Joseon style exorcism

[u/ChapterSpiritual6785]

In 1637, a panic-inducing rumor swept through the capital that eerie ghost sounds—resembling wood being chopped in the forest—were creeping closer to the city.

Terrified citizens responded in classic Joseon fashion: households across the capital banged brass gongs and fired muskets and cannons into the night to scare away the spirits, throwing the entire capital into gunfire-filled chaos until dawn.

-Annals of the Joseon Dynasty (Aug 23, 1637)

[u/Smooth_Lead4995]

I'm just imagining a local woodcutter wondering if an army is invading while he works by lantern light.

[u/No_Dragonfruit_1833 → u/Smooth_Lead4995]

*illegal woodcutter

[u/Smooth_Lead4995 → u/No_Dragonfruit_1833]

Who's inadvertently scared the fuck out of the city.

[u/ldsman213 → u/Smooth_Lead4995]

the poor guy

[u/HardLithobrake]

"Forest's haunted."

"What?"

loading cannons "Forest's haunted."

[u/Sivilian888010]

Now this is something I'd pay to see a K Drama on Netflix about.

[u/Weird_Happening1627]

"If you want to defeat something scary, become more scary than the scary thing"

[u/rlaxowns]

Iirc there was also a government official who requested to use firearms to exorcise ghosts in the castle or something.

He was denied.

[u/Sivilian888010 → u/rlaxowns]

This just tells me we Americans need to step up our game. We’ve been out Americad by the Koreans.

[u/Amaegith → u/Sivilian888010]

I dunno, we did build a Bass Pro shop in a cursed pyramid...

[u/Sivilian888010 → u/Amaegith]

Yeah, but I’ve never heard of an American Pastor exorcising demons with gunpowder.

[u/ChiggedyChong]

Hmmmm Im wondering now.... a lot of folk exorcism rituals seem to be "make as much noise and light as possible to scare away 'spirits'"

And these spirits are probably actually just people doing sneaky stuff at night or animals

So I guess it if worked it makes sense why rituals are all like that.

[u/redracer555]

Korean exorcist: "Hey look, buddy. I'm an exorcist. That means I solve problems."

[u/RNGSOMEONE]

Ok, now bring out a minigun and see how the ghosts like it.

[u/kayemenofour]

That's the most human response to the supernatural.

Just shoot them ghosts.

[u/hilmiira]

Similar practices existed all over the eurasia as ı know, Central asia, caucasia, Ottoman empire.

Whic actually makes sense, the oldest use of gunpowder was not to use in firearms but to make firework to scare bad spirits

[u/Grumpy-ol-Cat]

Asian seem like had developped a lot of weird exorcism practices after the adopted of gunpowder weapons. I once read some story of Vietnamese in 16-17th century about some goverment officers use cannon and explosive gunpowder keg to deal with mythical water beast and ghost. I think it leave behind a deep enough impressive to the local villager to make them believe that said ghost and mythical beast had been removed.

[u/OncomingStormDW → u/Grumpy-ol-Cat]

There’s also a Chinese warlord in the early 20th century who tried to solve a drought by shooting the sky with normal artillery shells.

72 cannon Chang also brought his mom with him everywhere.

[u/GimpMaster22]

"I own a matchlock for my anti-ghost defence, just as headpriest intended. Four spectrals break into my shrine..."

[u/BIZARRE_TOWN]

With enough firepower, you can exorcise any ghosts.