Culture Focus
Korean Traditional Recreation - 4
Religion and traditional recreation
Koreans have held a variety of beliefs and religious faiths through history. Buddhism, Daoism, and shamanism were prevalent during the Three Kingdoms and Goryeo periods, while Confucianism was predominant during the Joseon period. In this section, we will examine forms of recreation related to Confucianism, Buddhism, and shamanism.
He memorizes Dangeum (Tang Lyrics) every day. If he sees even one character of any poem, he can recite the whole poem like in the game called chojungjong nori. When considering this, it looks as though he will not have any difficulty mastering any tasks that deal with words.
From the above, we can assume that the children of the royal family and the yangban (ruling class) played this game often. Sasojeol (Elementary Matter of Etiquette for Scholar Families) by Yi Deok-mu also contains records about this game. In Korean Play, a record of recreation from the late Joseon period, this game is introduced in English as "Tcho—tyoung—tjyang." According to this book, the players open a Chinese book, and the person who finds and records the most number of first characters of classical poems wins. Therefore, it was advantageous to know many poems of the Tang dynasty.
From the above records, we can conjecture that chojungjong nori was a universal game known to everyone who could read and write in the Joseon period. Before students in village schools or lecture halls wrote their own poems, they played this game often to memorize the best verses of their ancestors. One student might begin reciting a poem, and another student would recite the rest of it. Teams would also be formed, and each team leader would question the other team. Other games which helped students with their studies include seunggyeongdo nori, which helped players to understand government offices; namseungdo nori, which taught players about the scenic areas of each region; and goeulmodum, which familiarized players with the location and characteristics of each region.
This game was devised in the Goryeo period by modifying the prayer for ascent to paradise found in the Hyeonhaenggyeong (a Buddhist text from the thirteenth century). The game was passed down among the Buddhist orders until Ha Ryun, a politician in the early Joseon period, used the game board to create new rules. Ha Ryun created seunggyeongdo, which shows how government offices were attained in that period. From this, it is possible to guess that Ha Ryun referenced seongbuldo nori when he created seunggyeongdo. The form of the game that is passed down today was reorganized at a later date by Seosan Daesa (Great Master Seosan). Of this game, Seosan Daesa said, "To old and feeble people living in temples, this seongbuldo is like spending time in the sun, and (is) like cool water to someone with a high fever." This game became advantageous to Buddhism because it allowed people to learn about Buddhism while playing a fun game.
1. Confucianism: Chojungjong nori
Chojungjong nori is played by one person reading a part of a poem (traditional three-verse Korean poems called sijo or traditional Chinese poems), and the other players must recite or choose the remainder. Because the players must know how to write, this game was played often in village schools (seodang) during break times. In the Annals of the Joseon Dynasty and Ilseongnok (Daily Records of the Royal Court and Important Officials), King Jeongjo asks about the crown prince's degree of learning. The response to the king is as follows:He memorizes Dangeum (Tang Lyrics) every day. If he sees even one character of any poem, he can recite the whole poem like in the game called chojungjong nori. When considering this, it looks as though he will not have any difficulty mastering any tasks that deal with words.
From the above, we can assume that the children of the royal family and the yangban (ruling class) played this game often. Sasojeol (Elementary Matter of Etiquette for Scholar Families) by Yi Deok-mu also contains records about this game. In Korean Play, a record of recreation from the late Joseon period, this game is introduced in English as "Tcho—tyoung—tjyang." According to this book, the players open a Chinese book, and the person who finds and records the most number of first characters of classical poems wins. Therefore, it was advantageous to know many poems of the Tang dynasty.
From the above records, we can conjecture that chojungjong nori was a universal game known to everyone who could read and write in the Joseon period. Before students in village schools or lecture halls wrote their own poems, they played this game often to memorize the best verses of their ancestors. One student might begin reciting a poem, and another student would recite the rest of it. Teams would also be formed, and each team leader would question the other team. Other games which helped students with their studies include seunggyeongdo nori, which helped players to understand government offices; namseungdo nori, which taught players about the scenic areas of each region; and goeulmodum, which familiarized players with the location and characteristics of each region.
2. Buddhism: Seongbuldo nori (Attaining Nirvana Game)
Seongbuldo nori is a Buddhist game based on the process of enlightenment. This game uses a game board, dice, and game pieces to recreate the process of escaping the six destinies and the cycle of transmigration to attain Buddhahood. The players toss three sixsided dice with one of six characters from the phrase "Namuamitabul" (na, mu, a, mi, ta, bul; "I sincerely turn to Amitabha") written on each side. Depending on the combination of the dice, the players move their pieces through the six realms of existence until they finally escape the cycle of rebirth and attain divine enlightenment.This game was devised in the Goryeo period by modifying the prayer for ascent to paradise found in the Hyeonhaenggyeong (a Buddhist text from the thirteenth century). The game was passed down among the Buddhist orders until Ha Ryun, a politician in the early Joseon period, used the game board to create new rules. Ha Ryun created seunggyeongdo, which shows how government offices were attained in that period. From this, it is possible to guess that Ha Ryun referenced seongbuldo nori when he created seunggyeongdo. The form of the game that is passed down today was reorganized at a later date by Seosan Daesa (Great Master Seosan). Of this game, Seosan Daesa said, "To old and feeble people living in temples, this seongbuldo is like spending time in the sun, and (is) like cool water to someone with a high fever." This game became advantageous to Buddhism because it allowed people to learn about Buddhism while playing a fun game.
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The rules of the game are recorded in Seosan Daesa's Gogi (Old Record) and Yi Neung-hwa's Junggangi. The game board is separated into outer and inner spaces with the six realms of existence arranged on the outside and the three gates on the inside. The outside space lists the six realms of existence experienced in the rebirth cycle: hellish, ghostly, animal, human, demi-god, and heavenly. The inside space includes Yeombul gate, Gyeongjeol gate, and Wondon gate. The inside is separated into spaces numbered 1 to 49 and the outside is separated into spaces 50 to 107. The players start on the outside track in a space which correlates with the realm of humans. They circle the outside and must enter the inside before going on to attain enlightenment. The rules can be explained in greater detail as follows. First, a player collects the three dice respectfully in their hands and then reverently states "Namuamitabul!" while tossing the dice. All of the players recite the phrase together. The player then moves his piece according to the roll of the dice and the predetermined rules. For example, if the player rolls three bul characters, the player can place his piece on the Hwoegwangjeon no matter where they are currently on the board. |
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If the player rolls three nam (na) characters, the player's piece immediately goes to the Haetaegul. If a player rolls three bul characters or three ta characters three times, they are awarded another turn. Rolling three mi characters or three a characters three times is the same as throwing two ta characters. The game also includes detailed penalties. Any player who throws the dice without saying the required phrase must immediately place their piece in Mugolchung, which represents them being reborn as a boneless insect. Players who get angry or taunt the other players must go to Jeontara, the lowest class on the path of humans. If you attempt to cheat, your piece is placed in Maengnonga, a place for the blind, deaf, and dumb. A player must go to Byeonji if he or she throws the dice too far or tosses them with one hand, and the player loses his or her turn if he or she recites the phrase too quickly or slowly or changes the phrase to get a better outcome. Seongbuldo nori is a game that is still sometimes passed down amongst Buddhist monks. Even lay Buddhists and novices can use this game to learn the doctrine and worldviews of Buddhism while having fun. This dignified game even helps Buddhists strengthen their faith as they play while thinking of the process of enlightenment. The game is fun to play even with strict rules, and it includes the Buddhist ideals of equality and public harmony. It is a valuable Buddhist tradition that utilizes free time as an extension of devotion. |
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3. Shamanism
Rituals in shamanism are called gut. Singing and dancing are so important in gut that one could say that a gut is composed of song and dance. The dance and song in gut are acts of supplication to a spirit. These actions are meant to please and appease the spirits so that they will fulfill the wishes of humans. Therefore, the format of a gut follows formats that would please humans as well, and you can say that the most common types of recreation that bring joy to people are singing and dancing.Of course, shamans performed song and dance alone to determine the will of the spirits, but other people would also join them in the gut to sing and dance. In fact, the saying "I won't do a gut because I can't stand the sight of my daughter-in-law dancing" gives us an idea of what a gut might have been like.
The maeul gut (village gut), which is sometimes seen in the provinces, has a stronger atmosphere of recreation. It is also called the byeolsin gut (rite for the village guardian spirits) or the dodang gut (tutelary rite). In contrast to the dongje (village-ritual ceremony), in which written prayers are read out, the village customs are more important in these rituals. All members of a community can participate together in the byeolsin gut regardless of rank or gender. In this way it became a village festival to celebrate the will of the spirits, and be seen as a surviving form of the large assemblies of the state (gukjungdaehoe).
A representative example of an agricultural village byeolsin gut is the "Hahoe byeolsin gut" performed in Andong. The Hahoe Mask Dance (hahoetalchum), performed as part of this byeolsin gut, unifies performers and audience in an enjoyable satire of the contradictions and hypocrisy of feudal society.
Different forms of recreation like the Mask Dance also go hand in hand with shamanistic rituals in the byeolsin gut of fishing villages. The hereditary shamans who lead the gut excel in providing entertainment. People judge a shaman more on his or her ability to sing and dance and to joyfully lead the ritual than they do on any miraculous outcomes of the ritual itself. Therefore, the more entertaining aspects of the byeolsin gut are included merely for spectacle, and are more recreational than ritual.
Some fishing villages include a separate gut for recreation in their byeolsin gut. In between the rituals performed by the shamans, villagers took turns ascending to the ritual stage to sing and dance to the rhythm of the instruments. During a gut, people who became excited might join in and dance with the shamans, but in the gut for recreation, the shamans completely cleared the gut site and helped the villagers to dance and play happily. Sometimes, these gut for recreation lasted from the end of a gut throughout the whole night until the next gut started the following day.
The final part of the ritual consists in sending the spirits back and is called the geori gut. It is a wild display of exaggerated body movements combined with humor, satire, jokes, songs, insults and swearing. The recreation takes place in the area set aside for the ritual.
Infokorea 2020
Infokorea is a magazine that introduces Korea to readers overseas, including teachers, textbook developers and other educators. The magazine offers the latest statistics on the Republic of Korea and articles that focus on Korean culture, society and history, which can be used as a reference source for textbook writers and editors and as materials for teachers to prepare for class. The theme of the 2020 issue was overview of Korean Traditional Recreation.
Infokorea is a magazine that introduces Korea to readers overseas, including teachers, textbook developers and other educators. The magazine offers the latest statistics on the Republic of Korea and articles that focus on Korean culture, society and history, which can be used as a reference source for textbook writers and editors and as materials for teachers to prepare for class. The theme of the 2020 issue was overview of Korean Traditional Recreation.
