Abstract

Talchum mask dances of Youngnam district are originated from the performance of Chukkwangdae. But the latter does not exist any more as a performance. It is an intangible cultural asset which died out. The importance of Chukkwangdae lies on the fact that it influenced not only ‘Chogye Bammaly Okwangdae’ of Hapcheon, Kyungnam province, but also the formation of Okwangdae and night festival culture which prevailed throught Youngnam district. Documents do not show clearly the origin or genesis of Chukkwangdae performance. Researches are insufficient on the subject from where that culture took place. So, I would like to derive directly or indirectly theses from documents which will serve as evidences. The result will be proved by a logical, deductive method. Town’s folks habitually hold a ritual called Talgosa before performing mask dance in Korea. Inhabitants give a worship ritual called Dangjae or Dongjae to a shrine called Seonangdang in advance. Afterward, they play Talnoly (mask dance). That’s the order. The shrine called Seonangdang has a religious character. It serves for a specifically confined spirit of that town. Folks take their traditional common belief as an ancestral tablet. And they dedicate a worship ritual for the ancestral tablet inside the shrine. So, they call the ritual as Dongjae which means a town’s worship ritual. Buy the way, Chukkwangdae was a wandering group which specialized in commercial entertaining performance. They always dedicated a worship ritual for their home town (Dowhoagol of Ulsan) shrine spirit called ‘Ulsan Seonangdang Gaksy doll’ before playing the clown. Ulsan Seonangdang Gaksy doll was the subject of their performance. She was also the object of their religious belief. Consequently, Chukkwangdae was a clown group who led their lives in Ulsan Dowhoagol.