Intangible Culture ISSN:2799-3868(Print) 무형문화연구

This article has taken a look at the perception on Cheonyeondu-sin (smallpox gods) appearing in Seoul-gut and depicts how it is performed in gut (exorcism or shaman dance). Cheonyeondu-sinis referred as Mama, visitor, hogu or byeolsang in shamanism. Cheonyeondu-sin is the only case of having so many diversified names for a deity as it presents in various types of gut. Cheonyeondu-sin was considered as a subject of fear in such a way. In Seoul-gut, there exists 1) Mamabaesong-gut with dramatic composition, 2) ordinary muga (dance and singing), and 3) Nojeonggi dance and singing. Among them, Mamabaesong-gut is a gut that no longer is practiced now and its presence is shown on the basis of the past studies conducted to the present time. In the guts of other regions, Cheonyeondu- sin is referred mostly as the ‘visitor’. The types are considered in the following four-fold. 1) Existing as ordinary dance and singing without a story line. 2) existing as an intermediary being between an ordinary dance and singing and narrative dance and singing. There exists only the statements that visitor(s) was appeared as the Joseon State. 3) There exists the narrative dance and singing with succinct form of case deployment. visitor(s) appeared as the Joseon State in Gangnam State, and it has the contents that it had a dispute with the boatman in the process of crossing a river and it was touring around to offer its dedication. 4)There are conflicts among the characters and the case deployment exists in complicated narrative dance and singing. And, Honam-gut and Donghaan-gut contents elements of Mamabaesong-gut. Various perceptions on Cheonyeondu- sin exists and it demonstrates that there were various types of gut conducted accordingly. The smallpox (Cheonyeondu) is a disease subdued by medicine but, for people, there exists a new disease emerging at all times. The recent COVID-19 crisis is a typical case to show that. Accordingly, the names referred to as the smallpox, such as, visitor, mama, hogu, byeolseong and others, sometimes expand with the meaning for all diseases beyond its meaning of smallpox. Smallpox was a fearsome disease in the past that it was referred to as the visitor, but the disease currently prevalent would be a new visitor now. In this perspective, various perception on Cheonyeondu-sin are shown to appear in a completely new appearance together with the changes of social environment.