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Erika Na

Girl group Huntrix, the main characters of Netflix’s animated film KPop Demon Hunters, are not your typical K-pop act.
On the surface, they are wildly popular Korean idols who charm their fans with catchy tunes and electrifying dance choreography. Beneath the glitz and glam, however, are three strong warriors who use their song, dance and magical weapons to slay demons and to reinforce the honmoon – a barrier between the human world and the demon one.
The inspiration for the heroines comes from Korean priestesses, or shamans, known as mudang. For thousands of years, mudang have been used for divination and supernatural support by Koreans, though they were historically marginalised in general society.
Unlike Huntrix, who wear what any other modern K-pop singers would wear, a mudang’s traditional attire is a vibrantly coloured, flowy hanbok – a traditional Korean garment – and a wide-brimmed gat or hat. These women may also carry swords.
To this day, mudang have specific religious and social roles, and conduct rituals known as gut to appease spirits, divine fortunes and heal illnesses. There are at least 300,000 – some figures estimate up to 800,000 – mudang in South Korea today.

Music and dance, the key similarity between real-life mudang and Huntrix, are central to gut rituals. While there are many types of gut held for different purposes across different regions in Korea, the two main categories are those held for the living and those held for the dead.
A binarigut, for example, is a ritual in which a mudang prays to a god, thanks the ancestors, and wishes for the happiness and prosperity of a community. The name comes from the Korean word bilda, which means to pray.
On the other hand, the jindo ssitgimgut is one held in the southern Jindo region of South Korea for those who have died.
This particular gut consists of around 10 stages and is held to pray for the dead, help release their unresolved resentments, purify their souls and ultimately guide them to rebirth. The name comes from the Korean word ssitgim, which means “to wash”. The ritual was designated as a national intangible cultural heritage in 1980.
In a gut, the sounds of drums, gongs and chants, along with rhythmic movements, create a powerful experience that invites the gods, tells stories and even heals the sick.

Music is central to a gut ceremony. Without it, a ritual would not have the same energy or meaning. The rhythm sets the pace, tells the spirits it is time to come, and guides the shaman and the audience through different parts of the ceremony.
The most important instruments are the janggu, a double-headed drum; the buk, a barrel-shaped drum; and the kkwaenggwari, a small brass gong.
They create fast, rousing beats that can make people dance or fall into a trance. The shaman sings special songs called muga, which tell stories about the gods and ask for their help.
Different rhythms are used for different purposes. Some are slow and steady to call forth peaceful spirits. Others are fast and wild and are used to drive away evil or when the mudang is becoming possessed by a god. There are about 12 main rhythms, but each region of Korea has its own variation.

Dance in a gut is not just about movement; it is a way for the mudang to become one with the spirits, and there are different kinds of dances for different reasons.
They might start slowly with the spirit-calling dance, swaying and spinning to invite the gods. As the music tempo increases, or in the possession dance, their movements become more powerful and they might start shaking or jumping, as if a spirit has taken control of their body. With healing dances, the shaman might use a fan, a knife or bells to scare away sickness or bad luck.
The dances often imitate animals or natural forces, like the flapping of a bird’s wings or the prowling of a tiger. These movements are not just for show; they hold deep meaning, connecting the human world to the spirit world.
Oftentimes, a gut is an event that brings a community together.
The audience does not just watch, but becomes part of the ritual. They clap, sing along and sometimes join in with the simple dances. This makes a ceremony feel like a shared experience, bringing everyone closer to the spirits.


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Korea’s real-life shamans, the inspiration for KPop Demon Hunters’ girl group Huntrix, have a history dating back thousands of years


Korea’s real-life shamans, the inspiration for KPop Demon Hunters’ girl group Huntrix, have a history dating back thousands of years.


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How KPop Demon Hunters took inspiration from Korea’s female shamans who scare away spirits

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Korea’s real-life shamans, the inspiration for KPop Demon Hunters’ girl group Huntrix, have a history dating back thousands of years

Korea’s real-life shamans, the inspiration for KPop Demon Hunters’ girl group Huntrix, have a history dating back thousands of years