ALL
funny
ICH Elements 11
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Tongue twisters
A tongue-twister as a kind of Uzbek oral folklore represents a phrase or a sentence that consists from rhymed words difficult to articulate. It can be a fascinating folk game - to quickly, cleanly and correctly pronounce the most complex combinations of sounds or long words.
Uzbekistan -
The telling tradition of Nasreddin Hodja/MollaNesreddin/Molla Ependi/Apendi/Afendi Kozhanasyr/ Nasriddin Afandi anecdotes
The Telling Tradition of Nasreddin Hodja/Molla Nesreddin/Molla Ependi/Apendi/Afendi Kozhanasyr/Nasriddin Afandi Anecdotes is an intangible cultural heritage element on social practices and festivals related to the tradition of telling anecdotes. It is transmitted orally among generations and is shaped around Nasreddin who became a symbol of humor and wisdom. Although there are slight differences about images, names and anecdotes of Nasreddin in communities, the main features of the element have been shared as a common heritage in the Submitting States. Communities acknowledge that he was a wise person who analyzed the society well and gathered shared intelligence, thought and life experience of people in his own personality. The anecdotes of him are short and intensive narrations transmitted through oral tradition and written sources, attributed to Nasreddin whose reputation spread to the wide geographical area. Some of the anecdotes have become classic, and the epigrams of these anecdotes have turned into idioms and proverbs in time. His anecdotes are intensely practiced in the printed and visual media as well as in the oral tradition and especially in the programs prepared for children. In the anecdotes of Nasreddin, the components of wisdom, repartee, witticism, common sense, absurdity and surprise merged firm and these are distinguishing features of the anecdotes. Nasreddin breaks very often accepted norms and concepts, while finding an extraordinary way out of the situation, where he is always the winner, by the power of word. Anecdotes call for humor, satire, sarcasm, and cynicism, to reveal the negative traits of people. However, the anecdotes is a genre with an instructive, entertaining function, a profound meaning that ends with moral, intellectual, and logical results. His anecdotes include relations of different people and their behaviors in various situations. Through his anecdotes, all kinds of unpleasant behaviors are being criticized and judged through humor. Communities in the Submitting States enrich conversations with his anecdotes and support speeches with his witticism. His anecdotes are narrated easily by everyone to strengthen any thought by giving examples in the dailylife, to convince other people or to explain a situation. In some Submitting States, although there is no specific narrator or teller of these anecdotes, the artists of traditional theatre use the element to enrich their narratives and to entertain people. On the other hand, there are specific tellers of the anecdotes in some Submitting States (Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan). The anecdote tellers select words and perform with great care. In this sense, it mostly depends on knowledge, understanding, thinking, performance culture and skill of the performer to tell anecdotes in meaningful, impressive and funny way. It is important for performer to know various life situations, possess an impressive culture of speech, and make use effectively and skillfully his face, eye, hand, and body movements. In Submitting States, local administrations, municipalities, universities and NGOs which play significant roles in transmission of the element, organize various activities and festivals periodically for commemoration of Nasreddin at local, national and international levels. Public participation in these festivals and activities is considerably high.
Azerbaijan,Kyrgyzstan,Kazakhstan,Tajikistan,Turkmenistan,Turkey,Uzbekistan 2022 -
Tercham: The Naked Dance
It is said that besides the naked dance performed during Jampa Lhakhang Drub, there are also naked dances performed during Nabji Drub in Trongsa and Sakteng Tercham, Trashigang and in Dagana. The naked dance is honorifically referred to as a “tercham” a term usually applied to dances revealed as treasure. Just as any sacred ter (treasure or precious object) is not exposed freely to the public so also our nakedness is never exposed publicly. So the dance performed naked and exposing the genitals is exceptional and hence considered tercham or the “revealed treasure dance”. According to the book Invoking Happiness, the dance has its origins during the construction of Jampa Lhakhang, when local spirits disrupted the process45. The story recounts that King Songtsen Gampo manifested himself in the form of several people dancing naked, which fascinated the troublesome spirits. As they remained preoccupied by the dancers, the temple construction was completed and consecrated. According to Chagkhar Lama Dorje, Dorje Lingpa introduced the dance at Nabji, Trongsa. One oral account maintains that when Dorje Lingpa was constructing Nabji Lhakhang, local spirits were disrupting the process every night. In order to distract the spirits, Dorje Lingpa used his miraculous power to summon naked people from the Treasure Cliff located opposite of Nabji Lhakhang. He made them dance, and antics kept the spirits spellbound enough so that Dorje Lingpa was able to complete the temple and consecrate it. Thus, according to this account, the tercham was first performed at Nabji under the supervision of Dorje Lingpa. When Dorje Lingpa later renovated Jampa Lhakhang, the dance was performed during the initial consecration ceremony and is said to have been enacted every year since. At Jampa Lhakhang Drub, tercham is performed each of the first three nights. The performers are chosen from the five villages of Drub Tsawa: Chagkhar, Jampa Lhakhang, Changwang, Nasphey and Nobgang. After the normal mask dance performances are concluded, a crowd gathers around midnight at the performance ground in the outer courtyard of the western side of Jampa Lhakhang. Shortly after midnight, a group of ten men emerge from the chamkhang (room for dance preparations) and dance to the rhythmic beating of traditional mask dance drums and cymbals. The men are all naked except for their faces, which are covered by a white cloth to conceal their identities. The last man, who is the dance master, wears shorts. The group dances around a bonfire located in the middle of the performance ground, sometimes acting outrageously towards the spectators. The dance lasts for an hour despite the cold, which drops to around one to two degrees Celsius. Photos or any type of recording is strictly prohibited, as is the use of torches. Policemen and village locals guard the integrity of the performance, and deal harshly with anyone who attempts to break the stringent rules. Chagkhar Lama Dorje describes the dance as most sacred and says that spectators should not look at the dancer’s genitals as just male organs. As the male genitals are never exposed publicly, it is one of the world’s precious ter. All sentient beings are brought into the world, in part, by this organ. Local elders explain that though the younger generation may find the dance funny, it was started by the great saint Dorje Lingpa, and therefore one should view events with devotion rather than as entertainment. In the recent past, the dance was banned by the Dzongkhag Administration, who deemed it vulgar and embarrassing. Once banned, there was abnormally heavy rainfall and hail, and the Drub could not be properly conducted. Local astrologers attributed downpours and bad weather to the tercham ban. The local people conducted kangsol rituals to repair the relationship with the protective deities and the Dzongkhag Administration lifted the ban the following year.
Bhutan -
Nongak, community band music, dance and rituals in the Republic of Korea
Inscribed in 2014 (9.COM) on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity Nongak is a fusion performing art genre that combines a percussion ensemble (with occasional use of wind instruments), parading, dancing, drama, and acrobatic feats. It has been practiced for various purposes, such as appeasing gods, chasing evil spirits and seeking blessings, praying for a rich harvest in spring, celebrating the harvest at autumn festivals, fund-raising for community projects, and professional entertainment. Any joyful community event was never complete without uproarious music and dance performed by the local band clad in colorful costumes. The resultant ecstatic excitement (sinmyeong) is often defined as a preeminent emotional characteristic of Korean people. The music frequently uses uneven beats of complex structures like simple three-time, compound time, and simple and compound time. Small hand-held gongs and hourglass drums, with their metal and leather sounds, play the main beats, while large gongs and barrel drums create simple rhythmic accents. The small hand-held drum players focus more on dancing than playing music. Dancing includes individual skill demonstrations, choreographic formations, and streamer dances. Actors wearing masks and peculiar outfits perform funny skits. Acrobatics include dish spinning and miming antics by child dancers carried on the shoulders of adult performers. Nongak was most often performed and enjoyed by grassroots people, but there were also professional groups putting on entertainment shows. In recent years, professional repertoires have evolved into the percussion quartet “Samul Nori” and the non-verbal theatrical show “Nanta,” dramatically emphasizing the music element and thereby appealing to broader audiences at home and from abroad.
South Korea 2014
ICH Materials 39
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Orteke - Kazakh traditional art of music puppetry
Orteke (mountain goat) is the name of an indigenous Kazakh performing art in which flexible wooden figure of a mountain goat is placed on a traditional drum called dauylpaz. Orteke’s originality comes from it being a combination of theater, music, and puppet dance. The figure begins to move from the movement of the filaments attached to the fingers of a musician playing the dombra (Kazakh musical instrument). The expressive puppet figure, called teke (goat), seems to come to life when the master starts playing the drum. The figure makes funny dance movements in time with the rhythm of the music being played. It is also said that the orteke figure once came different shapes and sizes that were created individually, each with a different number of moving limbs, depending on which kyu was performed. Some masters of this genre can be played with two or three or more puppets simultaneously.
Kazakhstan -
Orteke - Kazakh traditional art of music puppetry
Orteke (mountain goat) is the name of an indigenous Kazakh performing art in which flexible wooden figure of a mountain goat is placed on a traditional drum called dauylpaz. Orteke’s originality comes from it being a combination of theater, music, and puppet dance. The figure begins to move from the movement of the filaments attached to the fingers of a musician playing the dombra (Kazakh musical instrument). The expressive puppet figure, called teke (goat), seems to come to life when the master starts playing the drum. The figure makes funny dance movements in time with the rhythm of the music being played. It is also said that the orteke figure once came different shapes and sizes that were created individually, each with a different number of moving limbs, depending on which kyu was performed. Some masters of this genre can be played with two or three or more puppets simultaneously.
Kazakhstan
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Kazakhstan Orteke(Dance of the Wooden Goat) (Highlight)
Orteke(mountain goat) is the name of an indigenous Kazakh performing art in which flexible wooden figure of a mountain goat is placed on a traditional drum called dauylpaz. Orteke’s originality comes from it being a combination of theater, music, and puppet dance. The expressive puppet figure, called teke (goat), seems to come to life when the master starts playing the drum.\n The figure makes funny dance movements in time with the rhythm of the music being played. It is also said that the orteke figure once came different shapes and sizes that were created individually, each with a different number of moving limbs, depending on which kyu was performed.
Kazakhstan 2017 -
Orteke—Traditional Kazakh Puppet-Musical Performing Art
Orteke (mountain goat) is the name of an indigenous Kazakh performing art in which flexible wooden figure of a mountain goat is placed on a traditional drum called dauylpaz. Orteke’s originality comes from it being a combination of theater, music, and puppet dance. The expressive puppet figure, called teke (goat), seems to come to life when the master starts playing the drum. The figure makes funny dance movements in time with the rhythm of the music being played. It is also said that the orteke figure once came different shapes and sizes that were created individually, each with a different number of moving limbs, depending on which kyu was performed.
Kazakhstan 2017
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2019 Living Heritage Series: Tugging Rituals and Games
This book introduces the tug-of-war traditions of Korea and the three Southeast Asian countries mentioned as well as the tugging traditions passed down in Japan, Thailand, and Ukraine. The book presents studies showing various conditions and perceptions of tug-of-war in each country. So, it will be valuable research material for those interested in tug-of-war.
Japan,Cambodia,South Korea,Philippines,Ukraine,Viet Nam 2019 -
2020 Living Heritage Series: Traditional Martial Arts
ICHCAP published the book Living Heritage Series – Traditional Martial Arts in collaboration with UNESCO International Centre of Martial Arts (ICM). The Living Heritage Series is a serial publication on regional/national transmission and safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage elements. It focuses on a different topic each time, discussing the relevant intangible cultural heritage of various regions to raise the visibility of cultural diversity emphasized by the UNESCO.\n\nLiving Heritage Series-Traditional Martial Arts showcases creative and historical traditional Martial Arts from around the world through contributions from 19 writers in various countries.
South Korea 2020
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Chak-Ka-Yer: Traditional Tug-of-War of ThailandChak-ka-yer is a Thai word similar in meaning to tug-of-war in western countries. It is one of the oldest folk team games in Thailand. Thai people across the country know chak-ka-yer, and many may have had some direct and indirect experience with this game, either as participants or observ-ers. Chak-ka-yer benefits Thai society in several ways. People use chak-ka-yer for fun, pleasure, recreation, and relaxation from their routine work. Chak-ka-yer is played between teams, groups, or communities to test their physical strength. The game does not focus on competition, team preparation, contest regulations, and championship, but rather on unity, friendship, morale, and incentive of communities. Chak-ka-yer as a game is related to thoughts, beliefs, customs, traditions, rituals, and values of the people in different areas. Chak-ka-yer is a high-level game of development and doesn’t focus on systematic contests; it has specific agency to respond to and has the team seriously trained and practiced to win the championship. Chak-ka-yer as a sport is left unmentioned in this article since it has become an international sport.Year2019NationJapan,Cambodia,South Korea,Philippines,Ukraine,Viet Nam
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Taumako Maritime RitualsTaumako, one of the Duff Islands, is a Polynesian island within the Santa Cruz group in Temotu Province to the southeast of the Solomon Islands, in the southwestern Pacific. Taumakoans speak the Veakau-Taumako language, which comes from the Samoic branch of Polynesian languages. Taumakoans still practice ancient navigational techniques and are known for building a type of proa sailing canoe, the Tepuke, using local materials. They maintain traditional ways of living, relying heavily on subsistence farming and fishing.Year2021NationSolomon Islands