Korean Traditional Game : Saja Chum Nori

🦁 Korean Traditional Game Series 39

Saja Chum Nori
(사자춤놀이 · Korean Lion Dance Play)

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🕰️ 1. Introduction

Saja Chum Nori (사자춤놀이), or the Korean Lion Dance, is a traditional performance blending play, ritual, and dance.
It was often performed during village festivals, New Year celebrations, or harvest events to drive away evil spirits and bring good fortune to the community.

The lion, or saja, symbolizes courage, protection, and spiritual guardianship.
In Saja Chum Nori, villagers act out the majestic lion’s movements with rhythmic drumming and lively choreography — a spectacle that combines humor, excitement, and devotion.

This play was not only entertainment but also a communal exorcism — a joyful way to purify the village and invite blessings for the year ahead.

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🪄 2. How to Play and Perform

The lion costume is typically made from bright fabric and paper, with a large expressive head crafted from wood or bamboo.
Two performers share the costume: one controlling the head, the other the body and tail.

Drums (buk), gongs (kkwaenggwari), and flutes (piri) accompany the dance, setting a lively rhythm.
The lion prances, bows, and playfully interacts with the crowd — chasing away “evil spirits” or play-fighting with characters like clowns or monks.

Children and adults alike cheer, laugh, and join in the energy, creating a festive scene of shared joy and purification.
At the end, the lion often bows three times to bless the audience with peace, health, and prosperity.

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👀 3. Example from Life

During the Lunar New Year, villagers gather in the courtyard, the sound of drums echoing through the cold air.
Suddenly, a colorful lion leaps into view — red mane fluttering, bells jingling.
The crowd bursts into laughter as the lion playfully sniffs at baskets of rice cakes, then bows solemnly toward the elders.

The rhythmic drumming grows faster, and the lion begins to spin and leap, symbolically driving away all bad luck from the past year.
When the performance ends, the villagers feel renewed — as though joy itself had washed over the entire community.

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🌏 4. Similar Traditions Around the World

• China: The traditional Lion Dance (Shi Zi Wu), performed to scare away evil spirits and bring good fortune during New Year festivals.
• Japan: Shishi-mai (獅子舞), a lion dance to welcome the gods and ensure a bountiful harvest.
• Indonesia & Malaysia: Barongan and Barong dance rituals featuring protective animal spirits.

Across Asia, the lion’s dance is a universal prayer for protection and renewal — and Korea’s Saja Chum Nori adds its own unique blend of playfulness and deep spirituality.

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💌 Closing Words

Saja Chum Nori embodies Korea’s vibrant spirit — joyful yet reverent, playful yet sacred.
Through rhythmic movement and community laughter, it connects heaven and earth, reminding us that true strength often dances in the form of joy.

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📌 Note
This is a creative cultural content from the Misojieum Story Blog (kor-telling.com).
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