), whose shapes resemble male and female genitalia. They are entirely natural stones resembling a namgeun (male organ) and a yeogeun (female organ). The male-organ rock stands 150 cm high and the female-organ rock 110 cm high, and the two are set 2 m apart. Phallicism, the worship of genital forms, is usually directed at natural objects such as rocks or unusually shaped stones that resemble genitalia, though genital shapes were also sometimes artificially fashioned from wood or stone. It is a traditional folk belief through which people prayed for many children, abundance, and good fortune. The fact that Chilseonggak was built beside these rocks, preserving them, and that an image of Chilseongbul (the Buddha of the Seven Stars) was enshrined there in the 18th century, can be seen as a prime example of Buddhism and folk belief merging as faith in the male-organ rock grew. This phallic-worship belief continues the lineage of traditional faiths that have persisted since prehistoric times, alongside Maitreya worship, shamanism, feng shui (pungsu) belief, and village communal rituals (dongje). In particular, the Male and Female Rocks of Sammaksa Temple provide valuable material for understanding cultural change.

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Anyang, Gyeonggi

Designation

Provincial Folklore Heritage · 시도민속문화유산