''Jeokbyeokga'' is one of the five surviving stories of the Korean ''

pansori ' () is a Korean genre of musical storytelling performed by a singer and a drummer. The term ' is a compounds of the Korean words and , the latter of which means "sound." However, ''pan'' has multiple meanings, and scholars disagree on which ...

'' storytelling tradition. The other stories are

Simcheongga () is one of the five surviving stories of the Korean ''pansori'' storytelling tradition. The other stories are '' Chunhyangga'', '' Heungbuga'', '' Jeokbyeokga'', and '' Sugungga''. The characteristic of this story is that it deals with the dif ...

Heungbuga ''Heungbuga'' () is one of the five surviving stories of the Korean ''pansori'' storytelling tradition. It is also called ''Baktaryeong'' (박타령) or ''Hungboga'' (흥보가). The other stories are ''Simcheongga'', ''Chunhyangga'', '' Jeokbyeok ...

Chunhyangga ''Chunhyangga'' () is a '' pansori'' folktale from Korea''.'' Being a pansori, ''Chunhyangga'' is a narrative art form, and is traditionally performed by two people: a singer and drummer. There is also a story based on the ''Chunhyangga'' pansori ...

and Sugungga. It is also known as ''Hwaryongdo''. This story is a retelling of the Chinese historical legend of the

Battle of Red Cliffs The Battle of Red Cliffs, also known as the Battle of Chibi, was a decisive naval battle in China that took place during the winter of AD 208–209. It was fought on the Yangtze River between the forces of warlords controlling different parts ...

. ''Jeokbyeokga'' is a heroic story. Therefore, the expressions are grand, sublime, and strong. Accordingly, female singers rarely sing it. ''Jeokbyeokga'' has many scenes depicting conflict between the king, feudal lords and a commander, so the singer must have the capability of making grand vocalizations. A singer with an intense voice is aptly suited for ''Jeokbyeokga''. ''Jeokbyeokga'' is considered to be the most difficult ''pansori'', even though it is short.

Plot

The basic plot of ''Jeokbyeokga'' is from the 14th century novel ''

Romance of the Three Kingdoms ''Romance of the Three Kingdoms'' () is a 14th-century historical novel attributed to Luo Guanzhong. It is set in the turbulent years towards the end of the Han dynasty and the Three Kingdoms period in Chinese history, starting in 184 AD and ...

'' by

Luo Guanzhong Luo Ben (c. 1330–1400, or c.1280–1360), better known by his courtesy name Guanzhong (Mandarin pronunciation: ), was a Chinese novelist who lived during the Ming dynasty. He is also known by his pseudonym Huhai Sanren (). Luo Guanzhon ...

. It starts when characters

Liu Bei Liu Bei (, ; ; 161 – 10 June 223), courtesy name Xuande (), was a China, Chinese warlord in the late Han dynasty#Eastern Han, Eastern Han dynasty who later became the founding Emperor of China, emperor of Shu Han, one of the Three Kingdoms of ...

Guan Yu Guan Yu (; ), courtesy name Yunchang, was a Chinese military general serving under the warlord Liu Bei during the late Eastern Han dynasty of China. Along with Zhang Fei, he shared a brotherly relationship with Liu Bei and accompanied him on ...

, and

Zhang Fei Zhang Fei () (; died July or August 221 AD), courtesy name Yide (益德), was a Chinese military general and politician serving under the warlord Liu Bei in the late Han dynasty#Eastern Han, Eastern Han dynasty and early Three Kingdoms period ...

take an oath by blood to become brothers at Dowon. The last part is Liu Bei and Guan Yu's episode of Red Cliff. The highlights of ''Jeokbyeokga'' include 'the Sorrow of the Military,' 'Fire of Red Cliff,' 'Bird Song,' and 'Jangseung Song' which don't exist in the original version of ''Romance of the Three Kingdoms''. Those come from '' deoneum'' which have been slowly made over a long period of time by the singers of ''pansori''. In the ''Romance of the Three Kingdoms'', the military is only used to redound the glory of the main admiral character and hero; however, in ''Jeokbyeokga'', the military part stands out. Especially Sin Jae-hyo's ''Jeokbyeokga'' version made this part more prominent.Korean traditions encyclopedia
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Pansori ' () is a Korean genre of musical storytelling performed by a singer and a drummer. The term ' is a compounds of the Korean words and , the latter of which means "sound." However, ''pan'' has multiple meanings, and scholars disagree on which ...

is a performance in which a soloist leads a long story. In order to keep audience's interest, the singer should make proper humorous expressions. The humorous aspects of military are found in ''Jeokbyeokga'', which are not shown in the ''Romance of the Three Kingdoms''. The ''Jeokbyeokga'' altered the consistent grand and sublime atmosphere, adding the humorous expressions.

References

Pansori Korean folklore Works based on Romance of the Three Kingdoms {{Korea-stub

Plot

See also

References