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영어

Po gu rak(抛毬樂) is a kind of musical entertainment in company with a ball game. The musical entertainment that was a sort of so-called Tang Music was introduced from China. It took root in Korea and generally performed as court music in Koryo(高麗) and Chosen(朝鮮) dynasties. Even now it receive many Koreans as a traditional court dance and music and as an local intangible cultural asset. This is due to the reason that Po gu rak is of traditional heritage and has amusement. Po gu rak takes its origin generally from Tang dynasty and even some Po gu rak written by Tang poets are handed down to present. Even though we may trace its origin through some Song documents, Shen Kuo(沈括)'s Meng xi bi tan(夢溪筆談) and Zhao lingzhi(趙令?)'s Hou qing lu(候鯖錄), I suppose that the music takes its origin from the royal court of Sui(隋) dynasty in that Li Shenyan(李愼言) in the story and works concerning Po gu rak referred to the connection with Sui. There was Gyuk gu(擊毬), a kind of hitting ball game, in ancient times. Considering the relation between Po gu rak and Gyuk gu, the root of the two are one in that both ate playing with a ball but each spreading different branches in that the two developed as group play respectively for man and for woman. Therefore Gyuk gu never become the precursor of Pogu rak and we can not consider Gyuk gu as the origin of Po gu rak. Po gu rak was introduced from Song(宋) to Koryo in 1073 and performed for the first time by Cho Young(楚英). Po gu rak in Koryo dynasty considered Song music as the basic frame, was improved partly at the beginning of Chosen dynasty, and gained ground gradually to become of our style in the last years of the dynasty through such things as adding the indigenous Korean music. Po gu rak in Koryo and Chosen was mainly performed in court banquet, namely, for receiving envoys, royal clansmen, royal family and the like. Even though it is of rate occasion, this was performed for such important national ceremonies as the meeting of lord and vassals.