Behind the mask is a koreanbased picture book by yangsook choi. Talchum korean collections ohio state university libraries. A note about talchum, korean mask dance, follows the story. Many korean mask dance dramas, which still are performed in. A graduate class in asian theatre had brought talchum, koreas masked dance drama, to my attention, and the lack of information in english eventually led me to apply for a fulbright research grant to learn more. Talchum literally meaning mask dance is not just a. These dramas are often colloquially and incorrectly referred to as talchum mask dance in koreanin fact, talchum is one of the major variants of mask dance drama from hwanghae province in presentday north korea. Traditional korean masks, or tal, were originally used in shamanist rituals. Although the term talchum is usually taken to mean all mask dance dramas by most koreans, it is strictly speaking a regional term originally only properly applied to dances of hwanghae province in presentday north korea. Mask were used in theatrical plays that were means of expressing criticism against everything that was considered wrong, like powerful aristocracy, buddhist hierarchy, corruption, drunkards, gossips and flirts.
This drama form originally came from sonangje, as part of a village shrine ceremony, about 200 years ago. On the basis of this history, that the moros y cristianos came first and the other dances later, 20th century north american mask collectors have assumed that the older masks could only be from the moros y cristianos dance. At the present time, korean arts and culture are attracting many enthusiasts around the world. Talchum is a mask dance accompanied by songs and dramas, delivering the wisdom of old people who overcome the tiredness of reality through dance. Mar 01, 2010 end page 102 it was still early in my language training, but i understood enough to know that he gave a history of hahoe talchum and the preservation efforts that are taking place through the hahoe mask dance drama preservation society and the andong mask museum. Apr 04, 2020 talchum mask dance korea shadow theatre taiwan, china hun lakhon lek puppetry thailand. The bawdy, brawling, boisterous world of korean mask dance dramas. A new vision of korean dance through a comparative study of. The bawdy, brawling, boisterous world of korean mask dance. Oct 21, 20 issuu is a digital publishing platform that makes it simple to publish magazines, catalogs, newspapers, books, and more online.
This chapter considers elements of talchum that are common across the thirteen preserved styles of the masked dancedrama and details an extended. Chapter 2 historical background of korean maskdance 4. Koreas cultural and artistic achievements through the ages are now leading many of its young talents to the worlds most prestigious music and dance competitions, while its literary works are being translated into many different languages for global readers. Bongsan tal chum bongsan mask dance is one of the mask dances passed. A trip to andong early in my grant period led me to the hahoe mask dance drama preservation society. Covers the history and characteristics of theatre in ancient greece. Jun 16, 2017 there are many kinds of traditional korean dances and talchum is one of them. This is a broad term for the dance since there are 12 version all with unique dances and masks based on region. To further simplify, every older mask of an archaic style has simply been called a moro. Korean maskdance dramas, which still are performed in. It is the story of a korean boy, kimin, right before halloween.
It is not just a dance performed by masked dancers but also a drama with masked characters portraying persons, animals or supernatural beings. Introduction to bongsan talchum korean traditional mask dance bongsan mask dance drama video produced by bongsan mask dance drama preservation society in. Gangnyeong talchum mask dance drama of gangneung is a type of sandae dogamgeuk, which was performed at the royal palace. With her tiny, fixed mouth, smiling eyes, and applecheeks, bune represents beauty and good humor her character is a bit shady and. Mask dances were accompanied with narrative and song.
Their history and structural principles jeon kyungwook, eur doseon on. This book consists of ten chapters and contains the script of bongsan talchum, a korean mask drama, and photographs of performances. Easily share your publications and get them in front of issuus. Different features in mask designs represented different social classes. Traditional korean mask dance drama is investigated through its history, the common subjects treated by the plays, and religious background of the plays. Hahoe byeolsin gut tal nori created in hahoe, the birthplace of talchum, this mask dance is about 800 years old.
Traditional folk game series talchum mask dance go 60th anniversary of the republic of korea go traditional folk game series ganggangsullae korean circle dances go. Korean mask a facade that reveals ones inner desires. The tradition of mask dance is found throughout the korean peninsula and each regional variation displays distinctive characteristics. Wearing masks or watching the dance, the commoners sangmin expressed their collective sentiment and emotion in specific expressive styles of. Sep 05, 2017 these talchum, accorded national intangible cultural heritage status, are three of the most famous mask dances and are still performed to packed venues in south korea today. Early history the first talchum performances probably took place during the three kingdoms period, from 18 bce to 935 ce.
Introduction to bongsan talchum korean traditional mask dance bongsan mask dance drama video produced by bongsan mask dance drama preservation society in seoul, korea. Talchum is a form of drama featuring the wearing of masks, singing and dancing. Oct 29, 2015 this factual and descriptive lecture, illustrated by original video clips, draws on more than ten years of active research on koreas mask dance dramas, and nearly two decades of as an. Intangible cultural property south korea wikipedia. Behind the mask by yangsook choi goodreads share book. Park explains that talchum is a mask dance, geurimjageuk is a shadow drama, and inhyeonggeuk is a puppet show. Bune represents a flirty young woman in many plays, she appears either as the concubine of yangban, the aristocrat, or of sonbi, the scholar. Korean maskdance and aristotles poetics digital scholarship. Traditional korean theater has a rich and diverse history. Apr 23, 2015 there were several different styles of theater, including talchum, pansori. For instance, the mask dance talchum, one of the representative theatre forms in the chosun period, is regarded as minjung theatre since it was performed and received by the common people. The history of the mask dance dramas has been admirably researched. After trickortreating, kimin discovers a note that was tucked inside the mask from his grandfather, reaffirming that he wanted his grandson to have his masks. The meaning of the word talchum is the mask dance but we might call it a korean traditional musical drama because it has music and drama as well as dance people love the drama because of the artistic touch of masks, the beautiful color combination of the costumes, the dynamic movement of dance, the dramatic music and satire of dialogues of interesting charact.
It is well known in korea as the oldest extant korean history book. Choi tells a measured tale of a boys wish to have the best and scariest costume for halloween and throws in a good measure of korean history and culture along the way. Characteristics of korean maskdance drama scholarworks. Kallie szczepanski is a history teacher specializing in asian history and culture. This dance was popular among village people in the joseon period 921910. Park explains that talchum is a mask dance, geurimjageuk is a shadow drama, and. They appealed to commoner, but more importantly consisted of shamanistic elements. Books in korean about traditional korean theater in osul.
The korean mask is a unique dichotomous symbol, embodying the significance of tradition while allowing the wearer to realize full selfexpression and liberation. Read the history of korean face masks and why koreans wear face masks. Korea information culture and the arts korean cultural. There is a theory that says that name tal for mask comes from chinese language where it meant to be free. Videos ib theatre research presentation libguides at. Although the term talchum is usually taken to mean all mask dance dramas. Who would have thought a dance with scary masks could represent so much of korean history and. Merging aspects of ancient shaman rituals with dancing and.
Talchum is a mask dance accompanied by songs and dramas. This dance was a form of drama when performed that featured masks, singing, and dancing. Talchum or talchum could be characterized as a korean dance performed while wearing a mask, mimicry, miming, speaking and even sometimes singing. With that in mind, a book like yangsook chois, behind the mask comes across as a breath of fresh air in the midst of all this garbage. In the blog post about korean dano festival, i mentioned that one of the key events of the gangneung dano festival is the gangneung gwanno mask dance drama.
Dance the dance of korean culture ohmynews international. I came across a book by mel watkins called on the real side, which uses the lens of humor to talk about inside and outside perception of black entertainers through time. Issuu is a digital publishing platform that makes it simple to publish magazines, catalogs, newspapers, books, and more online. Some of the talchum, or plays performed through dance, also mock stereotyped versions of annoying. Korean mask dance dramas, which still are performed in. A graduate class in asian theatre had brought talchum, koreas masked dancedrama, to my attention, and the lack of information in english eventually led me to apply for a fulbright research grant to learn more. An explanation of kyogen, the comic spoken dialogue plays performed between noh plays or independently, is included, along with a list of sources for further reading. Actually, mask dance is a traditional korean cultural symbol not restricted to gangneung and there are many other places in korea which have their own styles of. Ceremonies and plays with masks have been many different kinds, but now, mask plays as intangible cultural assets are haesuh talchum west coasts mask dance, sandaenori mask dance dramas, ogwangdaefiveclown play,yaryufield play, suhnanangshinjai talchum mask dance with rites for a tutelary deity. Gives the history and a description of noh, the highly refined japanese theater form combining drama, dance, music, and poetry.
Korean mask dance talchum doesnt necessarily mix well with the. All the boys and girls are excited discussing what they will be for halloween. Jungkooks dance is called talchum, meaning mask dance. Talchum is a korean dance performed while wearing a mask and singing. Bongsan talchum is a type of korean traditional mask dance that originated in hwanghae province, north korea.
The main text deals with the masks of korea and other countries, examines the functions and meanings of the masks and looks into the distribution and features of korean mask dramas, the performers and the history. This type of korean musical theater is known for its humor centering on the satire of the upper class and portrayal of commoners life. Project muse the bawdy, brawling, boisterous world of. While it is difficult to trace the origin of talchum, it is believed that talchum began as a part of shaman ritual which was used to please the gods and exorcise the evil spirits and later became a village ritual to pray for an abundant harvest, peace and prosperity. Oct 17, 2019 in any case, traditional korean masks have been used for funerals, curing ceremonies, satirical plays and pure entertainment for centuries. Sejong cultural society bongsan talchum by byungman son. It was originally a regional term only applied to mask dances traditional to hwanghae province. A unique look at halloween, this is a comforting story about death and some of the traditions of korean culture. Mask dance dramas of korea a lecture by cedarbough saeji.
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