40 Culture & Arts
The Land of Hats
www.gwangjunewsgic.com
September 2021
CULTURE & ARTS
By Diane Dooley
W
hen the drama Kingdom first aired on Netflix in 2019, international viewers were fascinated by the “fancy hats” worn by its male characters: Joseon scholars, royalty, and soldiers. These wide-brimmed hats, embellished with feathers and beaded strings, as well as the actors who wore them, attracted domestic and international media interest for several weeks. Why hats? Today, hats are primarily seen as a fashion accessory, but hair has always held a great deal of symbolic significance in societies. Joseon Korea (1392–1897) was no exception: Hairstyles and the various accessories used to maintain and decorate them during the Joseon Dynasty were imbued with sociocultural meaning. Men’s headwear, in particular, became an emblem of the Joseon Dynasty to the extent that foreign missionaries frequently referred to Korea as “The Land of Hats” in their writings. HAIR AND NEO-CONFUCIANISM Joseon society was, of course, dominated by neoConfucian ideology. Hats and hairstyles played a significant role in maintaining Joseon’s strict hierarchical structure. While it is difficult to define neo-Confucianism because it meant different things to different intellectuals, kings, and individuals at different points throughout the Joseon Dynasty’s long history, the nature of neoConfucianism as practiced during the Joseon Dynasty can be broadly characterized by the maintenance of a strict social hierarchy in which relationships were inherently unequal. These relationships were maintained through various, highly ritualized behaviors and ceremonies. And what behavior is more ritualized than personal grooming? Various hairstyles and headgear were imported to Joseon Korea from Ming China, but with the demise of Ming in 1644 and the rise of neo-Confucianism in Korea, various changes occurred to styles of dress. This was a gradual process: Customs and traditions from the preceding Goryeo Dynasty did not disappear overnight, nor did
2021�09��.indd 40
people always accept new government regulations on dress enthusiastically. Much like today, personal preferences sometimes won the battle against ideologically or socially accepted modes of dress. The relationship between parent and child – an important relationship to neo-Confucian ideologues – is particularly significant in assessing the significance of Joseon hairstyles. Confucianism proscribed the cutting of hair as it was said that the entirety of a man’s body – including the hair on his head – belonged to his parents. Hairstyles during the Joseon Dynasty were therefore based on uncut hair; long hair, maintained correctly, functioned as a conspicuous marker of filial piety. Therefore, all males typically tied their long hair up in high, tight topknots (sangtu, 상투), which James Scarth Gale described in his writings on Korea as being tied “tight enough to squeeze tears from the eyes.” As Gale’s description vividly highlights, these hairdos were severe, almost restrictive – a reflection of Joseon’s rigid social order.
“It is clear that hat and hair etiquette were taken seriously by Joseon gentlemen.” Age was an important marker of relative status in Joseon, as it is in contemporary Korean society, and the topknot represented male adulthood. The capping (gwallye, 관례) of the groom was a preliminary wedding rite in which hair played a prominent role. It was known as the “adding of the three things” (samga, 삼가): First, the groom’s washed hair was tied up in a topknot in front of family members and guests. After that, a hat known as the gat (갓) was adorned, and this was secured by a third item, a practical headband (manggeon, 망건). This ceremony
2021-08-26 �� 10:37:03
