A Brief Introduction to Korean Storytelling
by Hakuin Jimmu
Korean story-telling tends to take one of four forms: folk tales, p’ansori, shamanistic songs, and the Hahoe mask dance.
The traditional folk tales are generally told by the elders and teachers. Their themes typically deal with filial piety, respect for elders and teacher, and origin stories such as “The Origin of the Sun and Moon”[1] and “Why the Sea Is Salty.”[2] A form of this tale is the "True Tale" which are tales told in private homes which relate personal experiences, usually concerning social changes, women’s issues, and recent wars.[3]
Both p’ansori and the shamanistic songs are storieset to music.
The p’ansori is particularly demanding on the performer. A traditional song (called a madang) would take hours to complete and in order to develop the necessary vocal qualities and stamina students would train by standing under waterfalls for hours while screaming. The p’ansori reached its height during the 1800s but today only five madang survive: Heungbuga, Simcheongga, Chunhyangga, Jeokbyeokga and Sugungga. One of them, Jeokbyeokga, is a retelling of the legendary Battle of Red Cliffs. The p’ansori enjoyed a recent revival when a 1993 movie, S’opyonjae, revived public interest in the art form.
Korean shamanism has been so thoroughly influenced by Taoism and Buddhism that its origins, and original practices, have been lost in time. There are two types of shamans, the P’ansu, or male shaman, and the Mudang, or female shaman. The P’ansu is almost insignificant while the Mudang is predominant.[4] Because of its strongly religious nature, shamanistic songs tend to revolve around various worship themes, such as “The Hymn of Songju,” “The Hymn of Kunung,” and “The Hymn of Ch’angpu.”[5]
The Hahoe Mask Dance Drama has its roots as a shamanistic ritual and was traditionally performed in set intervals of three, five and occasionally ten years, the exact timing being determined either by circumstances or revelations of a local goddess. Its purpose is to please the goddess and to rid the village of evil spirits. Although a play of sorts, the villagers did not so much act as spectators but as participants and would begin on lunar New Year’s Day, continuing until midmonth. The characters include Yangan (the arrogant aristocrat), Sonbi (a pedantic scholar), Chung, (a depraved Buddhist monk) among many others. The story is essentially satirical with many elements of humour. The music is provided by a quartet composed of a small gong (kkwaenggwari), a large gong (ching), a large drum (puk), and a long drum (changgo).[6]
Sources
1.
Korean Folktales
2.
Korean Folktales
3.
Asian Storytelling Styles
4.
Intersections Review: Chongho Kim, Korean Shamanism: The Cultural
5.
Korean Shamanistic Rituals by Jung Young Lee
6.
Hahoe Mask Dance Drama
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Featured February 24 , 2008
