[2] In a collection of myths, the origin of the shamans is linked to Sungmo, who is associated with a mountain and presented as either the mother or the spiritual daughter of the "Heavenly King".
[3] These myths usually tell of a man, Pobu Hwasang, who encountered the "Holy Mother [of the Heavenly King]" on the top of a mountain.
[4] The Holy Mother then became a human being and married the man who met her, giving birth to eight girls, the first mudang.
[4] According to some scholars, this myth was first elaborated in the Silla period, when Buddhism and influences from China had already penetrated the Korean peninsula.
[7] In the tradition of Jeju Island, where there are more male baksu than female mudang, the myth tells of a prince as the ancestor of all shamans.