Talchum
Encyclopedia
Talchum could be characterized as a Korean dance
performed while wearing a mask, miming, speaking and even sometimes singing. Although most Koreans believe that talchum
refers to all mask dance dramas, it is in fact a regional term only properly applied to dances of Hwanghae
Province in present day North Korea
. Dances from the Seoul
or Gyeonggi Province region are known as sandae noli
, whereas the dances from the southern coast are known as yayu which means field play or ogwangdae which means dance of five clowns. Korean mask dance dramas are not just dances performed by masked dancers but also include significant dramatic content with masked characters portraying people, animals and sometimes supernatural beings. These folk dramas reflect the frustrations felt by the lower classes towards the Confucian literati Yangban, due to the latter's treatment of the commoners, show the life of the common man and process social problems such as monks who ignore their precepts and men who cast off their old wives.
; Gyeonggi-do
province's Yangju Byeolsandae, Songpa Sandae Noli
Mask Dances; Gyeongsangnam-do
province's Suyeong Yayu, Dongnae Yayu, Gasan Ogwangdae, Tongyeong Ogwangdae, Goseong Ogwangdae
; Gyeongsangbukdo province's Hahoe Byeolshin'gut Talnoli; Gangwon
province's Gangneung Gwanno Gamyeon'guk Mask Dance; and the Namsadang
(Male Itinerant Entertaining Troupe of the Northern Line) Deotboegichum Mask Dance. Among those, Bongsan Talchum and Hahoi Byeolshin'gut Talnoli are best known today.
Korean dance
Dance in Korea began with shamanistic early rituals five thousand years ago and now ranges from folk dance to newly created and adapted contemporary dance.-Overview:Korean traditional dance originated in ancient shamanistic rituals thousands of years ago...
performed while wearing a mask, miming, speaking and even sometimes singing. Although most Koreans believe that talchum
Talchum
Talchum could be characterized as a Korean dance performed while wearing a mask, miming, speaking and even sometimes singing. Although most Koreans believe that talchum refers to all mask dance dramas, it is in fact a regional term only properly applied to dances of Hwanghae Province in present day...
refers to all mask dance dramas, it is in fact a regional term only properly applied to dances of Hwanghae
Hwanghae
Hwanghae was one of the Eight Provinces of Korea during the Joseon Dynasty. Hwanghae was located in the northwest of Korea. The provincial capital was Haeju.The regional name for the province was Haesŏ .-History:...
Province in present day North Korea
North Korea
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
. Dances from the Seoul
Seoul
Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...
or Gyeonggi Province region are known as sandae noli
Sandae noli
Korean mask dance dramas come in several regional variants, one of which is the sandae noli variant. According to some scholars sandae noli may be the root form of many other Korean mask dance dramas today, as it was created and managed by the Sandae Dogam, a government office in charge of...
, whereas the dances from the southern coast are known as yayu which means field play or ogwangdae which means dance of five clowns. Korean mask dance dramas are not just dances performed by masked dancers but also include significant dramatic content with masked characters portraying people, animals and sometimes supernatural beings. These folk dramas reflect the frustrations felt by the lower classes towards the Confucian literati Yangban, due to the latter's treatment of the commoners, show the life of the common man and process social problems such as monks who ignore their precepts and men who cast off their old wives.
Characteristics
Mask dance dramas share fundamental characteristics, even though they vary considerably according to region and performer. Their basic themes are exorcism rites, ritual dances, biting satire, parody of human weaknesses, social evils and the privileged class. They appeal to the audiences by ridiculing apostate Buddhist monks, decadent upper classmen, and shamans. Another popular theme is the conflict between an old wife and a seductive concubine. With regional variations, the mask dance drama was generally performed on the First Full Moon, Buddha's Birthday on the Eighth of the Fourth Moon, Dano Festival and Chuseok. Variations may have been performed at festive state occasions or at rituals to supplicate for rain. The enthusiastic participation of the audience is the most remarkable feature of Korean mask dance drama. There is little distinction between the actors and the audience toward the end of a performance, as they join together in robust dance and bring it to a finale.Styles
Mask dance dramas have been transmitted from all parts of the country. There are about thirteen different types of mask dance drama in Korea ― Hwanghaedo province's Haeseo style, such as Bongsan Talchum, Gangnyeong Talchum, Eunyul TalchumEunyul talchum
The Eunyul talchum is a type of talchum, Korean traditional mask drama which has been handed down in Eunyul, Hwanghae Province, present North Korea. It is also one of sandaenori is a mask dance that developed in Seoul and the mid of metropolitan region. It is designated as the No...
; Gyeonggi-do
Gyeonggi-do
Gyeonggi-do is the most populous province in South Korea. The provincial capital is located at Suwon. Seoul—South Korea's largest city and national capital—is located in the heart of the province, but has been separately administered as a provincial-level special city since 1946...
province's Yangju Byeolsandae, Songpa Sandae Noli
Songpa Sandae Noli
Songpa Sandae Noli is a type of sandae noli, Korean traditional mask play which has been handed down in the neighborhoods of Songpa-dong and Garak-dong in modern-day Seoul, South Korea...
Mask Dances; Gyeongsangnam-do
Gyeongsangnam-do
Gyeongsangnam-do is a province in the southeast of South Korea. The provincial capital is located at Changwon. It contains the major metropolitan center and port of Busan. Located there is UNESCO World Heritage Site Haeinsa, a Buddhist temple that houses the Tripitaka Koreana and attracts many...
province's Suyeong Yayu, Dongnae Yayu, Gasan Ogwangdae, Tongyeong Ogwangdae, Goseong Ogwangdae
Goseong ogwangdae
Goseong ogwangdae is a Korean traditional masked dance performance which was selected as the seventh Important Intangible Cultural Property on 24 December 1964, following Tongyeong ogwandae...
; Gyeongsangbukdo province's Hahoe Byeolshin'gut Talnoli; Gangwon
Gangwon (historical)
Gangwon Province or Gangwon-do was one of the Eight Provinces of Korea during the Joseon Dynasty. The province was formed in 1395, and derived its name from the names of the principal cities of Gangneung and the provincial capital Wonju .In 1895, Gangwon-do was replaced by the Districts of...
province's Gangneung Gwanno Gamyeon'guk Mask Dance; and the Namsadang
Namsadang
The namsadang is a Korean itinerant troupe which consists of male performers who present various performing arts such as acrobatics, singing, dancing and playing like a circus....
(Male Itinerant Entertaining Troupe of the Northern Line) Deotboegichum Mask Dance. Among those, Bongsan Talchum and Hahoi Byeolshin'gut Talnoli are best known today.