Comforting the living while relieving the sorrow of the dead
The Last Street Behind Good's Story

Good is done to obtain what one desires from a god who has power in a specific area.
However, at the very end of this ritual, evil spirits and gods who have no connection to me and no power are called together and treated together.
The back porch, which is also used to mean 'the back, the next turn', may not seem important at all, but shamans believe that no matter how well the main ritual is performed, only the last back porch can be performed properly to avoid trouble and receive good fortune.
Where does this strong belief come from?

The author, who has studied shamanism for over 30 years as a folklorist, says that the backstage is the core of gut.
The evil spirits who lived miserable lives and died cruel deaths are considered socially disadvantaged.
They are the disabled represented by Gibari, Cheonsangbaragi, and Anwaekgopsadeungi; women such as Golmaegi Halmae, Haesanmo, and daughters-in-law who committed suicide due to the hardships of their in-laws; and the marginalized common people of the same era, such as soldiers and fishermen.
Behind the scenes, the shaman reenacts their deaths in the form of a play, releasing them from their misery.
The floating gods, who 'come out of gratitude when invited and come out of spite when told not to come', fill their hungry stomachs at the gut stage, dance to their heart's content, and return comforted.
Remembering and actively resolving the pain and suffering of those who were left behind due to unresolved pain and suffering during their lifetime is a secondary priority.
Relying on the gods who believe in helping humans, but not forgetting the helpless, small beings who await our help, and thus a life where the dead and the living coexist, is the world that shamanism aims for.

The last good thing to do is the back seat.
The backstage ritual is a ritual in which, after entertaining all the gods that the shaman believes in over several days, they come out of the gutcheong and release the wandering evil spirits.
Shamans believe that no matter how well they perform the main ritual, they will not suffer any harm and will receive good fortune only if they properly perform the last ritual.
In the end, the most important thing for a shaman to clear his/her mind is what is at the back.
The belief that the last part of the ritual is the most important and that no matter how well the ritual is performed, if the evil spirits are not properly exorcised, it will be ineffective is an absolute belief among most shamans.
Where does this strong belief come from?
--- p.11

Ghosts and spirits without specific functions are not objects of people's wishes.
They are beings who are not included in the ranks of gods who are treated as independent gods, so they do not even have names.
They are simply called ghosts, evil spirits, guardian spirits, and spirit mountains.
They came in droves, 'welcoming the sound of the floating good deeds,' so they weren't even officially invited.
In this situation, the deities in the background have no connection with the people performing the rituals.
Since he is not an ancestor of the family and is not specifically from our village, it is equally irrelevant to look into blood ties or regional ties.
But in the good field, the back is very important.
Shamans say that no matter how well a ritual is performed, if the aftermath is done incorrectly, there will be repercussions.
So, no shaman can take the back seat.
In Seoul, there was a separate shaman for the backstage, and in the east coast region, male shamans who performed street rituals received a separate share.
I thought it was such an important good.
--- pp.26-27

Kim Jang-gil's inner strength was best demonstrated in the seafood restaurant.
The scene of childbirth, which even women are good at imitating, was described so specifically that it was hard to believe that what actually came out from under her skirt was a red plastic bucket.
"Oh my, oh my, come down, come down a little, oh my." Kim Jang-gil groaned in pain, and since the baby still wouldn't come out, he called the grandmothers and aunts together to give them strength and encouragement, turning the beach in broad daylight into a delivery room.
'It's coming out, it's coming out!' Finally, with the encouragement of all mothers, the baby came into the world.
The shamanistic ritual where all the villagers' babies were born literally became a festival ground.
--- pp.80-81

Where else can you find the seeds of the disabled?
If you can't use one leg or one arm, you're considered disabled.

Byeongsin Nanbongga is a folk song that is a type of love song.
It's originally a cheerful song, but because the first line starts with the word "retard," the singer imitates the word "retard."
However, the first line of the song of the disabled begins with the declaration that there is no such thing as a disabled person.
It is based on the premise that there is no distinction between disabled and non-disabled people, that anyone can become disabled at any moment, and that disability cannot be a criterion for distinguishing people.
Although the lyrics are completely out of touch with reality, this creates an atmosphere where people with disabilities are not discriminated against, at least in the playground.
--- p.131

There are many female characters in the background.
They are all marginalized people at home.
An old woman who loses her femininity and is ridiculed after giving birth to thirteen daughters, a mother who gives in to the power and authority of men, becomes pregnant, gives birth to a baby with difficulty, and the baby soon dies, and a woman commits suicide after enduring a difficult life as a married woman.
The female divers who risked their lives diving and eventually lost their lives, and the women who suffered accidents while collecting seaweed or kelp from rocks, died from the hardships of their labor.
In traditional society, women were considered weaker and had a lower status than men.
However, the women who appear in the background are typical socially disadvantaged people who do not have any of the following: family, economic, or social conditions.
--- pp.220-221

Good is a ritual that seeks reconciliation with numerous beings.
The process of inviting various gods and meeting and reconciling gods and humans is called gut.
It is also good for life and death to reconcile.
And in the process, humans and humans become reconciled.
The final chapter of this great reconciliation is what takes a back seat.
The evil spirits that appear in the background are beings who were unable to live a proper human life.
Social prejudice alienated them and made them unhappy.
Disability was perceived as the fault or sin of the disabled person, and women's suffering was taken for granted in a male-dominated society.
The common people, who were unable to escape inherited poverty and suffered from the threat of survival due to the caste system, were also marginalized.
The backstage is where they can open up about the pain they have hidden their entire lives and publicly express their wishes.

--- pp.257-258