ALL
gags
ICH Elements 3
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Hahoe Byeolsingut Tallori (Mask Dance Drama of Hahoe)
National Intangible Cultural Heritage, Republic of Korea Byeolsingut refers to a ritual held to pray to the village guardian for the peace of the village and good crop every three or five or ten years. In Hahoe Village in Andong, the villagers have performed this ritual for about 500 years, once (December 15) every 10 years or on special occasions. The rite is composed of eight acts, i.e. Gaksiui Mudong Madang (Boy Dancer Act), Juji Madang (Head Monk Act), Baekjeong Madang (Butcher Act), Halmi Madang (Old Woman Act), Pagyeseung Madang (Depraved Monk Act), Yangban Seonbi Madang (Act of Nobleman and Scholar), Hollye Madang (Wedding) Act, and Sinbang Madang (The First Night Act). The play includes ridicule of depraved monks, satires about nobles, and other humorous content. It is believed that the mask for a newly-wed woman symbolizes the village guardian. Thus, the mask is shown to people only during Byeolsingut. A total of eleven masks in ten types made of alder wood are used for the play. The original masks were designated as National Treasure No. 121 in 1964. The play is performed to the accompaniment of pungmulkkun (a farmer’s music band composed of kkwaenggwari (small gong), taepyeongso (conical wooden oboe), sogo (small drums), buk (drums), janggo (hourglass-shaped drum), and jing (large gong). This play performed in Hahoe ends without the post-event rite of burning the masks used as in mask play events that are held elsewhere. It is regarded as a valuable source of material in relation to how mask plays were performed in the country.
South Korea -
Songpa Sandae Nori (Mask Dance Drama of Songpa)
National Intangible Cultural Heritage, Republic of Korea Sandae Nori refers to a mask dance performed in the central region of Korea. It is part of Sandae Dogamgeuk, which used to be performed in Seoul and Gyeonggi-do. It is composed of dances, pantomime, and gags, and is performed on the lunar calendar dates of Daeboreum (January 15), Dano (May 5), Baekjung (July 15), and Chuseok (August 15). Songpa was a commercial center of Gyeonggi-do. It is said that the play was frequently performed at the time Songpa Market reached its prime about 200 years ago and has continued to develop and to be one handed down to the present day. The play is composed of seven acts. Prior to the commencement of the play, members of the troupe march, playing music, to the site of performance to entertain spectators along the way. The overall composition, dances, and masks used are similar to those of Yangju Byeonsandae Nori (Mask Dance Drama of Yangju), but certain masks, dances, and characters distinguish it from the other. In Songpa Sandae Nori, 33 masks made of gourd, pine skin, and paper are used.
South Korea -
Baltal (Foot Mask Theater)
National Intangible Cultural Heritage, Republic of Korea It is presumed that this mask play stemmed from the puppet play performed by itinerant troupes called Namsadang in Anseong. The face-shaped mask is put on a foot stretched out by a person inside a covered space sized 2m by 1m and the puppet’s arms are moved with a string (now with bamboo sticks) attached to them. The person inside the space sings, dances, and cracks gags. Another clown outside the covered space moves in harmony with the movements made by the masked foot to the accompaniment of music played on piri (flute), jeotdae (bamboo flute), haegeum (two-stringed fiddle), buk (drum), and janggo (hourglass-shaped drum). Baltal is a puppet show mixed with a mask play. The gags cracked by the clown included acrimonious satires about what was happening in society and expressed the delights and sorrows experienced by commoners who were forced to live hard lives.
South Korea