Inscribed in 2014 (9.COM) on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity Nongak is a fusion performing art genre that combines a percussion ensemble (with occasional use of wind instruments), parading, dancing, drama, and acrobatic feats. It has been practiced for various purposes, such as appeasing gods, chasing evil spirits and seeking blessings, praying for a rich harvest in spring, celebrating the harvest at autumn festivals, fund-raising for community projects, and professional entertainment. Any joyful community event was never complete without uproarious music and dance performed by the local band clad in colorful costumes. The resultant ecstatic excitement (sinmyeong) is often defined as a preeminent emotional characteristic of Korean people. The music frequently uses uneven beats of complex structures like simple three-time, compound time, and simple and compound time. Small hand-held gongs and hourglass drums, with their metal and leather sounds, play the main beats, while large gongs and barrel drums create simple rhythmic accents. The small hand-held drum players focus more on dancing than playing music. Dancing includes individual skill demonstrations, choreographic formations, and streamer dances. Actors wearing masks and peculiar outfits perform funny skits. Acrobatics include dish spinning and miming antics by child dancers carried on the shoulders of adult performers. Nongak was most often performed and enjoyed by grassroots people, but there were also professional groups putting on entertainment shows. In recent years, professional repertoires have evolved into the percussion quartet “Samul Nori” and the non-verbal theatrical show “Nanta,” dramatically emphasizing the music element and thereby appealing to broader audiences at home and from abroad.

South Korea 2014

National Intangible Cultural Heritage, Republic of Korea Namwon Nongak refers to a variation of nongak being transmitted in the Ongjeong-ri neighborhood of Namwon-si City, Jeollabuk-do Province. It shares musical and performance characteristics with other forms of nongak transmitted in the eastern portion of the Jeolla region. This tradition can be categorized as a form of community ritual (mageul gut) which is generally composed of a rite for community guardians, door-to-door visits to individual households, and pan gut entertainment shows. It is also a form of donation-gathering rite (geollip gut). Namwon Nongak is known for its unique composition of shows in the latter part of the pan gut. Practitioners of Namwon Nongak are still crafting their own budeul sangmo, a type of headgear characterized by a tuft of soft feathers on top that is exclusive to the eastern Jeolla nogak tradition.

South Korea 2014

National Intangible Cultural Heritage, Republic of Korea Gurye Jansu Nongak refers to farmers’ music that has been handed down in Sinchon Village, Sinwol-ri, Gurye-eup, Gurye-gun. It contains the characteristics of Honam Jwado Nongak (Farmers’ Performance of the Western Jeolla-do). Basically, local farmers’ music is composed of those performed on the following occasions: dangsan jemangut (rite to village guardians), madang bapgi (treading on the courtyard), and pangut (entertainment-oriented performance). As for dangsan jemangut, it is performed at shrines for village guardians in the morning. After the rite is finished, the troupe pays a visit to each house to perform madang bapgi followed by pangut, with all villagers taking part. Members of the local farmers’ music troupe are villagers. The performance became famous in nearby areas, including Suncheon and Namwon. Nongak wichin gyechick and Nongak chuichingye gyejaesujibu, which were drawn up from 1954, are documents concerning the rules of the troupe and its financial status.

South Korea 2014

National Intangible Cultural Heritage, Republic of Korea Referring to farmers’ music that has been handed down in Iksan (previously called “Iri”), Iri Nongak belongs to Honam Udo Nongak (Farmers’ Performance of the Eastern Jeolla-do). Nongak (farmers’ performance) has developed briskly in Saesil Village in Iksan. The village brought people who learned farmers’ music from experts in nearby areas like Gimje and Jeongeup and who trained a high-quality farmers’ music troupe as we see today. An Iri nongak troupe is composed of yonggi (dragon flag), nonggi (farmers’ flag), swaenap (conical wooden oboe), trumpet, samul four percussion instruments, i.e., two kkwaenggwari (small gongs), two jing (large gongs), two buk (drums), and four janggo (hourglass-shaped drums), beopgo (Buddhist drum), and japsaek referring to a group composed of yangban (nobleman), daeposu (drummer), jorijung (masked clown), changbu (male clown), gaksi (young girl), and mudong (dancing boys). Troupe members who are called chibae or gunchong wear black vest over white jacket, white trousers, and sangmo (hat with feathers or strings attached), with bands in three colors tied around the head. Kkwaenggwari (small gong)-based rhythms include those related to ilche, ichae, samchae, oemachijilgut, pungnyugut, ochaejilgut, jwajilgut, yangsando garak, hohogut, and obangjin garak. Pangut (entertainment-oriented performance) proceeds in the order of insagut, ochaejilgut, jwajilgut, pungnyugut, yangsando, ginmaedoji (joint performance of kkwaenggwari and janggo), sambangjingut, banguljingut, hohogut, dallachigi, short maedoji, jjakdeureum, ilgwang nori, gujeong nori (individual play), and gi sseulgi. There are diverse forms of bupo nori (hat dance) performed by sangsoe (leader of the farmers’ music troupe). Well-developed janggo rhythms and dances are mixed with the music. The performance also features sogochum (small drum dances) and jinpuri march. Many rhythms are relatively slow. The music makes colorful rhythms, each played to meticulously transformed tunes. Pungnyugut and deongdeokgungi-related rhythms showcase highly sophisticated techniques. Iri Nongak is a folk art performance that has been handed down along with the village history, playing an important role as an event that provides consolation in the hard life of farmers and helps villagers get along with each other well.

South Korea 2014

National Intangible Cultural Heritage, Republic of Korea This is a variety of nongak, literally "farmers' music," that has been transmitted in Binnae Village in Gimcheon City, Gyeongsangbuk-do Province. It belongs to the nongak tradition of the inland region of Gyeongsangbuk-do Province. The nongak practice in Binnae Village is distinguished from other local farmers' music traditions by the magnificent sounds of large barrel drums played with both hands and by the configurations players create during pan gut (entertainment-centered shows) that mimic the training of Joseon-era soldiers.

South Korea 2014

National Intangible Cultural Heritage, Republic of Korea Farm music performed when farmers are working while helping each other, by forming a cooperative farming team, in a broad sense, refers to music performed when people march, work, hold ceremonies, and enjoy games while beating small gongs, gongs, hourglass drums, and drums. The performers are called gut, maegu, pungjang, geumgo, or chwigun. All performers play musical instruments while wearing hats. In Pangut (entertainment-oriented performance), the chaesangmo game makes a fine show. On the other hand, paljinhaesikjingut, a military game, looks unique. Its beat is fast, powerful, and exciting. Jinju Samcheonpo Nongak, a successor of pangut, has higher artistic value. In Paljinbeop, Beokku Nori, sangsoe (leader of the farmers’ music troupe), and Mudong Nori (kids sing and dance), individual skills are excellent.

South Korea 2014

National Intangible Cultural Heritage, Republic of Korea As nongak (farmers’ music) that has been handed down in Pilbong, Imsil, Imsil Pilbong Nongak belongs to Honam Jwado Nongak (Farmers’ Performance of the Western Jeolla-do). Simple farmers’ music such as that performed on occasions like dangsangut (rite to village guardian) or madang bapgi (treading on the courtyard) had been handed down in this village. The music is said to have become sophisticated around 1920 when the villagers started learning the performing skills from Park Hak-sam, who served as sangsoe (leader of a farmers’ music troupe). The members of a farmer’s music troupe wear white jacket and trousers, with blue vest over the jacket and bands in three colors tied to the head. As for the headgear, only the soejabi (gong player) wears sangmo (hat with feathers or strings attached); others wear gokkal (conical hat). A farmer’s music troupe is composed of yonggi (dragon flag), nonggi (farmers’ flag), long soenabal (trumpet), samul four percussion instruments, i.e., two kkwaenggwari (small gongs), two jing (large gongs), two buk (drums), and four janggo (hourglass-shaped drums), beopgo (Buddhist drum), japsaek referring to a group composed of yangban (nobleman), daeposu (drummer), jorijung (masked clown), changbu (male clown), gaksi (young girl), hwadong (young girl) and mudong (dancing boys). The local farmers’ music has many versions according to different occasions: maegut (village ritual held on New Year's Eve on the lunar calendar), madang bapgi, dangsanjegut (rite to village guardians), duregut (performance for villagers’ unity), and pangut (entertainment-oriented performance). Among them, Pangut showcases the best artistic quality. The Yeongsan rhythms contained in the local farmer’s music in Imsil are slow with have many variations, such as gajin yeongsan, dadeuraegi yeongsan, mijigi yeongsan, jaeneomgi yeongsan, gunyeong nori yeongsan, etc. The local farmer’s music in Pilbong, Imsil features clear-cut rhythms of kkwaenggwari (small gongs), powerful/gallant rhythms, and emphasis on teamwork rather than individuals’ skills.

South Korea 2014

"Plowing” has been a traditional royal ceremony of the Khmer kings since ancient times. That is why to this day, the Royal Palace still plays an important role in organizing this ceremony. The rainy season, a king or a representative plow the fields to be the first to follow the path, because in the belief, the king is considered a deity who is in human appearance to rule over the kingdom. Therefore, the king is the king of the earth or the lord of the earth, that is, the "master of the field." On the other hand, even though the king does not farm directly, this ceremony shows the king's concern for the livelihood of the people. The plowing ceremony is also to pray for good rain according to the season, abundant harvest, prosperous district and free from all diseases. The history of the Khmer plowing ceremony probably dates back to the time when the Khmer came to know Indian civilization, as there are statues of Preah Pol Ream or Preah Tep (the avatar of Preah Nareay), the main deity of agriculture, holding a plow in Phnom Da (Takeo province) since pre-Angkorian times. Preah Pol Ream is probably quite popular, as there are sculptures in Banteay Srei, Angkor Wat, Baphuon, Banteay Sarae .... In the inscriptions, there are names of Preah Pol Ream who have different functions in the temple and are known as the name of Preah Pol Ream, for example, "សង្កស៌ណ" which means "plowed" or "pulled out". The evidence that Preah Pol Ream was the god of agriculture became clearer in the Middle Ages: the role of an official in charge of agriculture in the whole country is called "Oknha Pol Tep" and until the law governing this field, the Khmer people called it "Krom Pol Tep" (or called "Krom Peak Huk Pol Tep"). Therefore, it is not a coincidence that Preah Pol Tep, a deity, has a duty in the Royal Plowing Ceremony. His image was on a flag that was solemnly flown at the ceremony. Not only that, they built a statue of Preah Pol Ream (modeled after the statue of him at Phnom Da temple) in a stall for the ceremony and offerings that emphasize the importance of Preah Pol Ream in the plowing ceremony. Every year, the Royal Plowing Ceremony is held on the 4th of Roch Pisak (May-June), the beginning of the rainy season, and is celebrated in a designated field, sometimes in the capital and sometimes in the provinces. If it is done in Phnom Penh, the field of Preah Meru is used, and if it is done in Siem Reap, the field in front of the terrace of the elephants is used as the field. Before the day of the ceremony, they usually build a pavilion at Veal Preah Srae and other five pavilions as a place where the deities can watch the plowing from all five directions. According to tradition, before the 4th day of Roch, Visakh, from the 1st day of Roach, 2nd Roach and 3rd Roach, 5 Brahmins perform the Pali ceremony in the middle of Preah Srae to ask permission from Krong Pali, Preah Phum and Neang Kong Hing Preah Thorani Ceremony. After offering to Krong Pali, it is time to offer to Deva Rub in the ceremony hall by inviting Preah Panchakset (other Devarub) to be displayed in the ceremony hall and to hold ceremonies in the five directions. In the east, the Brahmins Preah Reach Kru invited the Preah Komjay to set up and perform Horm ceremonies. In the southeast, the Brahmins Thireach invited Preah Narayan to set up and perform Horm ceremonies. In the southwest, the Brahmins Preah Jeak Yea Thib Dei invited the Preah Chanti to set up and perform Horm ceremonies. In the Northwest, the Brahmin Preah Minthor (Mahenthor) invites Preah Ey So to set up and perform Horm ceremony. The northeast, the Brahmin invited Preah Kanes, to set up and perform Horm ceremonies. When the Brahmins perform the ritual for three days, the fourth day is the day of plowing. Previously, the king was the direct plowman. But if he does not perform this, a representative of Oknha Pol Tep must be appointed. If Oknha Pol Tep had other business, Oknha Pochnea was assigned to replace from time to time. Nowadays, it is rare to see a king plowing, often his representative, sometimes as a royal family and sometimes as a high-ranking official in the government. Representing the King is called "Sdach Meak”, wearing a robe like the King is a plowman." As for the wife of King Meak, called "Chumteav or Preah Mehua", she wears a robe in the manner of the king's wife, who sows rice crops. Early in the morning ... King Meak and Neang Mehua went to worship His Majesty to be appointed. The king put incense on the foreheads of the king Meak and his wife as a symbol of appointment, and the King gave Sdach Meak a sword. Meak. The King Meak holds his sword and travels to the procession which is waiting. The King Meak sits on Preah Sor Leang, and Preah Mehua sits on a hammock accompanied by a procession led by the music of Pin Peat (play the song called Klom). Upon entering the Royal rice fields, King Meak and Preah Mehua must worship at the southwestern center before starting the plowing ceremony. This plow has three plows: the front plow is called "Lead plow", the middle plow is held by the king Meak and there is another plow in the back. Preah Mehua must follow the third plow and sow the seeds such as the sesame, bean, corn, and the rice crops following the path. After plowing three rounds of the royal rice fields, the plowing procession stopped at the eastern Mondob so that the king Meak could enter to worship the deity of the Mondob. The last task is for the Brahmin to perform a prayer ceremony, the cows are removed from the yoke of the plow to eat the seven kinds of food prepared on a table with pedestal dishes, including water, rice, grass, corn kernels, sesame seeds, beans and wine. The cow’s prediction is predicting the well-being and productivity of the people this year. If the cows drink a lot of water, the prophecy predicts that this year there will be enough water and enough rain. If the cows eat a lot of grass, the animals will get sick. If the cows eat a lot of rice, beans and sesame, these crops will bear a lot of fruit. But if the cows do not eat, the prophecy is that this year there will be wicked people, many drunkards, and the nation will suffer and war. At the end of the ceremony, people, young and old, compete to pick rice, corn, and soybeans to be used for seed, because it is believed that when all these seeds are mixed with their own seeds, the yield will be good. What is special is that Cambodians believe that when everything goes through the ceremony, "Mongkol, Serey Soursdey, the yield will come.

National Intangible Cultural Heritage, Republic of Korea Gangneung Nongak is a leading farmers’ music handed down in areas east of Taebaek Mountain Range in Gangwon-do. Also called nongsa puri (explanation of the farming process) music, the music is presumed to have been naturally made with the start of farming. A Gangneung Nongak troupe is composed of people carrying farming tools, swaenap (conical wooden oboe), kkwaenggwari (small gongs), jing (large gongs), buk (drums), janggo (hourglass-shaped drum), sogo (small drums), and beopgo (Buddhist drum), and mudong (dancing boys). Performers wear white jacket and trousers, with their bodies decorated with bands in three colors (red, blue, and yellow); dancing boys wear colorful clothes. Gangneung Nongak is performed on the following occasions: jisin bapgi (“earth spirit treading”); geollip nongak geollippae (fund-raising troupe)’s performance; gimmaegi nongak (performance for planting rice seedlings and weeding); jilmeokgi (party for farm laborers); geollipgut (geollippae’s shamanic performance); madanggut (courtyard ritual), etc. The foregoing events are also held in other regions, but the following are performed only in Gangneung with the accompaniment of Gangneung Nongak: dalmajigut (rite to the first full-moon), hwaetbul nori (torch play), notdari bapgi (one selected among a group of young women, who treads on their waists as they lie down), gimmaegi nongak, jilmeolki, and gil nori nongak (road performance). Gangneung Nongak plays an important role as an event that provides consolation in the hard life of farmers and helps villagers build friendship with each other.

South Korea 2014

Inscribed in 2009 (4.COM) on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity Korea and the rest of East Asia, engaged in rice farming for several millennia, have formed a rice culture that can be compared to the wheat culture of Europe. Ganggangsullae is one of the most representative seasonal rituals of Korea’s rice farming culture, which permeates nearly every aspect of life among Koreans. Ganggangsullae gives hints about the origins of recreational music and dance emblematic of the Korean peninsula, as it used to be widely performed in the southwestern coastal region of the peninsula and is closely linked to inland circle dances accompanying music, including Notdari Bapgi (Walking Over a Human Bridge) and Wolwoli Cheongcheong (Moon, Moon, Radiant Moon). A combination of various recreational elements based on the basic form of holding hands to form a circle while singing and dancing, Ganggangsullae has been named as such since the refrain “ganggangsullae,” whose exact meaning is unknown, is repeated with every bar. It was originally performed by unmarried youngsters aged between 15 and 20, and sometimes allowing the participation of recently married youngsters. But, when it was designated as a state cultural heritage the community members, largely women in their 40s or 50s, rendered the performance. Since then, Ganggangsullae has been handed down by middle-aged female members of the community, displaying proficient skills, rather than the creative vividness and dynamics of youngsters when they perform it. Traditionally, Ganggangsullae was performed on Korea’s representative seasonal occasions, including Seol (the lunar New Year), Daeboreum (the first full moon day of the year), Dano (the fifth day of the fifth lunar month), Baekjung (the fifteenth day of the seventh lunar month), Chuseok (the fifteenth day of the eighth lunar month), and Junggu (the ninth day of the ninth lunar month), with the one on Chuseok being the largest. As such, Ganggangsullae has been developed into a performance most commonly conducted on Chuseok (Korea’s Thanksgiving). Under the bright full moon, dozens of young village women hold hands to form a circle and sing and dance. While the sun symbolizes men, and the moon, women, and women’s physical features are represented by a round shape, Ganggangsullae assumes the characteristics of the law of imitation, one of the laws of magic, reflecting primitive aesthetics. Because the dancing is strenuous, only young women are allowed to perform, but it is also their privilege as women of child-bearing age. Ganggangsullae is a ballad dance unique to Korea. The songs are poems written by ordinary people and a lead singer set the pace. Fellow performers follow the lead with the next lines in a song. Besides folklore and folk dance, folk music is also incorporated in the performance as traditional Korean music instruments such as a drum and an hour-glass shaped drum accompany the dance, adding to the entertainment. Ganggangsullae is so exciting and dynamic that participants often lose themselves and end up performing from the early evening when the moon rises until the moon sets. Depending on the tempo set by the lead singer, the music is categorized into gin (slow) Ganggangsullae, jung (middle) Ganggangsullae, and jajeun (quick) Ganggangsullae. The tempo of the dancers’ movement also varies according to the music. During interludes, games reflecting life in farm or fishing village are played. They include imitating the Korean terrapin (one person goes into the circle to dance and the next comes in and imitates her), gathering brackens, tying herrings, treading on roof tiles, rolling and unrolling straw mats, catching a mouse (picking the tail), playing gatekeepers, riding palanquins, and looking for a handkerchief. The archetype of Ganggangsullae is found from agricultural folk customs of Mahan, a Korean state that existed 2,000 years ago, according to ancient Chinese historical texts. In the history of man, it is not common to see an intangible cultural heritage handed down for such a long time. This long transmission of Ganggangsullae implies that expectations for the role of women both in the society and in the family have continued for such a long time as well. Traditional Korean society was male centered, and young women were not allowed to sing aloud or go out at night. On Chuseok, however, women could freely sing and enjoy outdoor amusements under the full moon, venting their long-suppressed emotions through Ganggangsullae. The festival guaranteed women a chance to break away from usual restrictions and enjoy the festive mood. Throughout its history, Ganggangsullae also had other functions. It is said that in 1592, Admiral Lee Sun-sin had women perform Ganggangsullae at night around a fire. The flickering shadows fooled the invading Japanese into overestimating the size of Lee’s forces, who ultimately prevailed. Also, listening carefully to the song verses, one can notice that there are many lines criticizing the society. In particular, the words written under the Japanese colonial rule reflect the Koreans’ resistance to the occupation forces. Ganggangsullae is rarely performed in today’s rural villages since most young women have left for cities. But thanks to its national designation as an Important Intangible Cultural Heritage and state-level cultural and educational policies, Ganggangsullae has spread outside its traditional base in the southwestern region of the Korean peninsula. Today, Ganggangsullae is part of the music curriculum of elementary schools and is performed at many secondary schools and universities as well as public festivals across the country. In recent years, research has been conducted regarding the application of Ganggangsullae in the field of art therapy. Ganggangsullae is expected to help those suffering from psychological problems such as depression. Also, new possibilities are being explored as an alternative therapy to help obese women lose their weight and as a means to enhance the well-being of lonely senior citizens.

South Korea 2009

National Intangible Cultural Heritage, Republic of Korea Farm music performed when farmers are working while helping each other, by forming a cooperative farming team, in a broad sense, refers to music performed when people march, work, hold ceremonies, and enjoy games while beating small gongs, gongs, hourglass drums, and drums. Pyeongtaek has broad fields brimming with farm products called Sosaet, which has become an important foundation of Pyeongtaek Nongak. In addition, Cheongnyongsa Temple close to Pyeongtaek was a stronghold of Sadangpae where farm music made considerable progress. Thus, Pyeongtaek Nongak has the characteristics of geollippae (fund-raising troupe) Nongak as well as Durae Nongak. Small gongs, gongs, hourglass drums, drums, and Buddhist drums are used in farm music. The music team is composed of flagmen, buglers, lead gong player, other gong players, hourglass drum players, kids, jungae, and nobelmen. The number of gongs and drums in Pyeongtaek Nongak is less than that in other regions. There is no distinction between small drum and Buddhist drum. The tone is clear and is characterized by song gut. Besides, its “Gilgunakchilchae” is seen only in Gyeonggi-do Farm Music.

South Korea 2014