Over spring break last year, I went to South Korea and decided to get each of my family members a gift from there. My dad has always been interested in masks and skulls, and these are two things I have seen in a lot of different cultures. When I went on a class trip to Puerto Rico, we did a cultural immersion activity where we learned about coconut masks, so I decided to look into masks in South Korea. I came across hahoe masks, which come from the Hahoe village in South Korea.
The hahoe masks originate all the way back to the Joseon Dynasty, where they were used for different rituals in the village. They were carved out of wood and given different expressions, and they were then painted to provide more detail.
I have linked a few examples of different masks and their expressions below.
The performers who wore the masks and performed the dances were often peasants and people from the lower classes. The dances were often satirical and brought humor into the lives of those who watched them. These dances were often done to make fun of the higher ruling classes or the people they were serving. Hahoe dances were not just for entertainment; they were to show the hardships of the lower class and what they had been struggling with. The rituals and dances allowed them to express themselves. https://youtu.be/7nFFu4oufEw?si=Fa1lSXmdeSfxxIda. This link brings you to a video of pieces of the dance itself. In this video, it mentions that farmers would also participate in these dances after the Lunar New Year for fifteen days. After more research, I found out that these dances hold both satirical meaning and are used to connect to local deities.
The hahoe tradition has twelve specific characters that must be present. A lot of effort was placed into each of the masks to represent them as characters and who they are in society. For example, the Buddhist Monk would have had a lot of power in the past, so the mask allows for the performer to laugh, and it also gives the performer narrow eyes. Another character is the old woman who has many wrinkles, wide eyes, and both its forehead and chin are pointed upward to represent blessings from those above. Each mask was intricately designed to truly portray them as a character. These characters are used in the ten episodes that are performed with the hahoe masks. The first two episodes are used to honor the village deities, and the second one is used to take away the evil spirits and cleanse the stage. All the episodes consist of a full performance, some with music, singing, and dances.
These dances were important in the past and remain important. The village was even recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site to show the cultures in the village that have been passed down for generations. https://youtu.be/Xoq3WSjGEkk?si=_R41t314dlSmzhyQ. This video shows a little bit more about the village and its architecture and significance today.
This is another video that shows an entire performance. https://youtu.be/rdxcZnHioYA?si=0RYALO7XZXMoMrED. There are many instruments and loud noises involved to get their point across. It also has a lot of different props involved. If I ever get the pleasure of going back to Korea, I would love to go and see this ancient ritual.
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