''Songpasandae-nori'' () is a type of ''
sandae noli
''Sandae-nori'' () is a regional variant of Korean mask dance drama. According to some scholars, it 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 charg ...
'',
Korea
Korea is a peninsular region in East Asia consisting of the Korean Peninsula, Jeju Island, and smaller islands. Since the end of World War II in 1945, it has been politically Division of Korea, divided at or near the 38th parallel north, 3 ...
n traditional
mask
A mask is an object normally worn on the face, typically for protection, disguise, performance, or entertainment, and often employed for rituals and rites. Masks have been used since antiquity for both ceremonial and practical purposes, ...
play which has been handed down in the neighborhoods of
Songpa-dong and
Garak-dong in modern-day Seoul, South Korea. ''Sandae Noli'' is a mask dance that developed in Seoul and the mid of metropolitan region.
History
''Songpasandae-nori'' began with a cheerful parade called ''georigut'' (거리굿) or ''gilnori'' (길놀이) as circling around the Songpa Market and nearby town in order to attract people to their performance. The two terms literally mean "street shamanistic ritual" and "street performance" respectively. When parading, they wore masks and costumes, and played a type of marching music, ''gilgunak'' (길군악).
With a decorative small flag used by farmers or ''yeonggi'' (영기, 令旗)
at the head, the performers followed the musicians in procession. After the parade, they used an
amulet
An amulet, also known as a good luck charm or phylactery, is an object believed to confer protection upon its possessor. The word "amulet" comes from the Latin word , which Pliny's ''Natural History'' describes as "an object that protects a perso ...
to ward off misfortune and to wish everyone in the market to have good health and fortune.
Preparation
The performers hold a ''seomakgosa'' (), a kind of ''
jesa
''Jesa'' (, ) is a ceremony commonly practiced in Korea. Jesa functions as a Ancestor veneration, memorial to the ancestors of the participants. Jesa are usually held on the anniversary of the ancestor's death. The majority of Catholic Church in ...
'', sacrificial rite before the ''sandaenoli'' begins. Masks used for the coming performance are placed on a table setting for the ''jesa'' along with several varieties of food, and performers pour alcoholic beverages into a bowl and bow toward the table. This rite is to honor the dead and wish them to rest in peace, as well as to expect to have a good performance.
Story
It consists of 12 acts called ''gwajang'' () or ''madang'' () in Korean. ''Songpa sandaenoli'' candidly depicts conflicts between classes and human nature.
Cultural significance
''Songpasandae-nori'' was designated as the 49th item on the list of
Important Intangible Cultural Properties of Korea
National Intangible Cultural Heritage () is a national-level designation within the Heritage preservation in South Korea, heritage preservation system of South Korea for intangible cultural heritage. This and other national-level designations are ...
by the South Korean
Cultural Heritage Administration
The Korea Heritage Service (), formerly the Cultural Heritage Administration and Cultural Properties Administration, is the agency of the South Korean government charged with preserving and promoting Korean cultural heritage. It is headquartere ...
in 1973.
Gallery
Image:Korean mask dance-Songpa sandaenori-01.jpg
Image:Korean mask dance-Songpa sandaenori-04.jpg
Image:Korean mask dance-Songpa sandaenori-07.jpg
Image:Korean mask dance-Songpa sandaenori-08.jpg
See also
*
Talchum
() is a Korean dance performed while wearing a mask, and often involves singing and dancing.
Although the term is usually taken to mean all mask dance dramas by most Koreans, it is strictly speaking a regional term originally only applied to ...
*
Namsadang nori
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.
It is said that ''namsadang'' was spontaneously formed before ...
*
Important Intangible Cultural Properties of Korea
National Intangible Cultural Heritage () is a national-level designation within the Heritage preservation in South Korea, heritage preservation system of South Korea for intangible cultural heritage. This and other national-level designations are ...
References
Further reading
*
*
External links
Information and video clip on Songpasandae-nori Seoul Metropolitan Government
The Seoul Metropolitan Government () is a local government of Seoul, South Korea. The mayor is elected to a four-year term by the citizens of Seoul and is responsible for the administration of the city government. The Seoul Metropolitan Governmen ...
Video with highlights from Songpasandae-nori YouTube
YouTube is an American social media and online video sharing platform owned by Google. YouTube was founded on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim who were three former employees of PayPal. Headquartered in ...
1984 publication by Cho, Ohkon with the script of Songpasandae-nori in English, Korea Journal
{{DEFAULTSORT:Songpa Sandae Noli
Korean dance
National Intangible Cultural Heritage of South Korea