Hwang Nam-hee, Honorary Holder of 'Eunsan Byeolsinje', Passes Away

Inherited Tradition from the Late Lee Eonnyeon, the First Holder
Byeolsinje Passed Down as a Festival... Releasing the Unjust Spirits of Soldiers

Hwang Nam-hee, Honorary Holder of the National Intangible Cultural Property 'Eunsan Byeolsinje,' passed away in the early morning of the 6th due to illness. He was 85 years old.

Born in 1937 in Eunsan-ri, Buyeo-gun, Chungnam, the late Hwang became a shaman (Gangsinmu) at the age of seventeen. From 1986, he participated in the Byeolsingut ritual as a shaman and inherited the tradition from the late Lee Eonnyeon, the first holder of the Eunsan Byeolsinje.

The Eunsan Byeolsinje is a village ritual held in Eunsan-ri to honor the village guardian deity. It is said to have evolved from a village ceremony that comforted the restless spirits of the Baekje revival army, including General Boksin and Deity Tojin.

The performance (Yeonhaeng) consists of a parade and military formation, where soldiers, war horses, and banners (flags used by the army) are displayed while drums are beaten as they march through the streets. It reenacts the dignity of the commanding general who led the soldiers, releasing the grudges of the unjustly deceased soldiers. The ritual also calls upon the gods to pray for the village's peace and prosperity.

He was recognized as a holder in 1998. Leading the preservation and transmission of the Eunsan Byeolsinje through public events, he became an honorary holder in 2011 due to old age and health reasons.