Jowangsin

Jowangshin (in Hangul, 조왕신, in hanja, 竈王神) is the goddess of fire and the hearth in Korean shamanism. As the goddess of the hearth, the rituals dedicated to her was generally kept alive by housewives. She is no longer the subject of worship, but still remains as one of the most famous Korean deities.

Ritual

Jowangshin was regarded to embody a bowl of water held on a clay altar above the hearth.The housewife awoke early every morning and poured fresh water from a nearby well inside the bowl, then knelt before it, wishing for luck. The ritual of Jowangshin was especially well developed in southern Korea. Also, every festival Jowangshin was honored with Tteok (rice cake) and fruits.

Five Taboos

Because Jowangshin was believed to write down the happenings within the house and broadcast them to heaven, housewives had to follow five rules.

1. Do not curse while in the hearth.

2. Do not sit on the hearth.

3. Do not place your feet on the hearth.

4. Maintain the cleanness of the kitchen.

5. You may worship other deities in the kitchen.

In Mythology

Jowangshin is often a central figure in Korean mythology. In the Munjeon Bonpuli (literally Annals of the door), a myth of Jeju Island, the origin of Jowangshin is revealed.

In the villiage of Namseon in the kingdom of Junyeon lived Namseonbi and his wife, Yeosan Buin. Yeosan Buin was a very capable wife who raised the money for the family. However, her husband Namseonbi wasted all of the money whenever Yeosan Buin gathered enough.

The family of Yeosan Buin had nine members: Namseonbi, Yeosan Buin, and their seven sons. The name of the seventh was Nokdisaengin.

Because of the family's poverty, all of the family starved and lacked clothing. Yeosan Buin was worried by their pitiful condition, and bought fine cotton clothes and hats and fifty silver coins by selling her treasures she had brought from her family. She suggested that with these accesories, they buy grain, which was cheap in their villiage, and sell it in other villiages, where grain was expensive.

Namseonbi thus set out to another villiage in the villiage of Odong in the Kingdom of Odong. There, Namseonbi, dressed in expensive clothing and controlling a ship full of grain, looked as if he was a wealthy man.

Noiljadae, the daughter of a Jumak owner, approached Namseonbi and suggested that he rest in her Jumak. There, Namseonbi sold all of his clothes and grains for rice wine and games. Once Namseonbi again fell in poverty, Noiljadae chased her away. Namseonbi had to build a hut outt of rice stalks and build a door of rotten wood. Noiljadae fed him harsh grain in a dog's tray. Because of the harsh grain, Namseonbi went blind.

Meanwhile, Yeosan Buin became worried at Namseonbi's abscence and made a small wooden boat. She then floated away to the villiage of Odong.

Yeosan Buin heard a girl sing a song to chase the sparrows away from the grain fields. The lyrics of the song was that Namseonbi was tricked by Noiljadae's wit and chased away to a hut. She tracked down Namseonbi.

Namseonbi was blind, and thus he did not recognize his wife. However, when Namseonbi tasted the food that Yeosan Buin prepared, he recognized Yeosan Buin. Yeosan Buin began prparations to sail home.

Meanwhile, Noiljadae decided that she should get rid of Yeosan Buin. She invited Yeosan Buin into the lake of Ocheongang to wash there. However, Ocheongang was an icy lake that had no bottom. Noiljadae did not enter the lake, but Yeosan Buin did. She drowned in the lake.

Meanwhile, Noiljadae pretended to be Yeosan Buin, and went to the villiage of Namseon with Namseonbi. Because of the first encounter that she had with Namseonbi, she believed the family was rich.

Six of the seven sons threw down their accessories to greet their parents; however, Nokdisaengin knew that one of his parents was not truly his mother, as Noiljadae did not share her umbrella with Namseonbi, and because her appearances and voices were different. She responded with various excuses, but only six of the seven sons were fooled.

Noiljadae decided to kill Nokdisaengn, and malingered. She said that there was a famous prophet called Jangjeol Doryeong in Jajeot Street. However, when Namseonbi was gone, she ran to Jajeot Street and said (with a different voice) that the cure would be to feed her the liver of Nokdisaengin.

However, Namseonbi refused. In response, Noiljadae performed the same trick two more times, pretending that she was a doctor and a Jangseung, or a totem pole. Finally, Namseonbi sharpened his knife to kill Nokdisaengin. However, Nokdisaengin said that he would suicide. In a nearby mountain, Nokdisaengin gathered his brothers and killed a young boar. He said that if their 'mother' was cured when she ate boar liver, than she was not actually their mother.

The brothers fed Noiljadae boar liver. She was miraculously cured, then tried to kill the sixth son. However, she was ambushed by the six brothers, led by the youngest, Nokdisaengin. She hanged herself in the bathroom.

The brothers then went to the villiage of Odong. They prayed to the supreme deity Cheonjiwang for four days and nights. Finally, the cadaver of Yeosan Buin was revealed. There were only bones left.

Four days later, Nokdisaengin heard a crane say that he could fly the smallest and lightest, Nokdisaengin, on his back to the fields of Seocheon, where grew flowers that could remake the body, if the brothers caught them seven carps. Each of the brothers caught a carp, and Nokdisaengin went on his way.

However, Nokdisaengin accidentally drowzed, and one of the carps fell down. Thus, the crane had nothing to eat. Nokdeisaengin fed it his own arm.

When the crane reached the fields of Seocheon, the god of flowers, plants, and emotions, Hallakgungi, recreated his arm. He then gave Nokdisaengin each of the five varieties of Hwansaengkkot (Reincarnation flower). (curiously, Hallakgungi also has a myth about him that concerns Hallakgungi reviving his mother, who was ripped to death)

He flew the crane back to Odong. Then, he put the Salsalikkot (Flower that revives flesh) on top of Yeosan Buin's bones. Flesh formed around the bones. Next was the Pisalikkot (Flower that revives blood. He revived his mother's blood, which again flew in Yeosan Buin's veins. Next was the Sumsalikkot (Flower that revives breath), which made Yeosan Buin breatthe again. Finally, Nokdisaengin put the Honsalikkot (Flower that revives soul) on top of the unconscious Yeosan Buin. She finally awoke, having been revived from death.

Cheonjiwang made Yeosan Buin the Jowangshin, the goddess of the kitchen, hearth, and fire, to make up for her times in an icy lake.

Namseonbi became the Jabshin, defender of the dark fertilizer shed, because it was regarded that he indirectly blinded himself.

Five of the seven brothers became the deities who defended each cardinal direction: The eldest was Cheongje of the east, the second was Baekje of the west, the third Jeokje of the south, the fourth Heukje of the north, and the fifth Hwangje of the center. The sixth, who was nearly murdered by Noiljadae, became Duitmunwang, who guarded the back door. The hero Nokdisaengin became Munwangshin, defender of the front door.

Noiljadae became the bathroom goddess, Cheukshin, because she hanged herself in the bathroom. Because of the relationship between Cheukshin and Jowangshin, it was a taboo in Korean society to make the bathroom next to the kitchen, or to make the bathroom door face the kitchen. However, it was actually because feces would cause the food in the kitchen become infected with pathogens.

Meanwhile, Jowangshin can be vengeful to those who do not honor the five taboos. In the Seongjugut, the envoy of heaven, Okhwang Chasa, cannot enter the house of Hwanguyangssi because of the glorious and intimidating armor of Hwanguyangssi. However, the Jowangshin reveals how to get past this obstacle. The solution is to capture Hwanguyangssi at sunrise, when he undresses and climbs a nearby mountain to visit his parents. The reason for Jowangshin betraying her master is because Hwanguyangssi throws his muddy shoes in the kitchen, and his wife Makmak Buin puts knives above the hearth.

The same aspect is shown in the Jangja Puli. There, the three death gods, Gangrim Doryeong, Hae Wonmaek, and Yi Deokchun, is aided by Jowangshin as they attempt to send the evil Samajangja to the underworld. In here, she appears as a crone wearing a crown made of seven treasures. The goddess tells the death gods that Samajangja is sleeping in Visitors' Quarters, or Haenglangchae, to avoid death. The reason for this betrayal is because Samajangja places his feet on the hearth every morning and evening, and throws knives around the kitchen.

However, Jowangshin can be a beneovolent deity. In the Chasa Bonpuli, the hero(who later becomes a death god)'s wife serves rice cake, or tteok, to Jowang in preparations for Gangrim Doryeong's quest.

When Gangrim Doryeong goes west to the underworld, he finds a crone who has a bent back. No matter how much Gangrim Doryeong ran, he could never catch up. When Gangrim Doryeong nearly fainted of fatigue, the crone sat under a tree.

When Gangrim Doryeong took out his Tteok, the crone took out her tteok, which looked and tasted the same as Gangrim Doryeong's tteok. The crone then revealed that she was Jowangshin, and that she had guided Gangrim Doryeong so far. She also said that there were 78 trails leading from 'that' trail, and that one would lead to the underworld. Jowangshin additionally mentioned that her help was because of Gangrim Doryeong's wife, even though Jowangshin was personally angry at Gangrim Doryeong(who practically lived with prostitutes and lived on makgeolli, or rice wine).

Other Names

Joshin (Kitchen goddess, 조신, 竈王神)

Jowanggaxi (Woman who is the king of the kitchen, 조왕각시, 竈王각시)

Jowangdaeshin (Great goddess and king of the kitchen, 조왕대신, 竈王大神)

Buttumakshin (Goddess of the hearth, 부뚜막신, 부뚜막神)

See also

• Hestia, Greek goddess of the hearth
• Vesta (mythology), Roman goddess of the hearth
• Gashin cult, the worship of house deities (Gashin) , including Jowangshin, in Korean shamanism
• Teojushin, another Gashin