court of Yama, but Yama forgives him because he believes that the reason Wang was practicing nianfo was because he had repented. Both Wang and his wife are resurrected and live to the age of 147. The Wangnangbanhon-jeon has no clear source in the Buddhist literary tradition and may be a Buddhist adaptation of the shamanic mythology. On the other hand, the Menggam bon-puri may have been influenced by the Wangnangbanhon-jeon with regards to some details not found in the mainland, such as the extension of Saman's life to unnatural lengths. Similar stories of extending one's life by making offerings to the chasa appear widely in South Korea in the form of folktales or legends without any religious significance. The protagonist of the story is often Dongfang Shuo, an ancient Chinese minister who became a stock character in East Asian legend. In other versions, a grandfather (in one version the sixteenth-century philosopher Yulgok) saves their grandchild's life in this way. While analogous folktales of divinities extending human lifespans are known in China, they are associated with celestial Daoist gods, not with the chasa. The Korean folktales are thus thought to reflect indigenous shamanic beliefs. See also Song of Dorang-seonbi and Cheongjeong-gaksi'', a South Hamgyong shamanic narrative sung in funerals Notes References Citations Works cited Korean English Korean shamanism Korean mythology