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The paintings of dancing in Jisangsegyedo(地上世界圖) fall into dances in the earthly world and in the heavenly world. The former, painted on the four sides of the wall, describe those dances that pray for the lasting of the human world as an extension of the world after death, and the latter illustrate those symbolic and Utopian godly dances that are expressed from the Goguryeo(高句麗) people’s views on the universe, religion, and dance.The types and properties of dancing in Jisangsegyedo are as follows.(1) The compositions of dancers in Goguryeo’s mural painting, Jisangsegyedo appear diversely with ‘solo dancing,’ ‘duet dancing,’ ‘trio dancing,’ ‘five-person dancing,’ and ‘great group dancing,’ etc.(2) ‘Dancing by professional dancers,’who are subject to the nobility or the king, are performed. As the most honorable treatment, the professional dancers’ dancing is shown to the person who is buried in the tomb. (3) There are more male dancers’ dancing than female dancers’. The solo dancing is all composed of male dancers, and female dancers appear only in the duet dancing and group dancing. Generally, women perform musical instruments, and men dance.
That is to say, it is because the culture of Goguryeo was high-spirit men-oriented, and on the other hand, the Western dancing was introduced mainly on the male dancer basis.(4) Along with the introduction of Buddhism, the Western dancing came to Goguryeo through the Silk Road. The dancers in this case were professional dancers nationalized or transmitted from the West.(5) Most of the dances by the professional dancers are Gwangsumu ‘wide sleeve dance.’ Gwangsumu is performed with long sleeves by professional dancers, which shows the performance nature of the dance performed in everyday living for the other life after the tomb host’s death.(6) Dancing by common people not by professional dancers is, or though professional, warriors’arms dancing, foreigners’ dancing, and acrobats’ dancing are all ‘dancing with bare hands.’ Thus, there are various dancing with bare hands and arms dancing that well represent Goguryeo people’s spirits.
(7) Though they are dancing in living and conventions before and after death, group dancing and procession, which are performed by professional dancers, also have the properties of ‘funeral ceremonial dancing.’(8) The ‘procession dancing’ mitigates boredom and give pleasure to the host at the time of his/her going-out and trip.(9) There also appear ‘hunting ceremonial dancing’ in accordance with the outdoor hunting activities that Goguryeo men as a horse-riding people enjoy.(10) Some dances have the properties of ‘Baekhigiak(百戱伎樂) dancing (dancing with a hundred plays and music)’ with the Buddhist religious background, which implies the Buddhist view on life after death with which people wish reincarnation at the Western Paradise in the next life.