University of Virginia Library

I. APPENDIX I

SYNOPSES OF PLOTS

Shunkwan, by Motokiyo (b. 1374, d. 1455).

Plot.—When Kiyomori[1] was at the height of
his power three men plotted against him. They
were detected and exiled to Devil's Island; "for
many years they knew the spring only by the green
new grass, and autumn by the turning of the leaves."

Then when Kiyomori's daughter was about to
give birth to a child, many prisoners and exiles were
pardoned in order to propitiate the gods, and among
them Shunkwan's companions, but not the chief
conspirator Shunkwan.

On the ninth day of the ninth month, which
day is called "Choyo" and is considered very lucky,
because Hosō of China drank ceremonial wine on
that day and lived 7000 years, the two exiled companions
of Shunkwan are performing service to
their god Kumano Gongen. They have no white
prayer cord, and must use the white cord of their
exile's dress; they have no white rice to scatter,
and so they scatter white sand. With this scene

the Noh opens. Shunkwan, who alone is a priest,
enters, and should offer a cup of saké, as in the
proper service for receiving pilgrims, but he has
only a cup of water.

While this ceremony is in progress, the imperial
messengers arrive with the emperor's writ; they
pronounce the names of Yasuyori and Naritsune,
but not Shunkwan's. He thinks there must be
some error. He seizes the paper and reads, and is
frenzied with grief. He tries to detain his companions,
but the messengers hurry them off. Shunkwan
seizes the boat's cable. The messenger cuts
it. Shunkwan falls to earth, and the others go off,
leaving him alone.

This is, of course, not a "play" in our sense.
It is a programme for a tremendous dance.

Modus of Presentation (Asakusa, October 30,
1898).—The companions wear dull blue and brown.
Shunkwan's mask is of a dead colour, full of wrinkles,
with sunken cheeks and eyes. His costume is
also of blue and brown. The finest singing and
dancing are after the others have entered the boat.
Everything is concentrated on the impression of a
feeling.

The scene is in "an island of Stasuma."

Koi no Omoni ("The Burden of Love"), said
to be by the Emperor Gohanazono (1429-65).

Plot.—Yamashina Shoshi was the emperor's
gardener, and as the court ladies were always walking
about in the garden, he fell in love with one of

them. He wished to keep this secret, but in some
way it became known. Then a court officer said
to him, "If you can carry this light and richly
brocaded burden on your back, and carry it many
thousand times round the garden, you will win the
lady you love." But for all its seeming so light
and being so finely ornamented, it was a very heavy
load, and whenever he tried to lift it he fell to the
ground, and he sang and complained of it, and at
last he died trying to lift it.

And the court officer told the lady, and she was
filled with pity and sang a short and beautiful
song, and the ghost of Shoshi came and sang to her
of the pain he had in this life, reproaching her for
her coldness.

Modus.—From the very first the burden of love
lay in the centre front of the stage, thus "becoming
actually one of the characters." It was a cube done
up in red and gold brocade and tied with green
cords. The hero wore a mask, which seemed
unnecessarily old, ugly, and wrinkled. His costume
subdued, but rich. The court lady gorgeously
dressed, with smiling young girl's mask and glittering
pendant, East-Indian sort of head-dress.

The lady sat at the right corner, immobile,
rather the lover's image of his mistress than a living
being. He sings, complains, and tries several
times to lift the burden, but cannot. The court
officer sits a little toward the right-back. Shoshi
dies and passes out.

The officer addresses the lady, who suddenly

seems to come to life. She listens, then leaves her
seat, half-kneels near the burden, her face set
silently and immovably toward it. This is more
graphic and impressive than can well be imagined.
All leave the stage save this silent figure contemplating
the burden.

The Shoshi's ghost comes in, covered with glittering
superb brocades, he uses a crutch, has a mane
of flying grey hair, and a face that looks like an
"elemental."

Kanawa, The Iron Ring, by Motokiyo.

Story.—In the reign of Saga Tenno there was a
princess who loved unavailingly, and she became
so enraged with jealousy that she went to the shrine
of Kibune and prayed for seven days that she might
become a hannya. On the seventh day the god had
pity, and appeared to her and said, "If you wish
to become a hannya go to the Uji river and stay
twenty-five days in the water." And she returned
rejoicing to Kioto, and parted her hair into five
strands and painted her face and her body red, and
put an iron ring on her head with three candles in
it. And she took in her mouth a double fire-stick,
burning at both ends. And when she walked out
in the streets at night people thought her a devil.

From this it happens that when Japanese women
are jealous they sometimes go to a temple at night
wearing an iron ring (Kanawa) with candles in it.
Sometimes they use also a straw doll in the incantation.

Modus.—First comes Kiogen, the farce character,
and says he has had a god-dream, and that he will
tell it to the woman who is coming to pray.

Then comes the woman. Kiogen asks if she
comes every night. He tells her his dream, and
how she is to become a hannya by the use of Kanawa.
She goes. Her face changes en route. Enter the
faithless husband, who says he lives in Shimokio,
the Lower City, and has been having very bad
dreams. He goes to the priest Abē, who tells him
that a woman's jealousy is at the root of it, and that
his life is in danger that very night. The husband
confesses his infidelity. The priest starts a counter
exorcism, using a life-sized straw doll with the names
of both husband and wife put inside it. He uses
the triple takadana[2] and five coloured "gohei,"
red, blue, yellow, black, white. Storm comes with
thunder and lightning. The woman appears.
She and the chorus sing, interrupting each other—
she complaining, the chorus interpreting her
thoughts. She approaches her husband's pillow
with the intention of killing him. But the power
of the exorcism prevails, and she vanishes into the
air.

Matsukaze, by Kiyotsugu.

A wandering priest sees the ghost of the two
fisher girls, Matsukaze and Murasame, still gathering
salt on the seashore at Suma. They still seem
to feel the waves washing over them, and say,

"Even the shadows of the moon are wet," "The
autumn wind is full, full of thoughts, thoughts of
the sea." They seem to wish to be back in their
old hard life, and say the moon is "envious" of
the ghost life, and will only shine on the living;
that the dews are gathered up by the sun, but that
they lie like old grass left to rot on the sea-beach.
"How beautiful is the evening at Suma for all the
many times we have seen it and might be tired with
seeing it. How faint are the fishermen's voices.
We see the fisher boats in the offing. The faint
moon is the only friend. Children sing under the
field-sweeping wind; the wind is salt with the
autumn. O how sublime is this night. I will go
back to shore, for the tide is now at its full. We
hang our wet sleeves over our shoulders, salt dripping
from them. The waves rush to the shore, a stork
sings in the reeds. The storm gathers in from all
sides; how shall we pass through this night. Cold
night, clear moon, and we two in deep shadow."