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Yeondeunghoe (Lantern Lighting Festival), Welcoming the Post-Covid EraOn April 15, the Ministry of Health and Welfare in Korea announced that all measures of social distancing will be lifted from April 18, after about two years and one month. From this day on, many fields are expected to normalize as pre-COVID-19, and festivals and events are also in the mood to be revived.\n\nYeondeunghoe, the Lotus Lantern Festival in Korea was originally held every year before Buddha’s Birthday (April 8th in the lunar calendar), but due to COIVID-19, it could not be held normally in 2020 and 2021. Coincidentally, Yeondeunghoe was registered as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO in 2020 when the COVID-19 outbreak was rampant. The Yeondeunghoe Preservation Committee, which organizes the event, declared that the event will be held normally this year. Based on Jogyesa Temple in Seoul, the event began on April 5 this year and will run until Buddha’s birthday (May 8 this year).\n\nAccording to the Standard Korean Dictionary, “Yeondeunghoe originated in Silla as a ritual to light a light and pray for good fortune on the birthday of Buddha, and was held on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month during the reign of King Taejo of Goryeo. In the first year of King Hyeonjong’s reign (1010), it was changed to the 15th day of February.” The festival continues from the period of the northern and southern kingdoms through the Goryeo period, the Joseon period, and the Japanese colonial period to the present day. Since Buddhism was introduced to Korea, the festival has been an important cultural event for both the royal court and the common people. Historically, Yeondeunghoe in Goryeo period, which was held as a national event, had the greatest social function, and it also functioned as an important cultural event and festival for the common people. Even in the Joseon Dynasty, when Confucianism was a national ideology, Yeondeunghoe functioned as an important cultural event and festival for the common people. While the festival of Silla and Goryeo, which were Buddhist countries, had a strong national and religious color, the festival of Joseon, which was a Confucian country, was more a private event than a religious event. Even today, the lantern festival has become an important cultural event for the public and has become a citizen’s festival that non-Buddhists can enjoy. The event is largely composed of a ceremony to bathe the baby Buddha, a procession of lanterns, and a Buddhist ceremony.\n\nThe ICH values of the “Yeondeunghoe, Korea Lantern Festival,” which was recognized through UNESCO’s list of intangible cultural heritages in 2020, are as follows.\n\n“Yeondeunghoe is a festival in which all people, regardless of gender or age, participate as equal members of society. In particular, the active participation of women and children stands out in the festival. Although patriarchal culture has long been strongly entrenched in Korean society, Yeondeunghoe serves as an opportunity to uplift women and children in particular. Traditionally, for young people, the festival has been an effective means of expressing their creativity by experimenting with various shapes and colors of lanterns. Yeondeunghoe contributes to social cohesion. Lantern festivals are usually a place to share joy and happiness, but in times of social adversity, they unite society and help people overcome the problems they face. In 2014, when the whole country was shocked and grieved by the tragic Sewol ferry accident, all pre-planned Lotus Lantern events were canceled and the following new topics were announced. “Sharing sorrow and gathering hope.” This shows that Yeondeunghoe is being performed in a close relationship with society’s interest and the sentiments of the times.”\n\nYeondeunghoe, which has been transmitted to this day, has become a precious event that has shared joys and sorrows with the public for a long time beyond its religious significance. Since 2020, many people are living a difficult daily life that they have never experienced before due to COVID-19. After three years, the streets are back with the lanterns. That is why the meaning of the Yeondeunghoe, which we will meet for the first time after the dark of era of COVID-19, and which has not yet been fully lifted, is even more special. I hope that the Yeondeunghoe, which has revealed the emotions of the times and the value of life, can be a light of comfort and hope to those who have been exhausted from the pandemic over the past three years.\n\nphoto 1 : Lantern Lighting Festival 2022 © Republic of Korea, CC BY-SA 2.0, Changed: Size, Level\nphoto 2 : Lantern Lighting Festival © Cultural Heritage Administration of Korea, KOGL Type1, Changed: Size, Level\nphoto 3 : Lantern Lighting Festival 2001 © Pravin Premkumar, CC BY 2.0Year2022NationSouth Korea
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Discussion on “Characteristics and Current state of East-Asian Shaman Culture”Renaissance (rebirth) does not occur just once in human history, but may manifest in any era. Renaissance resembles the resurrection principle that starts with death and ends with revival. The educated used to say “let’s return to Greece” during the Renaissance, hoping to revive the dead Greece. What should we say if we re-attempt the Renaissance movement today? Not to mention the already generalized animal ethics, it is not far from plant ethics being taught in universities. If we agree on the first Renaissance being the Christian doctrine that defines the Earth being the center of the universe where human, the sole legitimate creation of the one and only God, live, from where should we begin the search for the system of original thought, in the midst of the traditional philosophy; only human possess souls facing biological\nresistance which claims animals, or even plants have souls? As the thoughts in the beginning era had been overcome through the Renaissance, we are now in the need of second Renaissance to overcome the life philosophy, which originated in BC400-500, of east and west. In other words, like the example of one returning to the previous era, Greece, to overcome the theology originated in the beginning era, we should worry about the search-point for a model that would help us to overcome the philosophy of BC5-6, where the life philosophy originated. What if, plants-have-souls philosophy develops to a fact that states even non-living have souls, where we should find the reference model? If such situation becomes the reality by any chance, it would be reasonable to take Shamanism as one of our cards.Year2013NationSouth Korea
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KalpureganIntroduction\nThe vast land of Sistan and Baluchistan, the place with such a rich history associated with legends and narrations of great poets, is known as one of the few main genesis centers of pottery around the world.\n\nKalpuregan is an ancient village South of Sistan and Baluchistan Province with the most enchanting deserts, including the incredible vegetation and magnificent climate, which caused the unique lifestyle of the inhabitants that has penetrated through the veins of the culture recognized on the needlework and pottery of Kalpuregan design.\n\nThe Untold History\nHistory, as a diary of events, has recorded the origins of pottery and needlework in this region. Pottery in Kalpuregan dates to 3000 BCE, and the precise art of needlework of this region is estimated to be from 5000 BCE. In the past, only men did pottery, and women did needlework art. Today, both arts are performed by the hands of Kalpuregan women.\n\nSimilar Design and the Identity Behind\nThe art comes from the heart, and penetrates through the fingers onto the body of subjects, the warp and weft of carpets, and within the yarns of the fabric, to create forms to tell the history and the interaction between the people and their environment, to depict definitions, and identities, as the bones of the culture.\n\nLiving in the severe desert conditions has turned concepts such as alliance, integrity, and protection into the values of Kalpuregan society. The basic forms used in Kalpuregan needlework and pottery are simple geometric forms carrying a deep meaning and value, turning these spectacular arts in this ancient village so special.\n\nCircle: Represents unity and integrity and shows the connection between people and their living environment.\n\nZigzag: Represents how Baluchs stand against natural harshness, which you may not face in other ethnic groups.\n\nTriangle: Giving an offensive sense that in Baluch folk beliefs, it separates enemies and evil spirits because, in ancient beliefs, spirits are intertwined with the existence of Baluch.\n\nThe Pottery Design\nFrom the combination of the basic geometric shapes in the design of pottery, simple designs express the values among the traditional people of Kalpuregan. The values are derived from demanding lifestyles, unique living environments, failures, or wishes. Behind these forms, there are deep semantic concepts that express the depth of Kalpuregan artists’ perception of the environment and the nature of human existence and people’s tendency to self-fulfillment to reach a high level of aesthetics.\n\nThe closer he got to perfection, the more he resorted to his surrounding environment to solve his issues and became more in touch with the atmosphere. Following that, he sought to express his concepts and beliefs in nature. As a result, the combination of designs became more complex. And after combining a few simple shapes, he created more complicated forms to create abstract images of nature on artifacts to evoke the sense of being in nature.\n\nThe Needlework Design\nSince art is the reflex of human emotions and senses he receives from his living environment, it expresses the way it affects people’s thoughts.\n\nEven though they picture the environment, the way the lines and shapes are assembled are born of the artist’s mind. Among the forms created, shapes of flowers are the most used on the fabric.\n\nAlso, figures with sharp angles and triangle-based ones are common among other shapes originating from the nature and history of Sistan and Baluchistan. Especially through the people’s point of view that reminiscent of war scenes. Each line and form are the wage of the cultivation in the artist’s thought to have an abstract expression in the form of the visual structure.\n\nHow Similar but Different\nA comparison of needlework with Kalpuregan pottery shows the close relationship between these motifs. In addition to their structural similarities, in many cases, they also have common semantic domains. These characteristics are influenced by the nature, culture, beliefs, and rare wishes of Kalpuregan people. Women in both fields are the essential creators of these historical arts. Despite being inspired by nature over the centuries, these mothers, who are a symbol of birth and growth, have not limited themselves to imitating the environment and creating new designs. They are very creative. However, the role of animals is less used in both areas.\n\nSimple geometric forms are most present in various combinations due to the changes that occur through the minds of these artists. Visual qualities such as rhythm, repetition, symmetry, balance, and centralism have put both the Kalpuregan pottery and needlework art in order. In the end, the existence of many commonalities in both areas leads to the strengthening of cultural values. And will become the identity of the Baluch people in the Kalpuregan.\n\nPhoto : Kalpuregan designs © Mohammad ShirkavandYear2020NationIran
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O le ʻIe Sae, o le Maniti a Tamāliʻi—Weaving Social Cohesion in SamoaSamoa is a country of great natural beauty with a rich and distinguished cultural heritage. Living in isolation from the rest of the world in the vast Pacific Ocean, Sāmoans have developed a body of traditional ecological knowledge and a wide range of artisanal skills enabling them to create all they need to live in comfort and safety. The wellbeing of the extended family and an intricate network of kinship ties form a complex system of traditional governance and social organisation in one of the few remaining chiefdom cultures of the modern world. The mainstay of this culture and the profusion of expressions emanating from it is the natural environment. Sāmoans had a kinship relationship with the contingent world, living in harmony with the natural resources that provided for their wellbeing.\n\nFilled with a spirit of inquiry, sogāsogā, early settlers in the island archipelago adapted the knowledge they brought with them with succeeding generations refining and building on that knowledge with new and innovative uses. The knowledge and skills of the tufuga or expert artisan, can be seen in fale Samoa, a resilient style of architecture perfectly suited to the climate; in alia, swift double-hulled ocean voyaging canoes capable of sailing the vast ocean using stars, waves, clouds, currents, and birds for navigation; in tanoa, functional and aesthetic wooden bowls used in rituals; in ingenious and versatile ʻafa (coconut sennit), a versatile and strong cord used in myriad cultural products including houses and boats; in tatau (tattoo), that adorns both men and women; and, in lālaga, finely woven pandanus leaf mats created to strengthen social cohesion.\n\nRural women in Samoa are highly skilled weavers, and the finest of mats are known as ‘ie sae. These precious heirlooms take many months and even decades to make and are reserved for important milestones in the life of a person: birth, marriage, the bestowal of a chief’s title, and death. They are presented in connection with the building of traditional houses and churches. Old mats associated with important historical events are so highly valued that they are given names. An example of this is Le Ageagea o Tūmua, presented by the village of Lufilufi to the Prime Minister of New Zealand after she apologized to the people of Samoa in 2002 for catastrophic mistakes made during the early administration of Samoa as a British colony. The name ‘ie sae is derived from the ingenious process of splitting the pandanus leaves lengthwise. There are several varieties of pandanus cultivated by the weavers themselves, often with the help of men in their households and children in the family. The variety used to weave ‘ie sae is known as lauʻie.\n\nBecause of its importance to Samoan culture, the Government of Samoa established a Fine Mat and Siapo program in 2003 with the twofold aim of increasing the making of fine mats and siapo or bark cloth art throughout the country and standardizing dimensions and quality. Since then, ʻie sae and siapo have been paraded annually in a ceremony coinciding with the National Day for Women.\n\nThe ‘ie sae is arguably the single most important cultural product created by women in Samoa. It is cultural currency ritually exchanged to meet social obligations, strengthening kinship ties, and thereby contributing to social cohesion in Samoan society. Of all the accolades designating the importance of the ʻie sae, perhaps the most intriguing is that it send shivers of delight to Samoa’s aristocracy: o le ʻie sae, o le maniti a tamāliʻi.\n\nPhoto : A child watches and learns as her mother weaves a fine mat ⓒ Steven PercivalYear2019NationSamoa
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Virtual Heritage Tour in the Time of CoronaAs the whole world is still gripped with Covid-19 and most people are confined within the boundary of their houses. In this time, cultural heritage has an equal impact as other economic sectors. Especially in the places where people’s social practices and everyday life is connected with heritage it has been hit hard. In case of Nepal not only the festivals, religious and social ceremonies has been cancelled or limited to formal rituals. But also the everyday practices of people visiting temples and performing rituals has been stopped. In the meantime, people are also showing resilience towards this global pandemic and finding ways to get connected with cultural heritage.\n\nEvery year the birthday ceremony of Lord Buddha (also known as Buddha Purnima or Buddha Jayanti) is celebrated on the full moon of Baishak according to lunar calendar, which usually falls on April or May according Gorgian calendar. Budha Purnima is celebrated in most of the Asian countries with various rituals, ceremonies and prayers. This year, it was celebrated on 7 May, and due to the nationwide lockdown, many people had ceremonies in their houses and small ceremonies in the monasteries and temples. In past, major temples, which used to see a huge mass of people, were limited to a few, especially the caretakers, priests, few locals, and monks/nuns.\n\nOn this day, many people from all over the world used to visit Lumbini—the birthplace of Buddha, which was not possible this year. So the StoryCycle together with the British Council organized a Virtual Heritage Tour (VHT) to Lumbini. Even though this site contains the archeological remains of Stupas, Vihara, and Temples, it still has religious and spiritual linkages with people in present time. The VHT was curated with Mr. Anil Chitrakar as a resource person. Mr. Chitrakar is a social entrepreneur, and he regularly organizes heritage walks and gives inspirational talks on conservation and development. He has worked for the conservation and development of Lumbini over the last thirty years in various capacities.\n\nThe VHT included a brief tour of the site, which included Maya Devi temple (mother of Buddha), sacred garden, and Ashok pillar (erected by emperor Ashoka in 249 BC testifying to Buddha’s birth there) as well as other important sites associated to the Buddha’s life and after his death. Also included are lesser-known sites such as Kudan, the hall where Buddha met his parents and his son Rahul (for the first time) after he became Buddha. Ramagrama—one of eight Buddhist stupas was constructed after the death of Buddha with his relics. It is the only stupa that has remained unopened to date. Mr. Chitrakar also explained the greater plan of Lumbini that includes forty-four unique monuments representing Buddhism in different countries within its boundaries. The way forward after the construction of international airport there, as well as how this important Buddhist site could connect to other important Buddhist sites.\n\nThis was an interesting event, as Mr. Chitrakar explained not only the physical structures but also the intangible aspects of them. From the mathematical explanation of the construction of stupa, stories of the Buddha’s life, and King Ashoka in spreading Buddhism as well as to the simplified and brief teaching of Buddha. Even though virtual, this tour was able to realize the calmness of site and praise its nature with canals and cranes in the surrounding.\n\nThe event was scheduled for one hour, but lasted a bit longer since around hundred people participated. At the end of which there was a question-answer session. This event also had a sign language interpreter.\n\nThe event recording can be accesses via https://www.facebook.com/storycycle/videos/253552219340656/\n\nEvent Page: https://www.facebook.com/events/730005211072259/\n\nPhoto : Lumbini © Anil ChitrakarYear2020NationNepal
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Toktogul Satylganov: People’s Artist of KyrgyzstanToktogul Satylganov was a great composer, poet, akyn (singer-improviser), and komuzist (someone who plays komuz, a traditional Kyrgyz musical instrument). Satylganov rendered a great contribution to the Kyrgyz culture. He sang about hardships of the common people, and he is best known for his songs about freedom and independence during the Tsarist Russia’s colonial era. He is one of the founders of Kyrgyz Soviet Literature.\n\nToktogul Satylganov was born in 1864 to a poor family in Toktogul district of the Djalal-Abad region. He never formally learned to write and read, but at the age of 13, he learned to play komuz by himself and started to compose songs about poverty and cruelty of feudalism. In 1898, he was jailed and sentenced to death because of false allegations of him participating in the Andijan rebellion. Eventually, his punishment was reduced to a seven-year imprisonment in Siberia by the mercy of the Tsars. His work at the Siberian labor camp intensified his understanding of social inequality and the inhumanity of feudalism. For that reason, Toktogul Satylganov was the first akyn to welcome the Bolshevik Revolution in 1917, the revolution by the peasants and working people and led by Vladimir Lenin against Tsar Nicholas II.\n\nAccordingly, Toktogul Satylganov is known for his outstanding works that made a great contribution to the Kyrgyz literature. During the Soviet period, his songs played an important role in shaping public opinion. His songs are informative, vividly depicting the life of ordinary people, the beauty of the motherland, and the Communist Party during the Soviet era. He was the first to depict Vladimir Lenin in What Kind of Woman Gave Birth to a Son Like Lenin? that came out in a time now regarded as the beginning of the Kyrgyz Soviet literary history. His songs predicted the end of tsarism, praising laborers’ rights that encouraged many people. Therefore, many Kyrgyz poets and composers were influenced by Toktogul Satylganov and his work has been translated into many languages.\n\nToktogul Satylganov played a significant role in traditional Kyrgyz art. The art of akyn, the predominant form of cultural expression of nomadic Kyrgyz people, was inscribed on the UNESCO Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2008. Tokotogul Satylganov has been and continues to be honored by a number of poets and in books, scholarly works, movies, and discourse around musical heritage. The Kyrgyz National Philharmonic Building in the center of Bishkek is named after him. In addition, a city, streets, districts, parks, schools, libraries, and even the biggest hydroelectric power station and reservoir are named after him as the great composer, poet, akyn (singer-improviser), komuzist who was the most influential figure in traditional Kyrgyz art and literature.\n\nPhoto : Toktogul SatylganovYear2018NationKyrgyzstan
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Palau’s status in the implementation of the 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of ICH"According to the 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, intangible culture heritage (ICH) is “the practices, representations, expressions, knowledge, skills—as well as the instruments, objects, artefacts and cultural spaces associated therewith—that communities, groups, and in some cases, individuals recognise as part of their cultural heritage” (UNESCO:2003).\nICH is found in every part of the world, whether it is in an industrialised country or a non-industrialised country. However, in many nations, especially among indigenous communities, ICH is being compromised with the processes of globalisation where ICH elements are becoming lost over generations. \n Thus, UNESCO, in its effort to protect, preserve, and continue on this vast body of knowledge, has taken necessary steps to ensure that ICH all over the world does not lose its role as part of development strategies in ensuring sustainable practices. This presentation will report on the status of the steps Palau has taken in ensuring the continuity of ICH in the community and government level in relation to the 2003 Convention. \nCurrent ICH safeguarding measures at the national level with regards to the implementation of ICH convention \nIn Palau, ICH safeguarding measures started as early as the German colonial times of \nthe nineteenth century (see for example, Augustin Kraemer). In terms of the present, \nthere is a wealth of accumulated ICH information that has been published, in which \nthe Bureau of Arts and Culture, a division under the Ministry of Community and Cultural Affairs, has been involved during the 1990s. Books about funeral and birth rituals and chiefly systems have been documented from interviews among knowledge experts in Palau. The Bureau of Arts and Culture has continuously documented ICH even before the 2003 Convention. With this said, the challenge for Palau is really establishing a strategy for indicative measures to successfully safeguard ICH. "Year2012NationSouth Korea
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Efficacy and Shortcomings of Regulatory Framework for Safeguarding Traditional Craft Practices: Case Studies from West Bengal, IndiaBourgeois notions of aesthetics have suc- cessfully identified the idea of culture as a “superior reality” (Prakash, 2019). The label of superiority inherently separates culture from acts of labor. As a result, popular perceptions mainly interpret art and culture and related activities as leisurely pursuits. It is precisely because of this that the role of culture has often been popularly undermined in terms of achieving holistic development. However, since around 2010, insightful evidence-based works have highlighted the importance culture plays in bringing grassroots empowerment (UNESCO, 2010). In spite of this progress, culture has not been recognized as an independent Sustainable Development Goal (SDG). We can trace the reasons for such non-recognition to the narrow definitions that different disciplines ascribe to culture. For a variety of reasons, economists have avoided getting too closely involved with the concept of culture and its relationship with economic development. There is a general acceptance that culture must have a role in guiding a population along a particular path, but, as Landes (1998) points out, a discomfort with what can be construed as implied criticism of a particular culture has discouraged broader public discourse. Economists have often narrowly defined culture as “customary beliefs and values that ethnic, religious, and social groups transmit fairly unchanged from generation to generation” (Guiso et al., 2006). The problem with this definition rests in its inherent conceptualization of culture as a static attribute, not reflective of the changes that happen over time. If we view culture from such an angle, we will fail to capture its dynamicity. Culture, in my opinion, has the power to transform birth (somewhat without purpose) to life (necessarily meaningful and purpose-driven). Murdock (1965) rightly conceptualizes culture as comprising habits, skills, and expertise shared by members of society. It is the process of learning, not of heredity. This definition implies that culture is an ascriptive trait and not an achieved one, which is not essentially present but needs to be nurtured in order to safeguard cultural heritage.Year2023NationIndia
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Baab: An introduction to the Bhutanese MaskColloquially, a mask often used in artistic mask dance performances to disguise or hide the original appearance is called “Baab” in Dzongkha (Bhutanese language) and in many local dialects. Baab is not only used for masquerade, but represents the appearance and expression of enlightened beings, celestial beings, guardian deities, and some extraordinary human beings who have helped to shape meaningful human life and promote harmonious living, which is why it is also referred to by the honorific title Zhal baab (face mask). Baab comes in many forms, appearances, complexions and with exceptional features that represent transcendent religious meanings and significance. Baab is the product of an art that requires several skills such as religious knowledge including proper proportions, biodiversity as the basic raw materials are woods, craftsmanship, blacksmithing in making tools and finally painting to give the mask the final structure.\n\nAccording to historical texts, the Baab tradition and the performance of the mask dance, usually called Gar-cham, was introduced to Bhutan by Guru Padmasambava in the early 8 th century. Later, it was further developed by eminent Buddhist masters, especially Terton (discoverer of the hidden treasure) Pema Lingpa (1450-1521), who introduced many sacred mask dances and passed on the art of Baab making, which is still recognized and known today for his contribution to the enrichment of Bhutan’s indigenous art and culture. His exceptional art of Baab making and mask dances was later recognized by Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal (1594-1651), the head of the state government, and included as one of the of Bhutan’s intangible cultural heritage domain of arts and crafts. Thereafter, the Baab tradition was maintained and enjoyed increasing popularity after the heads of the state government, chief abbots and successive monarchs introduced and authorized other private religious institutions to organize Tshe-chu, Drub-chen, Chod-pa, Rab-ne, Me-wang, Ma-ni, Due-chod (mask dance festivals), etc. throughout the country.\n\nColloquially, a mask often used in artistic mask dance performances to disguise or hide the original appearance is called “Baab” in Dzongkha (Bhutanese language) and in many local dialects. Baab is not only used for masquerade, but represents the appearance and expression of enlightened beings, celestial beings, guardian deities, and some extraordinary human beings who have helped to shape meaningful human life and promote harmonious living, which is why it is also referred to by the honorific title Zhal baab (face mask). Baab comes in many forms, appearances, complexions and with exceptional features that represent transcendent religious meanings and significance. Baab is the product of an art that requires several skills such as religious knowledge including proper proportions, biodiversity as the basic raw materials are woods, craftsmanship, blacksmithing in making tools and finally painting to give the mask the final structure.\n\nAccording to historical texts, the Baab tradition and the performance of the mask dance, usually called Gar-cham, was introduced to Bhutan by Guru Padmasambava in the early 8 th century. Later, it was further developed by eminent Buddhist masters, especially Terton (discoverer of the hidden treasure) Pema Lingpa (1450-1521), who introduced many sacred mask dances and passed on the art of Baab making, which is still recognized and known today for his contribution to the enrichment of Bhutan’s indigenous art and culture. His exceptional art of Baab making and mask dances was later recognized by Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal (1594-1651), the head of the state government, and included as one of the of Bhutan’s intangible cultural heritage domain of arts and crafts. Thereafter, the Baab tradition was maintained and enjoyed increasing popularity after the heads of the state government, chief abbots and successive monarchs introduced and authorized other private religious institutions to organize Tshe-chu, Drub-chen, Chod-pa, Rab-ne, Me-wang, Ma-ni, Due-chod (mask dance festivals), etc. throughout the country.\n\nIn general, the manifestations of Baab can be summarized as; Baab of deities and gods, animals and extraordinary human beings. It is firmly believed that the masks of the deities and gods manifest themselves in various emotional appearances such as; graceful, heroic, abominable, wrathful, compassionate, comical, wondrous, terrifying and petrifying. These expressions can also be divided into four categories: peaceful, inspiring, empowering and angry.\n\nBaab comes in different colors and with unusual features that remind of victory over emotional poisons that disturb the peace and tranquility of both one’s own and others and worldly affairs. The white color represents serenity and overcoming anger, the yellow represents inspiration and overcoming ego, the red represents strength and overcoming attachments, the green represents anger and overcoming envy, the blue represents inaction and overcoming ignorance, and the black represents neutrality and abiding in the ultimate emptiness. Similarly, the extraordinary characteristics are;\n\n1. Five-syllable headgear: embodiment of five transcended Buddhas.\n2. Five-Skull Headgear: Triumph over the five emotional poisons and possession of the five transcendental wisdoms.\n3. Opened mouth: feasting on the malignant obstacles.\n4. Rolled tongue: making palate noises after feasting.\n5. Four fangs: overcoming birth and death.\n6. Bitten off lower lip: expression of anger out of pity.\n7. Flaming beard and eyebrows: burning of negative actions and impurities.\n8. Gazing three eyes: seeing the past, present and future activities.\n\nThere are three types of masks made by Bhutanese artisans: Re baab (paper and cloth mask), Shing baab (wooden mask) and Sing-phye baab (mask made of a mixture of sawdust). However, the former two are ancient technical craft, while the latter is a newer product used mainly for commercial or decorative purposes. Traditionally, Baab are used only for the actual performance or kept as relics after the consecration ceremony has been performed by spiritual masters. It is believed that if these items are not blessed, they are as good as toys and are haunted by the spirits, causing harm to society.\n\nphoto 1 : Wangzhing Rabney, Lhuntse © Drungtsho Jigme Singye \nphoto 2 : Trongsa Dzong © Yeshi Lhednup\nphoto 3 : Shing-baab Wangzhing Rabney, Lhuntse © Drungtsho Jigme Singy\nphoto 4 : Baab ,Tamzhing Phagla Tshechu, Bumthang © Yeshi Lhendup\nphoto 5 : Wangzhing Rabney, Lhuntse © Drungtsho Jigme Singye\nphoto 6 : Trongsa Dzong © Yeshi LhednupYear2022NationBhutan
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A Look into Jeju: Living in Harmony with NatureJeju is a volcanic island filled with stones. Previous eruptions have produced volcanic bombs (large volcanic rocks) scattered around, covering the whole island. This is why it is difficult to cultivate crops in Jeju. Since the thirteenth century, the people of Jeju have been making stone walls to secure farmlands. The total length of stone walls is estimated at 22,100 km. These stone walls look like they are heaped up randomly. However, Jeju people’s wisdom is time-tested, unassumingly sturdy, hidden in those walls. Because the island is prone to strong winds all throughout the year, taking note of typhoons in the summer, they built the stone walls like roughly-heaped stones with holes to let the wind pass through, weakening the possibility of structural collapse.\n\nTamna is Jeju’s old name. The beginning of Tamna is illustrated by Samseong myth. Legend has it that three demigods emerged from holes in the ground. The ground is called samseonghyeol, which is still considered as a sacred place. The emergence from the ground shows difference in cultural archetype from the birth myth of the mainland involving the egg from the heavens. There are 18,000 gods and goddesses in Jeju. Jeju people believe that god lives in everything. Such belief is shaped by Jeju’s naturally difficult tendencies. As people in Jeju battle with endless wind and water shortage due to the island’s barren volcanic environment, they rely on gods to adapt to the roughness of Jeju.\n\nThere are Bonhyangdang Shrines, the house of gods protecting people’s livelihoods. simbangs (shaman in Jeju dialect) act as intermediary between Jeju people and gods. They perform yeongdeunggut in the second lunar month for haenyeo (female divers) and fishermen who depend on the sea for a living. The Yeongdeung is the goddess of the wind, who can raise the waves, which is why she is deemed important for the safety of people pursuing the sea. Jeju Chilmeoridang Yeongdeunggut, the representative yeongdeunggut in Jeju, was listed as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity of UNESCO in 2009. There are many other rituals for gods and goddesses of the sea, which are held in roughly 30 areas in Jeju during the same month. There are many stories related to goddesses in Jeju. Different from goddesses in other countries, Jeju goddesses neither depend on nor belong to gods. This is a characteristic shown by Grandmother Seolmundae, the giant who created the island by carrying soil in her skirts; Grandmother Samseung, the goddess of babies; and Jacheongbi, the goddess of farming. Jeju women have high self-esteem unlike those in patriarchal East Asian societies following Confucian teachings. They also participate in the economy more actively than their counterparts in other regions in Korea. Jeju haenyeo is a representative example of women’s participation in the economy. In 2016, the Culture of Jeju Haenyeo was inscribed on the Representative the List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO during the eleventh Session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. It shows matriarchal characteristics of Jeju. In Jeju where the soil is not fit for rice farming, many women became divers to find food from the sea and learned how to cooperate with each other.\n\nDespite the unique challenges in the island, Jeju people have used nature without destroying it, depending on 18,000 gods and neighbors. Such characteristics form the core of the Jeju culture.\n\nPhoto : Jeju haenyeo (female divers) crossing low stone walls to get to the sea © Jeju Haenyeo MuseumYear2017NationSouth Korea
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We Work among the Pamir Mountains"It is not for nothing that the Pamir Mountains in the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region of the Republic of Tajikistan (GBAO) are called the “Roof of the World”—Ismoil Somoni’s peak reaches 7,495 meters. Pamir is characterized by huge permanent glaciers and narrow mountain ranges with sharp snowy ridges, and large lakes sitting 5,500 meters above sea level. The impenetrable mountain gorges go some way to explaining the emergence of an exceptional lifestyle, different languages, dialects, and monocultures. Currently, six of the oldest East Iranian unwritten languages are in use in the Pamirs: Shugni, Rushani, Bartangi, Yazgulami, Wakhi, and Ishkashimi as well as some Persian dialects and Kyrgyz lan- guages. The folklore of the Pamiri people is passed on not only in local vernacular, but also in Tajik, the official language. The Pamir highlanders have their own distinctive tradi- tions. A person from this region has their journey from birth to death accompanied by all kinds of rituals, customs, and traditions. Life events such as maternity, family and house- hold, wedding, marriage, holiday, and calendar production are marked, adding meaning to the highlanders’ daily life."Year2021NationTajikistan
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2 Relationships and Social Cohesion"Whether we call it clan, kin, family, tribe, or community, there are multiple ways of knowing and identifying ourselves in the Pacific. A few of these ways are captured here. This section explores how social relationships and their hierarchies within the Pacific islands are vital ways of understanding intangible cultural heritage. Social and spiritual rituals, religious ceremonies, and various other cultural practices reflect how Pacific islanders prioritize social cohesion as a pathway to sustainable prosperity, ensuring the transformation of skills, knowledge, and wisdom for survival. \nThe themes in this section are pivotal to ICH because relationships represent an important organizing principle of life among Pacific islanders and determine how intangible heritage can be safeguarded. Relationships are marked in ceremonial events and rituals such as the communal harvest of balolo in Fiji and other ceremonies such as the bel kol in PNG. Likewise, the omengat, the first-birth ceremony in Palau, brings unrelated clans and families together and is central to family ties and social cohesion. The essays on these and other topics collected in this section illustrate that Pacific islanders take care to mark and honor relationships important to them, as these relationships ensure family, clan, and tribal ties and help to achieve enhanced social cohesion and sustainability."Year2014NationSouth Korea