found—a space where Gameunjang-agi plays the dominant role—and come to accept their daughter's independence and ability. The goddess thus defies patriarchy by demonstrating women's intrinsic value independent of men. Folklorist Shin Yeon-woo compares the role of female figures in the Chogong, Igong, and Samgong bon-puri, recited consecutively in the Great Gut. As the ritual proceeds, the women become increasingly proactive. Noga-danpung-agassi of the Chogong bon-puri is only passively acted on by supernatural forces. Wongang-ami of the Igong bon-puri is more active in that she unsuccessfully resists an evil man who desires to rape her. Gameunjang-agi dominates the final narrative. Shin suggests that the three consecutive myths combine to present a coherent perspective on women's lives. The Chogong bon-puri establishes the supernatural forces that govern women's lives; the Igong bon-puri portrays in detail the human evils that women suffer from; and the final Samgong bon-puri shows that these evils can be overcome by affirming one's self-worth as a woman, as Gameunjang-agi does. The Samgong bon-puri portrays a woman as personifying the fortune of the household, whether for her parents or her husband. This reflects a view of women as bringers of fertility. This is referenced in the myth when the girl claims that her linea nigra is responsible for the family's success. The appearance or darkening of the linea nigra is an important symptom of pregnancy, and Gameunjang-agi's mention of it implies that her divine ability to bring about prosperity and fortune is directly connected to her potential as a woman to generate and bear new life. Mainland and cross-cultural connections While the Samgong bon-puri is found only in southern Jeju Island, there is a related folktale widespread in mainland Korea, albeit with no religious significance. In this folktale, the parents ask their three daughters who they should thank for their lives. The older sisters credit their parents, but the youngest thanks herself. The parents expel her, and she marries a poor charcoal burner. Later, they discover that the stones of the charcoal kilns are actually nuggets of gold and become rich. The couple is later joined by the daughter's parents, who have in the meantime been reduced to beggars. But the Samgong bon-puri emphasizes its heroine to a far greater degree than the folktale does for the daughter. Whereas the mainland story begins with the parents' questioning, the Jeju narrative begins with the parents' marriage and the subsequent blessing their