Attention, this article contains spoilers.
1. Japan is believed to have used supernatural powers to weaken Korea. One of them was carried out by the monk Gisune
Told in the film Exhuma, Not only were they experts in military weapons, Japan also utilized supernatural powers to defeat Korea in the war. They had a group of shamans who played an important role during the invasion of the Korean Peninsula. One of them is the monk Gisune.
Monk Gisune, also known as Seer Murayama, is a super powerful shaman. His name has been widely discussed throughout Korea. Some ancestors called him a fox demon because his energy was not like ordinary humans. According to circulating myths, fox demons from Japan are known to be cunning and manipulative.
2. On the other hand, there is the oni god of war who was involved in the Battle of Sekigahara
still cuts from the film Exhuma (instagram.com/showbox.movie)
Long before that, there was a creature named oni or a supernatural entity in Japanese mythology who claimed to be the god of war at the Battle of Sekigahara in the 1600s. Figure oni this is the entity inside the vertical crate that was opened in the film Exhuma. He claimed to have become a god after killing more than 10,000 people in his life.
It is estimated, oni This is an example of a Buddhist demon. The proof is that he appears to respect the Buddhist pagoda at Boguksa Temple. He also memorized the Buddha’s Diamond Sutra, which is a verse to ward off suffering, including bad things from supernatural entities. This is what makes it oni The god of war did not attack the verse tattoo on Bong Gil’s (Lee Do Hyun) body, but broke through the part that was not protected by the tattoo.
Meanwhile, Hwa Rim (Kim Go Eun) herself said that this entity did not come from humans or animals, but was a combination of both. If you look closely, he has complete body parts and shadows so that the term demon or devil is more appropriate oni the god of war.
3. Monk Gisune uses oni as a supernatural weapon
still cuts from the film Exhuma (instagram.com/showbox.movie)
The war ended with Japan’s failure to conquer the Korean Peninsula. At that time, Japanese activists planted iron stakes on the Korean Peninsula. The goal is to ensure that the land is no longer fertile, affecting the welfare of its residents. One of the iron stakes that was buried was a demon that Gisune had assigned to guard the colony. It’s not surprising that his figure will always return to the place it should be guarding.
Gisune performs a ritual by inserting large iron stakes into the body oni God of War. He also recited a spell to bring him back to life. Then, Gisune buried it oni in a vertical position like iron pegs in general. This position is right at the coordinates of the tiger’s waist, which is the border between North Korea and South Korea.
Is known, The Korean Peninsula, which is famous as the habitat of the Siberian tiger, has a shape similar to a tiger. It’s not surprising that the Korean Peninsula is often nicknamed the Land of Tigers.
Meanwhile, the coordinates of the tiger’s waist that Gisune referred to are right in the Korean Demilitarized area. According to reading feng shui, This area is not good enough, especially with the curse planted by Gisune. This is what Sang Deok (Choi Min Sik) believes is the source of Korea’s division in the film Exhuma.
4. The relationship between the Japanese demon and the Park family
still cuts from the film Exhuma (instagram.com/showbox.movie)
Oni the god of war was sealed to guard the tiger’s waist many years ago. After the end of the Korean-Japanese War, many Korean activists hunted for iron stakes in order to be completely free from the enslavement of the invaders. Including the iron stake planted by Gisune. Unfortunately, a group of people looking for iron stakes always end up disappearing or even dying after the hunt.
The cunning Gisune finds a way to prevent the stake from being disturbed again. He took advantage of the Park family. His great-grandfather, Park Geun Hyun (Jeon Jin Ki), was known as a traitor to Korea because he sided with the Japanese Empire. In fact, the Park family’s ancestors even sold Korean land to opposing parties for personal gain. This is what made the ancestor’s body not accepted by the government to be buried on Korean soil.
Then, Gisune, as a monk trusted by the Park family, suggested that the ancestor’s grave be moved to the coordinates of the tiger’s waist. This location is right above the vertical grave of the iron peg, so there is a double burial.
Gisune argued that the location was good. In fact, he had hidden intentions, namely to get the activists to stop looking for Gisune’s iron stake. After all, what they knew was that the tomb was a protected grave of a prominent family.
5. The Oni god of war rises after the demolition of the tomb
still cuts from the film Exhuma (instagram.com/showbox.movie)
After his great-grandfather’s grave was relocated to the place suggested by Gisune, it turned out that the Park family was the one receiving continuous terror. His grandson, Park Ji Yong (Kim Jae Cheol) asked Hwa Rim to dismantle his grave. However, a fatal incident occurred. The great-grandfather’s spirit came out and killed two generations of his descendants before finally being cremated.
Then, one of the grave diggers actually killed a snake with a woman’s head at the burial site. In Japanese mythology, the snake is similar to the named mythological creature nure onna. This creature apparently became a seal oni the god of war who guards the iron stake beneath the tomb. When the seal is broken or even dead, oni the god of war can rise by spreading terror to every human he meets.
After the grave digger lost his life, Sang Deok returned to the location of the Park family grave. There, he looked deeper until he found a vertical tomb which he finally identified as oni the god of war aka Gisune’s iron stake.
Sang Deuk began compiling a number of known clues, one of which was from Park Geun Hyeon who said the fox bit the tiger’s waist. He also related the story of the search for iron stakes which was information from monks at Boguksa Temple. Moreover, Hwa Rim also linked Gisune to a fox demon from Japan.
From this explanation, have the questions you were curious about been answered? Exhuma is not your average horror film. The film is able to combine the occult, history, etc urban legends which circulates in society with a very smooth flow. It’s not surprising that its popularity continues to increase until a number of theories are widely discussed by the audience. So, have you watched it?