The earliest authentic reference to the mask play appears in the Samguksagi (History of the Three Kingdoms) which mentions three types performed during the ninth century of the Unified Silla period. That the mask dance-drama continued to be performed during the Goryeo period is indicated by the Goryeosa (History of Goryeo) which refers to mask dance-drama as one of the plays offered in the 31st year of the reign of King Gojong (1244). During the Joseon Dynasty, an official post was created for the express purpose of handling mask dance-drama, which, accordingly prospered as an official function of the court. In 1634, however, this post was abolished, and the mask dance-drama had to cater to the common people. Mask dance-drama fall into four distinct categories, three named after the localities where they hail from.


The Sandae Mask Dance-Drama

Of the four mask dance-dramas, Sandae, named after the royal nomenclature for the office responsible for handling mask dance-drama, is the best known. It consists of 10 acts and 13 scenes, each named after the main role in each act and scene. Thus, Act One is "The High Priest;" Act Two, "The Pock-Marked Monk;" Act Three, "The Dark-Faced Monk;" Act Four, "The Monk with the Blinking Eyes" and so forth. Like the Kkokdugaksi puppet show, the Sandae centered on the triangular affair of the typical yangban, his wife and his concubine. It satirized the Joseon nobility and mocked corrupt monks.

The Sandae had an all-male cast, playing and dancing to the accompaniment of traditional Korean drums, strings and winds blaring tunes based on folk songs, Buddhist invocations, shamanist invocations and the like. It also had one puppet and a set of 24 masks, one for each of the cast. It was performed on a makeshift open-air stage in the village square on holiday occasions, such as the Dano festival on the fifth day of the Fifth Moon or during shaman prayer-days for rain. Starting after sunset, the show continued deep into the night.

However, this unique Korean drama has lost much popular appeal. Only one troupe has continued to perform it in Yangju village, Gyeonggi-do province. A group was organized in Seoul about 90 years ago as the only authentic performers of the Sandae in modern Korea, but was disbanded after 50 years. The drama has been revived with Government support and has been designated an intangible cultural asset.


The Haeseo Mask Dance-Drama

The Haeseo mask dance-drama, performed in the Haeju area of Hwanghae-do province in North Korea, was also performed during the Dano festival. Its origin cannot be traced, but it is believed to have been created at about the same time as the Sandae. It was a seven-act play. The roles varied slightly according to the locality in which it was played, but the overall cast of characters was about the same as in Kkokdugaksi and the Sandae.


The Hahoe Mask Dance-Drama

The Hahoe mask dance-drama in the Hahoe district of Gyeongsangbuk-do province was performed on the occasion of village festivals on the second day of the first lunar month. Its origin goes back more than 500 years. Unlike Sandae and Haeseo mask dance-dramas which were staged for public entertainment, the original purpose of the Hahoe was to appease the spirits of two departed women who were believed to possess potent spiritual powers over the village. The mask dance-drama was part of a ritual observed to exorcise the evil spirits of the village.


The Ogwangdae Mask Dance-Drama

The fourth type, appearing in Gyeongsangnam-do province, was an acrobatic affair known as the Ogwangdae, or the Play of Five Clowns. The clowns apparently were the "Generals of the Five Directions," that is, the generals who guarded positions in the north, south, east, west, and center. It was performed on the 15th day of the first lunar month by village amateurs under the direction of the village elders versed in the play.