Today’s Enlightening Entertainment will be presented in Korean, with subtitles in Arabic, Aulacese (Vietnamese), Chinese, English, French, German, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Malay, Mongolian, Persian, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish and Thai.

Halo, amiable viewers and welcome to today’s episode of Enlightening Entertainment here on Supreme Master Television. In a two-part series, we’ll enjoy the folk cultures of North Korea and South Korea.

Villages throughout the Korean peninsula get together at special times of the year to wish for peace and happiness upon their communities. Today, we’ll get to know about Hamgyeong Province in North Korea, where Dondolnari folk songs and dance are performed. Let’s find out why it’s so meaningful and special to the local people.

Dondolnari originated from Bukcheong, North Korea and has been widely conducted in the county, especially at Mount Morae in Sokhumyeon, where women pick wild chives. After they finish picking, the housewives along with villagers engage in an amusing play involving the whole community. The play not only relaxes mind and body but also conveys wishes for a good harvest and peace for the village. This is the origin of Dondolnari.

Dondolnari, Dondolnari, Dondolnari Rirarirari Dondolnari

Rirarirari Dondolnari Dondolnari, Dondolnari, Dondolnari Dondolnari over Mount Blue, Morae County. Dondolnari over Mount Blue, Morae County.

The word Dondolnari roughly translates as “the day dawns.” To learn more about this spirited local folk art, our Supreme Master Television correspondent met with Mr. Dong Young Beom, director of the Bukcheong Folk Arts Preservation Society, as well as the group’s members.

With regard to Dondolnari, the folk song was used as a means to gather and unite people such as housewives and men, who would sing Dondolnari in Bukcheong before the Lion Play began. So, housewives gathered together to play at Namdaecheon Stream, and later on, men joined them to play Dondolnari and the Lion Play. The main purpose of this play is to seek a good harvest and harmony and peace of the village.

How early did you learn Dondolnari?

I learned it when I was about 13 years old in the North.

Who taught you?

I just watched the adults do it and followed them.

Do all the villagers dance together?

Yes. The village people dance altogether.

Only women dance, don’t they?

No, all villagers, regardless of their age, play together while beating drums and janggu (drums).

On which occasion did you perform Dondolnari in Bukcheong?

Which occasion? We normally played it on Mid-Autumn Day and Dano (fifth day of the fifth lunar month). And on the first full moon day as well. Usually Dondolnari play was followed by the Lion Play.

Would you tell us what Dondolnari means?

Dondolnari means “the day dawns.” No matter what happens, “the day dawns.” Whatever happens, the day comes when the sun rises. I don’t know who composed this, but the phrase was repeated endlessly.

In the Bukcheong dialect, Dondolnari figuratively means “coming back in place.” However, people in Hamgyeong Province interpret it thus: “It turns and returns to its place.”

The syllable “don” in Dondolnari means East or dawn, and “dol” means rotate. “Nari” means the sun or the day. So metaphorically, it means that the sun rotates and everything returns to its place. What rotates and repeats are not only the words of the song, but also the movements of the dance likewise make a circle.

All right! All right! Hurrah, all right! It’s fun to play before you’re 20. It’s fun to play at the young age of 18. All right! All right! Hurrah, all right! A new spring has arrived upon this beautiful land. Lovely apricot flowers bloom charmingly.

All right! All right! Hurrah, all right! It’s fun to play before you’re 20. It’s fun to play at the young age of 18. All right! All right! Hurrah, all right! A new spring has arrived upon this beautiful land. Lovely apricot flowers bloom charmingly. The display and movements of the dance usually form a circle. Of course, some of them form the “taegeuk,” the yin-yang symbol, or they form a circle that starts from a small one but becomes bigger in the future.

Dondolnari dance, also called the “dallae” (wild chive) dance, expresses aptly the lively movements of the song’s melody rather than the meaning of it. There is no standard pattern or choreography; rather, it is a free dance in which dancers can move freely as they please.

Dondolnari, Dondolnari, Dondolnari, Rirarirari Dondolnari, Rirarirari Dondolnari,

Hey hey, my man! Walk quickly! Let’s go to Namdaecheon riverside.

No reluctance! That’s good! It’s fun and exciting. First light rises over this chilly hill. No reluctance! That’s good! The new day is dawning! No reluctance! That’s good! The new day is dawning!

Another characteristic of the Dondolnari performance is the use of a unique instrument, a gourd bowl, to keep time. This is called the bagaji beat, which is unique and found only in Hamgyeong Province, North Korea.

Water is poured into a water jar or water pitcher, and then a bagaji is put face-down on the water before we dance to gourd bowl rhythm. That’s why it’s called bagaji rhythm. It’s Hamgyeong Province’s unique bagaji rhythm.

Wait a moment! What is inside here? They look like spoons and chopsticks.

Yes, they are stainless steel chopsticks, but originally we used to use brass chopsticks. They were all made of brass. Next, we put it face down. Bagaji in North Korea is actually bigger than this. If a water jar is big like this and if the water is full, then the sound of the beat is good. Cling, clang! These chopsticks are playing around inside.

The main beat of Dondolnari is the jungmori-jangdan rhythm. People in Bukcheong call it “deong-da-dak-gung-tta” rhythm. “Deong-da-dak-gung-tta” “Deong-da-dak-gung-tta” Here also, the “deong-da-dak-gung-tta” rhythm continues, but it varies depending on how fast it beats. So this rhythm has been passed on only in the Bukcheong region.

My home is good, my home is sweet. Our Bukcheong hometown is good.

My parents have raised me well And found me a mate to marry me off.

I woke up next morning And found a marriage letter had arrived.

Though I vow never to get married I ended up getting in the wedding sedan chair.

I’m now under a silken quilt and I can think of no better plan.

It’s no use covering with an unquilted blanket. One day of affection is neither bad nor good.

Thread follows wherever the needle goes. How can I not follow wherever you may go?

Bukcheong folk songs have a variety of topics within their lyrics, and the expression is simple and optimistic. The topics reflect the people’s diligent labor, love between people, and local customs, as well as social issues. The songs’ rhythm is cheerful and lyrical.

The folk songs of Hamgyeong Province are less cheerful than those of Gyeongsang Province, but a lot more cheerful and rhythmical than those of Gangwon Province. That is, the characteristic of the folk songs here is buoyant and cheerful, and they never give up on the hope and determination for the future.

Now let’s watch our last performance. It begins with the words “Shining Chosun,” reminiscent of the glorious old name of Korea.

Shining Chosun! Shining Chosun! It’s a beautiful land, hurrah! Dingdong dingdong! (sound of flying grains) Pick out the straw and dry leaves. Chalsak chalsak!

The watermill produces straw. Let’s build a house with wood and cook a meal with grains of the field! Shining Chosun! Shining Chosun! It’s a beautiful land, hurrah! In a snow-covered thatched cottage, there lives a boy. By a far-away-brook, there lives a girl. Let’s dig the soil with a hoe! Let’s dance spiritedly while smiling. Shining Chosun! Shining Chosun! It’s a beautiful land, hurrah!

We have explored the local folk songs and dance as have been performed for ages in Bukcheong, Hamgyeong Province, North Korea. Dondolnari can be figuratively interpreted in many ways. However, most importantly, it gives people hope that if they cherish their dreams and try their best to fulfill them, a bright day will surely dawn – just like the meaning of the word “Dondolnari” itself.

Thank you for your wonderful company today. Tomorrow, we’ll continue our program by exploring the representative folk art of South Korea, called “Nongak.” So please join us again tomorrow. Now, coming up next is Words of Wisdom, right after Noteworthy News. Please stay tuned to Supreme Master Television. May your heart be happy and smiling.

Today’s Enlightening Entertainment will be presented in Korean, with subtitles in Arabic, Aulacese (Vietnamese), Chinese, English, French, German, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Malay, Mongolian, Persian, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish and Thai.

Halo loving viewers. Welcome to Enlightening Entertainment. Yesterday, we explored together the folk arts of North Korea. Today, continuing our program, “Village Wishes for Peace and Happiness,” we’ll introduce one of South Korea’s representative kinds of folk play called Nongak, which is performed on the first full moon day of the lunar calendar.

Nongak, which is also called “Pungmul” (farmer’s music ensemble), “Dure”(communal labor arrangements) or “Gut”(shamanic ceremony), is a form of communal consciousness. It is also an exciting game performed by farmers to wish for a good harvest and peace in the village, as well as to get rid of negative energy by playing various instruments.

Nongak has been one of the essential parts of our culture, and I see it as a play and a game, unlike a performance but rather like a festival, which villagers in the village community enjoy together.

Nongak can be performed anytime during the year. At the beginning of the year, it is performed in the hopes that everything will be all right over the year. In spring, it is played to wish for a great harvest. During the farming season, Nongak cheers on the hard work of farmers. At harvest time, it’s performed in gratitude for the good harvest. However, the most crucial time to play Nongak is the first month of the year. In the first month of the lunar calendar, all villagers rejoice in one concerted spirit, repelling the negativity and bringing into the village luck and abundance for the year.

Now, shall we learn about the components of Nongak？ Nongak is composed of an instrumental part and a dancing part where each participant is assigned a particular role. The music player is called jaebi or chibae and characters are called jabsaek – literally translated as “various colors,” indicating the characters roles. The instruments used in Nongak mainly consist of percussion instruments such as kkwaenggwari (small gong), janggu (hourglass shaped drum), buk (drum) and jing (gong), which blend well and go together, leading the flow of rhythm.

People say that kkwaenggwari sounds like thunder. We attach a red cloth to the stick and fix a string to the instrument and hold it with an index finger extended out, and that’s one of the distinct features. And kkwaenggwari leads the other instruments and its sound is sharp.

Next, let me introduce the janggu. The janggu makes various sounds because it’s the one and only instrument in Nongak that requires the player to use two sticks in both hands. Gungpyun (one side of the drum) makes a low-pitched sound while Yeolpyun (the opposite side) makes a high-pitched sound. I’m going to play it now.

When the buk is played solo, it’s played more elaborately, whereas when it’s played in Nongak, it doesn’t play a fine melody but rather plays only the big beats. There’s an instrument that plays even bigger beats, and that’s the jing.

The jing that is used in Nongak is a bit larger than a normal one, because it needs to make a bigger resonance. And like the buk, the jing keeps the big beat, but it plays even bigger beats. Say if other instruments are hit ten times, then the jing is struck only once. Let me play it for you.

Apart from these, there is the sogo, or small drum, that dances to the exciting rhythm and evokes merriment. There is also the nabal, or bugle, that signals the start or an important phase of the performance. And Taepyungso, or conical oboe, is the only instrument that plays the melody in Nongak.

In Nongak, there are people who don’t play any instrument but who dance and play a role. These people are called jabsaek.

The head of jabsaek dances in the front with a masculine figure and energetic movements to lead the Nongak troupe. There is also a hwadong, or flower boy, who wears a red costume and a straw hat; and a changbu, or jester, who dons a blue overcoat. Apart from these characters, there are also: a chorijung, or Buddhist monk donning a dharma robe; a yangban, or aristocrat; halmi, or elderly grandmother; and kakshi, or bride. These people dance excitedly both in the back and front and mingle with the spectators to stir up the atmosphere. The jabsaek characters vary depending on the region, and their costumes, speech, and actions are also diverse.

There are people called jabsaek who don’t play instruments but entertain with jokes and play a part in bridging people, which the instrument can’t do. If all these blend well into one, then we can say Nongak is performed like Nongak should.

Nongak is still loved by many contemporary South Korean people. It’s played in various forms in school, work places and clubs. Why do many people play Nongak？

I love to mingle with many people while playing Nongak and love to tune in to the melody with my own instrument, and playing Nongak is a kind of workout and it’s good for health. And for the elderly, it’s a good chance to socialize with the young people. So everything about it is good.

It’s a good exercise and it helps to release stress. I love it. And I have pride in inheriting our tradition.

Now, we’re going to travel to Philbong Village, in Imsil, North Jeolla Province to watch Nongak being performed on the First Full Moon Day of the year. The Philbong Troupe’s Nongak was designated as an important intangible cultural asset of South Korea in 1988. Well known for its 300-year-old tradition, Philbong Nongak is one of South Korea’s five representative Nongak troupes and has an active ongoing lineage.

On the First Full Moon Day when the first full moon of the year rises, the whole village of Philbong becomes a huge stage and music is played from early morning to late night. On the First Full Moon Day, Nongak is performed in the biggest scale. When this splendid festival begins, many people nationwide visit the village and celebrate the festival together. After the melody signaling the start of the full moon shamanic ceremony resonates in the air, the Sangsoe, or leader of the Nongak troupe, gives words of blessing.

The people who have come here probably will live long (That’s right!) and play Gut (shamanic ceremony) next year as well. (Yes!) Now, let’s play the exciting First Full Moon Gut together! (Alright!)

The Nongak troupe first heads to where there is a dangsan holy tree, which has protected the village for hundreds of years. Then, with a nonggi flag and younggi flag leading the Nongak performance in front, farmers set off on an odyssey in the First Full Moon Ceremony, together with the sound of music that longs for a year of peace for the village. Spectators already dance about together with the Nongak troupe.

After an exciting, cheerful melody, they leave for the village well. The Nongak troupe then starts up the music in front of the well, praying that villagers will be healthy drinking the water and that the clean water will never dry up for the year. Next, leaving the well, the troupe visits every single house in the village. This is called “madangbari,” or stepping on the yard, which is to drive out the negative force and pray for blessings and share good wishes.

After calling on every house, the Nongak troupe sets off for the village square where the villagers had set up daljip beforehand. Daljip is piled up in the middle of the square. It’s made of pine tree branches, firewood, straw sheaf, bamboo, etc., which villagers bring from their houses and put on together. Building up daljip dozens of meters high, they pray that their wishes will reach the moon. As the full moon rises, daljip is lit to burn.

Encircling the daljip and playing the great ensemble of Nongak performance, the enthusiasm and atmosphere of the farmer’s ensemble ceremony reaches its peak. If daljip burns evenly, people believe the year will be blessed with a good harvest. They also believe that if they make a wish looking up to the full moon at the same time that daljip is burning well, the wish will come true. That’s why people pray about peace and make their own wishes in front of the flaming daljip while looking at the full moon.

Today I had a role of flag holder, walking in front holding a flag. You can enjoy the style and enthusiasm of Philbong Nongak and have fun along with other folks and mingle together. It’s really fun.

I’m here to participate in the Philbong Nongak ceremony. I have been wanting to see it because it’s the very famous First Full Moon Ceremony in South Korea. It’s exciting and well organized.

The Nongak troupe participating in the First Full Moon Festival in Philbong as well as the thousands of audience members get excited and happy through the enthusiastic Nongak performance and rejoice in learning about the preciousness of neighborliness and the lessons of sharing and cooperation. The Nongak tradition has been carried on up till now and has settled in as a pleasant cultural heritage.

We have just explored the folk arts of both North Korea and South Korea through our two-part series. May the traditions of the North’s beautiful dances and the South’s exciting percussion playing continue as bringers of peaceful and happy times.

Now, coming up next is Words of Wisdom, right after Noteworthy News. Please stay tuned to Supreme Master Television. May your life be as brightly shining as the first full moon that blesses the coming year.