Mask or Mukhosh of West Bengal, as it is known for has a mysterious history. Mostly it uses for the Mask Dance, the folk dance of West Bengal. The wearing of these masks is connected with early types of folklore and religion.

Korea has several forms of mask theatre. All of them combine dance music, and spoken lines. These various forms of mask theatre are called by the generic names either talchum or tal nori. …

Bangsangssi mask

Jharkhand

Raas Leela

From the age of 14 I began studying the basics of dance and music with the famous Seraikella Chhau dancer Late Guru Natasekhar Banbihari Pattanayak, and Guru Padma Shri Rajkumar S.N. Singhdeo and Padma Shri Guru Kedar Nath Sahoo.

Three styles

The Chhau Dance originates in the Purulia district in West Bengal and draws inspiration from martial arts and combative training. This form of dance is a means to portray stories to the audience, which is why elaborate masks and headgear associated with battle and war are worn during the performance.

The Changu is the famous folk dance from the Eastern state of Orissa or now Odisha, of India. This dance is performed by almost all the regional tribal communities of Orissa that form almost one-fourth of the total population of the state.

Chhau refers to three types of dance forms performed in the eastern parts of India, in the present states of West Bengal, Jharkhand, and Orissa. The etymology of the term chhau is not clear. Some state that it is derived from a word meaning “a mask” while some say it comes from a word meaning “a military camp”.

1) Gambhira. 2) Kirtan dance. 3) Kushan folk dance of West bengal. 4) Alkap Dance. 5) Chhau- Most popular of the folk dances of West Bengal.

The Animal Mask Dance – Chaiti Ghoda Dance, common among the Kaibarta caste, is performed to appease the caste-deity – Vasuli Devi.

Here, the masks of the stag, the yak, the tiger, the lion, the mythical winged garuda, walk in slow and measured steps, to the clash of cymbals and the sound of the trumpets, the dancers act out the destruction of apostasy symbolized by an effigy which is chopped to pieces and scattered.

Indian or Native American masks were made for ceremonies, decoration, war rituals, shaman rituals, rituals initiating young man into the tribe, in healing rituals, in entertainment, given as gifts and spiritual rituals.

Tengu masks are used for Noh stage plays and certain Shinto festivals. They’re also often used as a decoration since the tengu are thought to frighten bad spirits and bring good luck.

Modern oni, despite of continued evolution/changes, still exhibit the characteristics of medieval oni, as will b discussed in the following section. deliberately enjoy the delicacies of human flesh during a special banquet. The ghastly nature of oni may well be symbolized by the act of cannibalism.

Oni

Shuten-dōji

This explanation is found in the 10th century dictionary Wamyōshō, which reveals that the oni at the time had a different meaning, defined as “a soul/spirit of the dead”. The character for oni, 鬼 (pinyin: guǐ; Jyutping: gwai2) in Chinese also means a dead or ancestral spirit, and not necessarily an evil specter.

Kitsune