Dolmosandangsan Mountain

A dangsan is an object of folk belief thought to house a guardian spirit, and it functions to protect the village. This dangsan, standing in front of Dolmosan village, is a four-sided stone pillar 2.5m high with a circumference of 85–98cm, topped with a stone duck facing north-west, giving it the form of a sotdae, a pole traditionally topped with a bird figure. According to tradition, because the village's terrain has, by the logic of feng shui, the shape of a boat, it was feared that if the boat were too light it would easily be damaged; to prevent this, a sotdae-shaped stone pillar was planted in the boat like a mast, to weigh it down. In the village it is also called 'Grandmother Jimdae.' Every year, on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, a rite is held to pray for the village's peace, tranquillity and a good harvest, with preparations beginning a month in advance through the selection of ritual officials and celebrants. At the rite, lively folk games are held, including a tug-of-war between men and women, a procession around the village, and the dressing of 'Grandmother Jimdae' (the Dolmosandangsan) in clothes; the rite itself is performed at around nine in the evening. Although the exact date of its construction is unknown, this dangsan is a fine example of a well-preserved sotdae and a representative form of village folk belief.

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Where it is

Region

Buan, Jeonbuk

Designation

Provincial Folklore Heritage · 시도민속문화유산