Samsin Halmeoni

'''Samsin Halmeoni''' ({{Korean|hangul=삼신 할머니|hanja=삼神 할머니}}), also called '''Grandmother Samsin''', is the goddess of childbirth and fate in Korean mythology.

== Name == ''Sam'' means "pregnancy" in Korean,<ref>{{Citation |last=장 |first=주근 |title=삼신 (三神) |work=Encyclopedia of Korean Culture |url=https://encykorea.aks.ac.kr/Article/E0026698 |access-date=2024-07-02 |publisher=Academy of Korean Studies |language=ko}}</ref> s''in'' or ''shin'' means god(dess), ''halmeoni'' means grandmother, a title for a venerated ancestor goddess, embodied as a wise crone goddess. When addressed with the honorary title Samsin halmeoni or just Samsin, the pregnancy goddessess are also thought of as goddess of childbirth<ref name="naver1">{{cite web|url=http://terms.naver.com/entry.nhn?docId=564621&mobile&categoryId=1627 |title=네이버 지식백과|publisher=Terms.naver.com|accessdate=2012-09-24}}</ref> in Korean shamanism. Since the phonetic notation of Sam is 三(means three), it has also been interpreted in relation to the number 3. A mountain in South Korea is named after Samsin halmeoni, the Samsinbong, known as the Samsin halmeoni Peak.

== Worship and beliefs == Samsin halmeoni would protect every child from birth until the seventh year of age, where the child would then be protected by the deity of Seven Stars, the Ursa Major bear.<ref name="shaman" />

Every village and every house would have its own Samsin of childbirth. Even today, the Korean people believe that the warmest part of the ''anbang'' (main living room), belongs to Samsin halmeoni and rituals and prayers to Samsin are still performed there.<ref name="shaman">{{cite book|last1=Pentikäinen|first1=Juha|title=Shamanism and Northern Ecology|date=1996|publisher=Walter de Gruyter|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kT_eNhHCzxUC|isbn=9783110811674|pages=238}}</ref>

Samsin halmeoni was honoured at childbirth and at birthday parties with offerings of rice, soy sauce and wine, laid out in the form of a dinner.<ref name="Monaghan">{{cite book|last1=Monaghan|first1=Patricia|title=Encyclopedia of Goddesses and Heroines|date=2014|publisher=New World Library|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Cj5OAwAAQBAJ|isbn=9781608682188|pages=75}}</ref>

At the third and seventh day after the childbirth, the underwear of the mother would be folded and placed in the ''anbang'' Samsin area and a little altar would be set upon them, where prayers for a long and healthy life of the child would be performed.<ref name="shaman" />

Samsin halmeoni or Samsin was also said to visit the ''Samsin Danji'' ({{Korean|hangul=삼신 단지|labels=no}}) dedicated to her, an earthenware pot kept in the inner wing of the house<ref name="naver1" /> or in the warm part of the ''anbang''. The pot was filled with rice, then covered in paper and sealed with a knot tied counterclockwise. However, some households would perform ''Geongung Samsin'', the act of honoring Samsin, only in the mind. Samshin halmeoni was honored with Jesas at every festival or birthday celebration in the household, and also at the third, seventh and thirty-seventh day after delivery.

When a woman in the household was pregnant or has given delivery, the room where the ''Samsin Danji'' was kept, would be sealed with ropes to symbolize and contain the strong power of Samshin halmeoni. After the delivery, a rope would be also hung on the outside of the house to mark the lucky event of "opening what has been tied", symbolizing the act of birth, and to ward off evil spirits that could threaten the mother and the new baby. The belief in Samsin halmeoni is strongest in Jeju Island.<ref name="naver1" />

To conceive, a childless woman would share her Samsin rice meal with a mother who recently delivered, pray to Samsin in the anbang area or wear a cloth that has touched a coffin.<ref name="Monaghan" />

== Myth == In oral tradition, Samsin halmeoni would be the daughter of the virgin sky goddess who became the first ''mudang'' shamaness, who was named ''T'ang Kum Agassi'' or ''Tanggum Aeggi''.<ref name="shaman" /> She descended from heaven to Earth and gave birth to the Samsin in a cave, which is a reference to bear worship and Korean shamanism.<ref name="Monaghan" /> Later, after male-oriented Buddhism has entered Korea, the myth was amended with Tanggum Aeggi also giving birth to 3 sons, who became Buddhistic heaven gods.<ref name="shaman" />

The Samsin halmeoni then created and gave birth to the first humans on Earth, becoming the mother goddesses and ancestors of all humans.<ref name="shaman" />

In a Samsin myth, both of the main characters - the malevolent Princess of the Dragon Palace of the East Sea and the kind Princess of the Kingdom of Myeongjin - are female, underlining how the ancient myth is related to female-oriented Korean shamanism.

== In popular culture == * Portrayed in a cameo appearance by Kim Ji-young (actress, born 1938) in the 2010 SBS TV series ''My Girlfriend Is a Gumiho'' * Portrayed in a cameo appearance by Kim Soo-Mi in the 2012 KBS2 Monday-Tuesday TV series ''Ohlala Couple''.<ref>[http://sports.chosun.com/news/news.htm?id=201210220100142610012901&ServiceDate=20121022 김수미 '울랄라부부' 카메오 출연, 신현준과 의리]</ref> * Portrayed by Lee El in the 2016–2017 tvN Friday-Saturday TV series ''Goblin''.{{cn|date=June 2025}} * Portrayed by {{ill|Oh Young-sil|ko|오영실}} in the 2020 JTBC Wednesday-Thursday TV series ''Mystic Pop-up Bar''.<ref>{{cite web|last=Kain|first=Erik|url=http://news.jtbc.joins.com/article/article.aspx?news_id=NB11951096|date=May 19, 2020|work=JTBC News|title='쌍갑포차' 황정음의 한풀이, 왜 하필 10만 명? 전생 어땠길래|language=Korean}}</ref> * Portrayed by Moon Sook in the 2021 SBS Monday-Tuesday TV series ''Lovers of the Red Sky''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://entertain.naver.com/now/read?oid=609&aid=0000484667|author=Yoo Kyung-sang|title=홍천기' 문숙 삼신 첫등장 강렬, 김유정♥안효섭 운명 엮었다 [결정적장면]|trans-title='Hongcheongi' Moon-sook’s first appearance in the triad, Kim Yoo-jung ♥ Ahn Hyo-seop's fate was intertwined [Decisive Scene]|work=Newsen |via=Naver|date= August 31, 2021 |access-date= August 31, 2021 |language=ko}}</ref> * Portrayed by Song Ok-sook in the 2022 MBC TV series ''The Golden Spoon''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://entertain.naver.com/now/read?oid=609&aid=0000614161|author=Lee Min-ji|title='금수저' 육성재 이종원 정채연 연우, 개성 넘치는 대본리딩 현장|trans-title=Gold Spoon’ Yook Sung-jae Lee Jong-won Jeong Chae-yeon Yeonwoo, a script reading full of personality|publisher=Newsen |via=Naver|date=August 11, 2022|access-date=August 11, 2022|language=ko}}</ref> * Portrayed by 3 women in chapter 2 of the KakaoPage manhwa Afterlife Restaurant by ASSAM, Orang, Hwajeong, Hyeong Sangjun

== References == {{Reflist}}

Category:Korean goddesses Category:Korean mythology Category:Mother goddesses Category:Korean folk religion Category:Triple goddesses Category:Childhood goddesses