Khon Masks

Masks. We use them usually on halloween to scare people, or it is used as a disguise to fool people, or it is used to just cover the face to be unseen by people. Whatever the reason may be, in the movie Onibaba that was watched in class, the mask was used to scare the young women into staying with her mother-in-law.

The masks that were used reminded me of the masks they use in Thailand called Khon Masks. They use these masks in live dance dramas also known as "Khon". The dance drama involves singing, dancing, acting, acrobatics, and music. The singing is done by a chorus offstage who also recites the narratives as well as the dialogues since the actors cannot do so while wearing their masks. The stories for the drama are based exclusively on the Ramakien, the Thai version of an Indian epic. Traditionally, the women role's in the drama were played by men. The masks that are used in the dance drama resemble that of a demon, a monkey, celestials, and humans. Demon masks have the largest group of variety and probably most common.

I have personally seen these dance dramas live and I also used to do traditional Thai dancing but we do not wear masks, we sometimes wear tall crowns also known as "Chada". I just decided to post this blog because the mask in Onibaba reminded me of my earlier years where I would be surrounded by masks.


Khon Dance


Khon Masks