What differences were believed to exist between white shamans and black shamans?

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Mudang in South Korea — Shamanism Korean shamans, or *mudang*, performing a ritual dance in South Korea.

In the study of shamanism, the distinction between "white" and "black" shamans is primarily defined by the nature of the spiritual entities they engage during their rituals.1

White Shamans: These practitioners are believed to communicate with and invoke benevolent deities and good spirits.1
Black Shamans: These practitioners are believed to call upon wicked deities and malevolent spirits.1

This classification reflects a qualitative difference in the shaman's spiritual associations rather than a difference in their level of power or expertise, which are often categorized separately based on other criteria, such as the shaman's perceived standing in the spiritual hierarchy.1