A mask dance that has been enjoyed by the Korean people is the oldest of all Korean folk dances. The mask dance evolved from a hunting dance that primitive people used to do wearing animal masks.
An animal mask dance was dominant in the primitive and ancient times, while a human mask dance that gave a vivid description of human life was also popular in the period of the Three Kingdoms. Some of the human mask dances were painted on some murals of the Koguryo tombs and some others were similar to “Kiak Dance” of Koguryo and Paekje. In the period of Palhae and Later Silla, there were several kinds of mask dances like Dragon Mask Dance of Palhae, “Choyong Dance” of Later Silla, Lion Mask Dance described in “Hyangak 5 Dances”, Woljon, Sokdok and Taemyon. During the Koryo dynasty, the mask dance became more diverse in kind and mask dance dramas that showed historical facts as they were also became fashionable. During the feudal Joson dynasty, the mask dance performed by village dancers, developed into a folk dance with provincial features. The mask dances in the latter half of the feudal Joson dynasty are classified with each local distinction into Pongsan Mask Dance and Haeju Mask Dance in Hwanghae Province, Lion Mask Dance in Phyongan Province and Hamgyong Province, Sandae masked drama in Kyonggi Province, Ogwangdae Dance and Field Dance in Kyongsang Province.
The folk mask dance loved by our people is valuable heritage of our national dance and an excellent cultural treasure that deserves to be boasted of to the world. As mask dances were performed mainly on outdoor stages, movements of arms and legs rather than acting or words raised artistic influence by giving a vivid and skillful portrayal of life.
To sum up, the Korean mask dance is one of the precious legacies of national culture with a long tradition and rich contents that represents the national aesthetic sense and emotions by dint of diverse and unique dancing techniques, and it is still widely danced with eternal viability.
Kim Son Yong, researcher at the Academy of Social Sciences
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