Korean masks
have a long tradition with the use in a variety of contexts. Masks of any type are called
tal
(
Korean
:
脫
) in Korean, but they are also known by many others names such as
gamyeon
,
gwangdae
,
chorani
,
talbak
and
talbagaji.
Korean masks come with black cloth attached to the sides of the mask designed to cover the back of the head and also to simulate black hair.
[1]
Purpose
[
edit
]
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. The present uses are as miniature masks for tourist souvenirs, or on cell-phones where they hang as good-luck talismans.
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.
Dance masks
[
edit
]
Masks which use for dance in Korea are about 250 types and they vary in shape. Masks in central district usually look pretty and similar to human face more and in the southern province masks are for satire and are Shamanistic.
[2]
Shamanistic masks
[
edit
]
The often horrifying or grotesque masks were used in
shamanistic practices
for their ability to evoke fear, and humor, in ceremonial rites. The masks were often made of
alder
wood, with several coats of lacquer to give the masks gloss, and waterproof them for wearing. They were usually also painted, and often had hinges for mouth movement. A mask is used to perform ancestral rites or to drive away evil spirits by wearing a mask.
[3]
Typically one sees the following some of which are designated as national cultural properties. The Hahoe, Sandae and Talchum are all traditional Korean mask dramas of ritual and religious significance.
[4]
Hahoe Byeolsin
gut
is a kind of exorcist play while performers wear mask such as
yangbantal
(nobleman),
bunetal
,
seonbital
(scholar),
gaksital
(bride),
chorangital
,
halmital(grandmother)
,
jujital
(head monk),
jungital
(monk),
baekjeongtal
(butcher), and
imaetal
.
Cultural assets and national treasures
[
edit
]
The mask play of Hahoe Byeolsin Exorcism itself was classified as important intangible cultural asset #69 by the
South Korean
government on November 17, 1980. Hahoe (
下廻
) and Byeolsin masks themselves were also labelled
South Korean national treasure
#121 at the same time. The
Hahoe
mask dance is one of the folk dramas of Pungcheon
Hahoe village
in
Andong
city, and dates from the
Goryeo Dynasty
.
Gallery
[
edit
]
See also
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
External links
[
edit
]