Page:The passing of Korea.djvu/520

 that the food that has been provided for the spirit is eaten with great gusto by the mudang and the friends of the sick man. The result of all this commotion and fuss upon the patient is seldom very edifying.

A second kind of kut is performed after death. A person's spirit will stay about the house for three days after his demise, and often much longer than this. If the relatives have reason to think that the dead man had something that he wished to communicate but did not have the opportunity, they will call a mudang, for only through her can they establish intelligent communication with the spirit. The mudang comes, arranges the food, and becomes possessed by the spirit, but without any dancing and screaming. She is used by the spirit to make the desired communication, after which the friends weep and say good-bye, and the spirit leaves. Then they all fall to and clear the tables.

Sometimes another kut is celebrated after the man is buried. If the dead man was supposed to have been summoned away from life by an angel or messenger sent from one of the great gods, the mudang will be called in to raise this spirit messenger and ask it to lead the dead man directly to the realm of the blessed and not through any purgatorial stage. At this time they have the power to call the dead man's spirit back for a positively last appearance, and the final adieus are said.

But even this does not finish the matter. A month after burial the friends of the deceased, if they have money, may hold a monster kut at some well-known shrine in the vicinity. The mudang is dressed in all her finery, and everything is done to make the ceremony impressive. The object is to help the dead man to secure influence or to get a "pull" with the Judge of Hades. The dead man has no money to do it with, so his friends do it for him.

The food is spread, and the mudang, all in white, goes into a trance after the usual gyrations, and the spirit of the departed takes possession. He is asked whether he has met the