• Journal of the Korea Fashion and Costume Design Association
• /
• v.17 no.2
• /
• pp.111-124
• /
• 2015

This study inferred the symbolism of shaman's costume in China from shamanism and types of shaman's costume in Naje, Deokgang-hyun, Guiju-seong, China through field survey. Shamanism in China has complicated aspects due to negotiations with other culture for a long time while maintaining its own consistency based on ethnicity. Symbolism of shaman's costume in Naje, Guiju-seong, China is observed as follows. First, the shaman's costume in China appears differently from every Jangcha in relation to the position of god appearing in Jangcha when Tolosa takes the position of god as a symbol of sex and god. In Naje of China, the most important shaman's costume indicating the position of god has a unique mask for every deity. It communicates that Tolosa wearing a costume appropriate for the god of wine shall become the god in that Jangcha. Second, the shaman's costume in China has something to do with Yin-Yang and the five elements theory of Taoism as a symbol of shamanism visio of the universe and system of reason. Most of Tolosas hosting Naje are men but dress up as women by wearing Nagun looking like a skirt. Nagun is usually red, the color of Yang, which symbolizes that by wearing such costume that takes color of Yang, Tolosa expels an ominous thing by balancing yin and yang and taking god's strong power. Third, Tolosa takes an eight-breadth Nagun, as a symbol of people. An eight-breadth worn by Tolosa in Naje strengthens the spirit of union and fight of the Tujia nationality who live in Deokgang-hyun, Guiju-seong through folk legends. In this course, a symbolic meaning of the national spirit has been provided on an eight-breadth Nagun, a shaman's costume.