Traditional Culture Encyclopedia - Traditional stories - What is the classification of Korean folk songs?

What is the classification of Korean folk songs?

Koreans call folk songs folk songs. Korean folk songs are often classified according to their original regions, such as South Island folk songs, Gyeonggi folk songs and West Island folk songs. Another division method is based on the initial environment, such as labor ballads, lyric ballads, narrative ballads and custom ballads. Many songs with folk music style created in the past 100 years are also called "new folk songs" because they are widely sung by the public.

Most of the traditional folk songs of the Korean nation originated in all parts of the Korean peninsula where they lived in their previous lives. During the important Lee Dynasty in Korean history, the central part of the Korean Peninsula has always been the political, economic and cultural center of North Korea. Folk songs in that area have a lyrical, beautiful and lively style, and works such as Arirang and Dolaji, which are also well-known in China, all come from there.

Lyric folk songs account for the largest proportion in Korean folk songs, praising pure love or beautiful nature. Arirang, which is widely circulated, is an excellent Korean lyric ballad. Arirang means "leave my lang" in Korean, and the lining word "Alari Yo" means "I can't leave". Arirang has different tones in different places, and most of its contents show women's deep affection for lovers, bitterness towards ungrateful people and longing for the future.