Hahoe Mask Museum is located in Andong Hahoe Village, and it displays Hahoe
masks and other traditional masks from all over the world.
Korean masks have a long tradition with the use in a variety of contexts. They
were used in war, on both soldiers and their horses; ceremonially, for burial
rites in jade and bronze and for shamanistic ceremonies to drive away evil
spirits, to remember the faces of great historical figures, and in the arts,
particularly in ritual dances, courtly, and theatrical plays.
There are two ways to categorize masks: religious masks and artistic masks.
Religious masks were often used to ward off evil spirits and the artistic
masks were mostly used in dances and theater shows.
|
Entrance to Hahoe Mask Museum.
|
|
Lion Mask.
Bookchung Lion Play (Bookchung Saja Noleum) is a mask play passed down
in Bookchung region of Hamkyungnam province.
-
As for the form of the play, a noble man had his servant sing and
dance including Kal chum (knife dance), Sadangkeusa chum (depraved
monk dance), Kkopsae chum (hunchback dance) and Moodong chum (a child
dancers dance).
-
The lion play was performed in many areas of Hamkyung province such as
Bookchung, myungchun, sungjin, hwoiryung, keumsung, hamjoo and
yungheung, and the lion play at Bookchung was the most popular among
them.
-
As the lion was an animal living in central Asian countries, the lion
play also came from those countries.
-
The lion play was referred to as Sanye in
Hyangyakjapyoung written by Choi, chi-won and
Samkooksaki (a history book about the three country era)
recorded that Mokwoosaja (the lion statue raising a cow) was used when
the general named Leesaboo conquered Woosan county.
-
The play came with unique music called Aewonsung. Considering twelve
songs written by the musician named Wooreuk included Sajaki (lion),
the lion play can be inferred to have been performed since the Shilla
Dynasty.
-
The lion, as a wild animal, was believed to have the ability to
prevent bad luck and bring good luck, so it was frequently performed.
-
See more at
Lion dance - Wikipedia.
|
|
Somu and Police chief (Podobujang).
Somu for Aesadang or Dangnyo. Police chief (Podobujang).
-
Gasan Ogwangdae-nori. This mask-play is transmitted in Gasan-ri (in
Sacheon, also southern coast) and another name is 'Jochang ogwangdae'.
Gasan Ogwangdae has been performed annually since 300~200 years ago
so, it's older than Gosung Ogwangdae. People say that they found a box
in the stream of the south river next to Gasan, opened it and there
was the script of Ogwangdae. Fortunately, there was a nobleman exiled
from Seoul, he read and taught, so they started playing.
|
|
Youngno, Marten/Tiger, Monkey and Bibi.
Youngno (left), Marten/Tiger/Dambi (center left), Monkey/Wonsung-i
(center right) and Bibi (right).
-
ongyong Ogwangdae-nori. Tongyong Ogwangdae was originated by
Euihong-gye (about 80 years ago) at the beginning then, old people of
Nansa-gye (60 years ago) played Ogwangdae, and Chunhong-gye succeeded
Nansa-gye 50 years ago and handed down its Ogwangdae to the present
day.
-
There was a regular general meeting of Euihong-gae on lunar January
14th, March 15th, Spring picnic in early April and Fall maple-tree
viewing picnic on September 15th.
|
|
The Twelve Masks of the Hahoetal.
The twelve masks of the Hahoetal represent the characters needed to
perform all the roles in the Hahoe pyolsin-gut.
-
Each mask has a unique set of design characteristics to portray the
full range needed in the representation of these stock characters.
-
They are: Chuji (the winged lions), Kaksi (the young woman/bride),
Chung (the Buddhist monk), Yangban (the aristocrat), Ch'oraengi (the
aristocrat's servant), Sonpi (the teacher/scholar), Imae (the
scholar's servant), Punae/Bune (the concubine), Paekjung (the
butcher), Halmi (the old woman), Ttoktari (the old man), Pyolch'ae
(the civil servant/tax collector) and Ch'ongkak (the bachelor).
-
See more at
Hahoetal - Wikipedia.
|
|
Old mistress and Chief aristocrat.
Dongraeyaru is a Tal (Korean mask) play passed down at Dongrae region of
Pusan in Korea. It is now called Dongraeyaru. The name of Yaru
originates from the fact that the mask play was performed at a wide
field or other big places like a yard.
-
The mask play is performed after playing a tug of war on the full moon
evening in January. The Dongrae mask play was performed at Paemoon
village square (the current central market site) around the 1930’s and
a rectangular shaped stage using wood was set up.
|
|
Lion (Saja).
Kangryung Korean mask play is the mask play passed down in Kangryung
area in Hwanghae province. Kangryung mask play is relatively soft and
delicate compared with Bongsan mask play.
-
In the mask play, two Malddukis appear and dance. According to
Kyungsoolkookchi doctrine at the time, Haeju Kamyoung closed up and
the public prostitute named Kim, Keum-ok from Kangryung came back
home. She was very good at singing and dancing, she made a great
contribution to developing the mask play.
-
The kinds of masks used for the Kangryung mask play are 1) Lion (two),
2) Monkey, 3) Horseman (two), 4) Maldduki (two), 5) Mok monk (two), 6)
Sangjwa (two), 7) the oldest nobleman, 8) the second nobleman, 9)
Jaemooldaegam, 10) bachelor, 11) old monk, 13) Chibali, 13) Chibali's
son, 14) Somoo, 15) Miyal old man, 16) Miyal old woman, 17)
Yongsansamgae family, 18) Namkang old man, 19) Sharman.
|
|
Masks from China.
In China, masks are used in Nuoxi, an ancient ritual performed in
temples dedicated to exorcist gods during New Year's Eve festivities.
The dancers masquerade and represent deities or deified historical
characters.
-
The dance is performed to demonstrate the power of the gods and chase
away evil spirits. In Jiangxi Province, dancers are compared to
mediums. It is they who ask the Three Great Generals, who are placed
at the top of an altar, to invoke a heavenly military expedition, made
up of other gods, that comes to ward off evil.
-
The most important is Kaishan ("the mountain opener", creator of the
universe). After performing the temple dances, follows the procession
of the dancers incarnating the celestial military. These go from house
to house spreading protection against disease and calamity.
|
|
Japan Noh Masks.
Noh masks are carved from blocks of Japanese cypress, and painted with
natural pigments on a neutral base of glue and crunched seashell.
-
There are approximately 450 different masks mostly based on sixty
types, all of which have distinctive names. Some masks are
representative and frequently used in many different plays, while some
are very specific and may only be used in one or two plays.
-
Noh masks signify the characters' gender, age, and social ranking, and
by wearing masks the actors may portray youngsters, old men, female,
or nonhuman (divine or demonic) characters.
-
See more at
Noh - Wikipedia.
|
|
Sri Lanka Masks.
Maha Kola dance mask (center). Maha Kola is the chief of 18 demons of
illness that are represented in the Sanni “Devil” Dance.
-
Holding victims in his hands and mouth, Maha Kola is surrounded by
snakes and by the 18 Sanniyas – the demons of blindness, cholera,
boils, and other pestilences, each of whom is given its own mask.
-
As the curing ceremony proceeds, a ritual specialist propitiates the
appropriate demons on behalf of the patient and his family.
-
When done, the demons are dismissed and the area is ritually cleansed
of any lingering bad influences.
-
See more at
Sanni Yakuma - Wikipedia.
|
|
Mongolian Masks.
A Tsam ceremony was held at the beginning of the year to exorcise evil.
It consisted of a series of masked dances and often had a narrative
content.
-
Tsam (in Tibetan, Cham) means masked dance, and local variations of
the festival were once practiced in Tibet, Ladakh, Nepal, Sikkim,
Bhutan, China and Mongolia.
-
Tsam masks of Mongolian production are exceptionally large and have an
artistic expressiveness only rarely matched in other countries.
-
Mongolian masks symbolizing the actual presence of a deity never have
their eyes pierced. The performers therefore had to look through the
mouths of the masks, adding extra height to the performer. As the
temporary residence of gods and demons, masks are like statues and
treated as sacred objects. When not in use, they were stored in
monasteries and paid homage to in daily rituals.
-
See more at
Cham dance - Wikipedia.
|
|
Tengu Masks.
Tengu is a mask hung on the wall to prevent evil spirits and wish
longevity.
-
There remain various forms of Tengu. The first is one shaped like a
tiger's head, and the second is one that holds a sharp sword in its
mouth, which is a significant symbol of Tengu. The third appears to
stick out its tongue.
-
See more at
Tengu - Wikipedia.
|
|
Taoist Masks.
Taoist masks (top) and ritual utensils (bottom).
|
See also
Sources
Location
