Masks are called "Tal" in Korea. "Tal" has two meanings: (1) misfortune or disease (2) 'face' which came from ancient Mongolian. For sometime in history (1270 to 1356), the late Goryeo dynasty was under the Mongol rule (Mongol-ruled Yuan dynasty of China). During this time, northern nomads came over to the Korean Peninsula. They performed mask dances and with them the ancient Mongolian word "tal" was introduced into Korea.
Hahoe Village is in the city of Andong, Gyeongsangbukdo province. It is an isolated village about 25 km away from downtown Andong. The village is located on the Hwachon Stream, an extension of the Nakdong river. The village is famous for preserving a folk art called Hahoe Mask Dance Drama (Hahoe Byeolsingut Talnori) among various other historical facts. The dance drama is a shamanist rite honoring the communal spirits of the village by lower-class people of that time period - Joseon Dynasty. This mask dance drama has been performed for centuries as a village ritual.
The quintessence of this dance drama is to portray the conflicting relationship between Yangban (ruling class) and Sangmin (ruled class) by exposing the difficulties of daily life for Sangmin under the Yangban and Sonbi. It also reveals Buddhist moral challenges in those days through a Buddhist Monk's violation of a religious tenet he was not supposed to break. The mask dance was performed under Yangban's tacit consent in a society in which status and order were strictly observed under a Confucianist state ideology. Through the performances it was possible for Sangmin to settle their oppressed feelings, for Yangban to understand their way of life, and to reduce Sangmin complaints, thereby reinforcing the existing structural systems of the community.
The Hahoe mask dance features eleven characters: the bride (gaksi), the nobleman (yang ban), the scholar (seonbi), the flirty young woman (bune), the Buddhist monk (jung), the butcher (baekjeong), the old woman (halmi), and the nobleman's servant (choraengi). There are two imaginary animals (juji), and the half-finished mask of the scholar's foolish servant (imae). Hahoe mask was originally composed of fourteen masks, but three of them were lost and not handed down through generations.
The Hahoe masks portray human faces, except for the two juji masks. On the basis of physiognomy, their countenances express social position, occupation and economic status. They represent the characteristics of the social position in Korean feudal society.
Villagers believed that the Hahoe masks were spiritual. They treated them carefully and with respect. Actors were said to offer a sacrifice before the chest housing the masks whenever they were removed or returned to storage. It is still reported that the mask is spiritual during a play: it laughs by itself when a performer laughs, and gets angry when the performer gets angry. The masks are designed such that when the performer pulls back his/her head, a string from the upper lip to lower jaw of the mask opens up rendering a broad smile. When the performer lowers his/her head, the mouth of the masks shuts portraying an angry look. Each mask needs to be understood in terms of physiognomy, dynamic description, and social position.
The Hahoe mask dance drama has different stages:
1st stage: Gangsin stage (The folk god comes down from the heaven)
On the 15th of January, the villagers, music players and performers go to the shrine of the folk god. They believe that the folk god comes down from the heaven when the bell rings. Before the performers put on the masks, the person wearing the bride mask (it is believed that the spirit of the folk goddess is in the bride's mask) goes up on someone's shoulder. The traditional percussion group plays music and all return to the village.
2nd stage: Modong Stage (The bride enters into the stage on someone's shoulder)
The young girl (gaksi) enters "on the shoulders of a man". She is the personification of the local goddess. She should never touch the earth. Her actions ensure virtues and blessings from the local goddess. Playing the role of the local goddess is demonstrated by always being carried on the shoulders of a man.
3rd Stage: Juji (Imaginary animal) stage
Both female and male animals enter the stage . They argue and dance together in order to clean the stage before the mask dance.
4th Stage: Butcher's stage
Butcher carries a knife and axe and hangs around the stage. He kills a bull and takes out out its heart and testicle. The butcher tries to sell those to the audience saying that "Confucius also had children. If a man wants to have one, he should have great vigor. So why don't you buy this testicle and enhance your energy?". It is a satire against aristocrats who pretend not to like sexual jokes but enjoy the same.
5th Stage: Widow's stage
She grumbles about her misfortunes while weaving helm cloth. She tells the audience that her husband had died just 3 days after their marriage. She expresses how hard her life had been since then. Her open mouth is always ready to pour out lamentations.
6th Stage: Fallen monk's stage
An attractive concubine dances alone. She pees after making sure that nobody is watching her. But a monk happens to see this and he cannot control his emotions. He approaches and proposes to her. She does not accept his proposal at first but eventually concedes. The stage reflects real human emotions and desires, and reveals the dual nature of a human being as a monk and at the same time as a man. It satirizes the apostasy of Buddhism during the late Goryeo dynasty.
They dance together and run away. This scene is witnessed by a meddler and calls out to a foolish servant. He explains what he saw and criticizes the immoral conduct.
7th stage: Aristocrat and the scholar
The aristocrat and the scholar swagger on the stage arguing who is superior to take a concubine. The butcher enters the stage and try to sell the testicle and heart to them. At first they avoid buying it, but fight for it when they hear that it is good for a man's vigor. The play was performed by commoners and used as one of the ways to work off their complaints about discrimination and social position.
8th stage: Dangjae (the folk god goes back to the heaven)
While the first stage is to receive god from the heaven, the 8th stage is to go back to the heaven. 2-7 stages are performed for the folk goddess. All players and dancers perform a religious ceremony again like in the first stage. They recite a wish and burn it finally. After this, all except scholar, aristocrat, and bride go back to the village.
9th stage: Wedding Stage
According to the legend, the process of making masks was not supposed to be watched. Ms. Kim, the lover of the mask maker stole a look at it. At this time the mask maker had died. Ms. Kim killed herself and her spirit moved to the bride mask. So people hold a wedding ceremony for Ms. Kim and the mask maker in order to console both. The bride and the scholar (groom) go through a wedding ceremony.
10 stage: The first night of their wedding
A marriage is regarded as a holy event. The connection between a male and female results in productivity.
9th and 10th stages are not open to the public.
Andong Hahoe Mask and Drama research society was founded in 1973 and they have performed in Korea and abroad in front of full audiences. Many dignitaries have visited Hahoe village, including her majesty Queen Elizabeth II (1999), George H. Bush, former president of the United States, Moon Jae-in, the president of Korea, and the list goes on.
There is an old saying that if you did not have a chance to watch the mask dance performed in your lifetime, you would not be able to enter heaven’s doors. I was fortunate to visit Hahoe village twice during my stay in South Korea and have indelible memories of this fantastic mask dance-drama that has survived centuries. I have also secured my entry to heaven.