무용가면의 상징성 연구

A Study on Symbolic of the Mask Dancing

The pattern of a dance had changed and made a progress delicately according to the change of the myth, religion, and civilization. One genre which had experienced the change for the dance is a mask dance. This dance started from wishes to adore spirit or god with imitated masks of native animals and desire to identify with nature. After the middle ages, it finally became to approach to the artistic state. In that dance, there was used a role of the head of the family which was strongly adapted to the shape of the mask as performing casts After studying symbolic characteristics of the mask dancing, we could conclude these as fol1ows.: First, Masks symbolized the totemism that adores spirit or god. This kind of whole masks were consistently used. Second, Mask was worn for expressing a dancer's cast well. This function of performing cast was in the primitive ages. However at the age which was characterized as the age of the art, the expression of using a mask became various. Third, Mask was mostly related to the head of the family and appeared with the desire to be others not themselves. Since the middle ages, this tendency continued to the modern dance. Now we can see this type at the carnival. The mask was not only an effective means of dance but also an expression of totemism, performing cast, and the head of the family. Therefore it contributed to the growth of the dance a lot.