• Journal of Korean Medical classics
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.341-354
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• 2013

Objective : The main idea of this article is to investigate the shamanistic medical activities through the traditional Chinese classics in the Zhou Dynasty. The ancient shaman played a bridge role between human beings and supernatural things like ghosts. Even though he didn't have the super power, the ancients believed that he could take care of all kinds of illness. Therefore, it can be said that the medicine of the Zhou Dynasty was still under the shamanism although it had already started to be specialized and professionalized. Method : This article is going to look into the detailed aspects of the shamanistic medical activities, for example, divination of illness, Zhuyou(祝由), shamanistic preventive medicine, and so on, through the traditional Chinese classics of Zhou Dynasty. Result : The medical knowledge of that time stayed in the early stage, so it was simple and raw. Also it had scientific and unscientific characters in itself at the same time. That's why it could be included in the shamanism. And about the shamanistic medical activities seen on underground written attestations, they will be offered through another article of mine, entitled A Research of Shamanistic Medical Activities on Underground Written Attestations in the Zhou Dynasty(兩周出土文獻所見之醫療巫術考察), which is being written now. Conclusion : From beginning of the Eastern Zhou period, the medicine gradually got to be specialized. And then specialized medical treatments and shamanistic medical activities began to be divided as the different two occupations. However, it is an unchangeable truth that the ancient shaman played an important role in the Chinese traditional medicine. Therefore, it can be said that he was in the very special position in the Chinese traditional medicine.