20-24 septembrie 2009 - Biblioteca Metropolitana Bucuresti

574 Alexander Fedotoffcrush them symbolically; to perform mime-theatre or mime-dances – themost picturesque and prolonged part of ’chams compared with the otherparts; to burn “sor” – special miraculous sacrifice, which can destroy allwicked intents of the enemies of Buddhism.According to several descriptions of Mongolian ’chams, it is possibleto say that nearly half a month before the ’chams performance all costumesand masks in the monasteries were put in order, checked-up, new oneswere prepared, the stage was cleaned. In the centre of it, a canopy wasusually placed where the god’s sacrifice was later installed. As a rule, thecanopy was the center of ’chams dances. The stage was limited by severalconcentric circles marked by chalk or lime. The ’chams gods and charactershad to dance or just to stand (depending on the scenario) in their specialcircled. Thousand of believers came to see ’chams which was a real dramaperformance. In spite of absence of a hall, there were special places forguests of honour. They and ordinary guests should not step over the borderbetween “the stage” and “the hall”.It seems that in Mongolia, Buryatia and nowadays in Kalmikia ’chamsceremony is mainly focused on outward effects and that is why performedbefore numerous audience. In its interludes the masks of the so-calledTsagaan-Ubugun (White Oldman), Crow, Bull and Deer participated.Moreover, in the Buryat version of ’chams one can see the furtherdevelopment of the subject which is not canonical and has a clear show’snature. These interludes were performed simultaneously with the mysticalritual dances and brought into strict ’chams action animation which madeit more interesting for spectators. The nearest to the people was Tsagaan-Ubugun’s interlude which had a clear folklore nature and bore a strongresemblance to shows of jokers and wits. The actor performing Tsagaan-Ubugun had to be a talented improviser.Thus, ’chams in Tibet and Central Asia (Mongolia and Buryatia) wasnot quite the same. The most popular among ordinary people or spectatorswas Mongolian ’chams (different kinds of which has been performed inMongolia during more than one hundred years from 1811 till 1937, whenin Ulan Bator the very last mystery was held) not only because it was areligious cult, but also because it was one of the sources of bringing profitfor the church, on one hand, and a form of answer to the people’s demandand aspiration for dramatized performances, on the other hand. Before’chams was brought into Mongolia there were not such splendid andimpressive performances which gradually acquired some national featuresand became a real Buddhist theatre, “the highest point in the developmentof the theatre side of Buddhism”.