As I mentioned in yesterday's post, I discovered a pig's head in the foothills, just downhill from some secluded tombs. Here it is, in case you'd forgotten:
I told my students about this. They told me that on holidays (such as the recent lunar new year), families will go to the tombs of their ancestors and to bow and make an offering of food, alcohol and money. Often a pig's head is included, with money stuffed into its mouth and ears. (Apparently, if the pig seems to be smiling, it is very lucky. From this angle, it looks to me like it's smiling.) My students suggested that perhaps when the pig's head began to go bad, it was removed from the tomb area and thrown away at the bottom of the hill.
I've tried to find information on this online, and haven't been too lucky, other than learning that the ceremony in question is called 고사 (gosa). I have found several English language blog posts of people who have witnessed the bowing-to-a-pig's-head ceremony at a variety of occasions for luck. Photos were taken. Here are the links:
No comments:
Post a Comment