The costume of ritual dance in Mongolian and Korean Buddhism

Abstract

This paper investigates the diversity of costumes of Buddhist ritual dance in Mongolian and Korean Buddhism. Both the Mongolian Tsam dance and the Korean Nabi dance have developed to reflect the regional characteristics of costumes and symbolic systems and are closely related as far as the ideas of rebirth and afterlife are concerned. Both the Mongolian and the Korean dance, performed by monks, display common features that symbolise the spiritual role of the monks in guiding people on their way from birth to death. The symbolism of the ritual dance costume is related to the traditional culture, in both Mongolia and Korea, but Mongolian Tsam uses more shamanistic and decorative elements based on the ceremony of shamanism, while Korean Nabi dance shows an exceptional beauty in its self-restraint.