Hahoe byeolsingut talnori (하회별신굿탈놀이, 河回別神굿탈놀이) or "Hahoe special ritual drama to the gods" is a

Korea Korea ( ko, 한국, or , ) is a peninsular region in East Asia. Since 1945, it has been divided at or near the 38th parallel, with North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) comprising its northern half and South Korea (Republic o ...

n masked dance-drama performed every three, five, or ten years at the request of the village deity in

Hahoe The Hahoe Folk Village (Korean: 안동하회마을) is a traditional village from the Joseon Dynasty, located in Andong, Gyeongsangbuk-do, South Korea. The 'Ha' is short for river and 'hoe' means to 'turn around, return, come back. The village ...

Andong Andong () is a city in South Korea, and the capital of North Gyeongsang Province. It is the largest city in the northern part of the province with a population of 167,821 as of October 2010. The Nakdong River flows through the city. Andong is a m ...

, North Gyeongsang Province. The village is a

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...

World Heritage Site A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...

, the dance-drama an Important Intangible Cultural Property, and a collection of thirteen (13) masks are a

National Treasure The idea of national treasure, like national epics and national anthems, is part of the language of romantic nationalism, which arose in the late 18th century and 19th centuries. Nationalism is an ideology that supports the nation as the fundame ...

. The ritual shares some of the major themes of Korean masked drama and

Korean shamanism Korean shamanism or Mu-ism is a religion from Korea. In the Korean language, alternative terms for the tradition are ''musok'' () and ''mugyo'' (무교, 巫敎). Scholars of religion have classified it as a folk religion. There is no central auth ...

, namely

satire Satire is a genre of the visual, literary, and performing arts, usually in the form of fiction and less frequently non-fiction, in which vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, often with the intent of shaming ...

and the ridicule of

apostate Apostasy (; grc-gre, ἀποστασία , 'a defection or revolt') is the formal disaffiliation from, abandonment of, or renunciation of a religion by a person. It can also be defined within the broader context of embracing an opinion that ...

Buddhist priests and the nobility.

Ritual

The annual village fertility rites known as ''dong-je'' include the reading of charms and prayers, but no masked drama. The special ritual of ''byeolsingut talnori'' or ''pyŏlsin kut-nori'' is performed irregularly at the end of December and early January in order to appease the deity Seonangsin. It has a five-hundred year history and has been designated an Important Intangible Cultural Property (No. 69, designated 1980). After a period of purification and confinement, there is a procession that is followed by the masked dance-drama, in eight main episodes (''madang''): :(1) Shaman episode (''Mudong madang'') :(2) Lion episode (''Juji madang'') :(3) Butcher's episode (''Baekjeong madang'') :(4) Old widow's episode (''Halmi madang'') :(5) Apostate monk’s episode (''Pagyeseong madang'') :(6) Nobleman and scholar’s episode (''Yangban and Seonbi madang'') :(7) Wedding ceremony episode (''Holrye madang'') :(8) Wedding night’s episode (''Sinbang madang'') The dance-drama, with musical accompaniment, exhibits considerable ribaldry, with the lions fighting and simulating intercourse; the butcher acting out the sacrifice of a bull before try to sell its heart and testicles; the old widow at the loom sadly singing of her solitary life; the lecherous, apostate monk stumbling upon ''Pune'', a flirtatious young woman or dancing girl, while she micturates and, aroused, sniffing the ground before running off with her; the nobleman and scholar attempting to win ''Punes favours by boasting of their good-breeding and learning, while she flirts with each in turn by killing his lice, before the proceedings are interrupted by a tax-collector; followed by the reenactment of a wedding ceremony and the ensuing wedding night that is so lifelike that minors and women are not allowed to watch.

Masks

Eleven masks (11) from Hahoe and two from the neighbouring village of Byeongsan have been designated a

(No. 121, designated 1964). While festival masks are typically made from a gourd or paper, and are often burned after the festivities are over, these masks are of painted alder wood, with movable jaws separately attached with a cord. The eleven surviving Hahoe masks – others are believed lost, including that of the bachelor (''Chonggak'') – include the two lions (''Juji''), butcher (''Baekjeong''), old widow (''Halmi''), the depraved monk (''Chung''), flirtatious young woman (''Pune''), nobleman (''Yangban''), scholar (''Seonbi''), bride (''Gaksi''), meddling low-class merchant (''Choraengi''), and fool (''Imae''). The masks are now to be found in the Hahoe Mask Museum.

References

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External links

Cultural Heritage of Korea

Hahoe Mask Museum

Historic Villages of Korea: Hahoe and Yangdong (UNESCO)
Important Intangible Cultural Properties of South Korea Masquerade ceremonies in Asia Masked dances Ceremonies in South Korea

Ritual

Masks

See also

References

External links