l 琴 古 主 Koto-furunushi (Old Man Koto) Ever since the blind composer Yatsuhashi revised its music, Tsukushi-style koto has dwindled to just a name, seldom heard. Perhaps Koto-furunushi is an expression of this resentment taken form. So I dreamed. In illustrated scrolls, Old Man Koto is often portrayed as being led on a leash by Biwa Boku- Boku (p. 273). Sekien visually quotes and greatly expands on the character here, describing it not simply as an anthropomorphic floor-harp, but rather as an anthropomorphization of a forgotten style of floor-harp music. The prestigious Tsukushi school of koto music was founded in the late 1500s. However, its study was restricted to male monks, and forbidden for women or the blind. One of its masters, H ōsui, chafed against these restrictions. He moved to Edo and taught the entire repertoire to Yatsuhashi Kengyō (1614-1685). Ironically, Yatsuhashi’s re-tuned modifications of Tsukushi songs quickly eclipsed their predecessors in popularity, growing into the dominant form of koto music in Sekien’s era and today. A popular koto-shaped sweet in Kyoto is named Yatsuhashi to commemorate Kengy ō. 272 l
l 琵 琶 牧 々 Biwa Boku-boku (Biwa Boku-boku) The Genj ō and the Bokuba were renowned biwa lutes in times of old, and knowing that many strange incidents are said to have accompanied them, perhaps this yokai is called Boku-boku because it is the Bokuba lute, changed. So I dreamed. Popularly seen in illustrated scrolls, usually in concert with Koto-furunushi. It was famously described in the 12th century Konjaku Monogatarishū (An Anthology of Tales of Old). The Genj ō (written variously as “Shadow-elephant” or “Shadow-above”) was owned by Emperor Murakami, who reigned from 946-967. It was said to become angry and refuse to make sound if it wasn’t properly dusted, and that when a fire broke out in the Imperial storehouse, it exited the building without the help of men. One day it was stolen. The emperor’s nephew caught sound of its music and followed it to Raj ōmon Gate (p. 210). He saw no sign of it or anyone playing, but demanded it back nonetheless. Whoever—or whatever—had stolen it lowered it back it to him via a rope. The name Bokuba transliterates into “Grazinghorse.” Passage 70 of Tsurezure-gusa (Tales in Idleness) is a story about the Bokuba being unsuccessfully sabotaged before a performance. 273 l
ILLUSTRATED Translated and Annotate
Introduction Contents The Illustrat
l religions of the West, both Japan
l Utagawa-trained artists Tsukioka
l About the Books Sekien penned fou
l in jail or worse. Poetic allusion
l then again at the end of World Wa
l nothing un-funnier than a joke ex
l 2 l
l Foreword This time, he took the a
l Contents Kodama Tengu Yamabiko Ya
木 魅 Kodama (Tree-Spirit) It is
l 天 狗 Tengu (tengu) Among the m
山 童 Yama-warawa (Mountain Boy)
犬 神 / 白 児 Inugami / Shirach
河 童 Kappa (kappa) Also known as
垢 嘗 Akanamé (Filth-Licker) A s
l 窮 奇 Kama-itachi (Sickle-Wease
狐 火 Kitsune-bi (Foxfire) Accord
l 24 l
l 26 l
l Contents Jor ō-gumo Ten-asobi S
鼬 Ten (Marten) Like the tanuki an
釣 瓶 火 Tsurube-bi (Wellbucket-
姥 が 火 Uba-ga-bi (hag-fire) Sa
鳴 屋 Yanari (House-Creakers) Tho
海 座 頭 Umizatō (Blind Man of
高 女 Taka-onna (High Woman) Taka
l 鉄 鼠 Tesso (Iron Rat) They say
l 飛 頭 蛮 Rokuro-kubi (Flying-h
反 枕 Makura-gaeshi (Pillow-flip)
生 霊 Ikiryō (Living Soul) If a
幽 霊 Y ū r e i (Ghost) Just as
l 52 l
l 54 l
l Contents Mikoshi Sh ōkera Hyōsu
せうけら Shōkera (shōkera) Th
わいら Waira (waira) A mysteriou
塗 仏 Nuri-botoke (nuri-botoke) S
ぬらりひょん Nurarihyon (nura
l 苧 うに Ouni (ouni) Sekien’s
赤 舌 Aka-shita (Red-tongue) A st
牛 鬼 Ushi-oni (Ox-Demon) Earlier
l Afterword If poems represent the
Art: Toriyama Sekien Toyofusa Appre
l 76 l
l 78 l
l In Praise of the Hyakki Yagyō Re
l In Praise of the Hyakki Yagyō An
l Running my fingers over my belove
l changed course in 11 AD, his admi
l 鬼 Oni (Oni) The direction known
魃 Hideri-gami (Drought-bringer) A
nl 覚 Satori (Perceiver) A kaku th
橋 姫 Hashi-hime (Bridge Princess
寺 つつき Tera-tsutsuki (Temple
玉 藻 前 Tamamo-no-mae (The Lady
l 丑 時 参 り Ushinotoki-mairi
l 102 l
l 104 l
l 不 知 火 Shiranui (The unknown
l 青 鷺 火 Aosagi-no-hi (Heron-f
墓 の 火 Haka-no-hi (Grave-fire)
l 油 赤 子 Abura-akago (Oil-Baby
l 輪 入 道 Wanyūdō (Wheel-monk
l 皿 かぞへ Sara-kazoe (Plate-c
l 舟 幽 霊 Funa-yūrei (Boat Pha
古 山 茶 の 霊 Furutsubaki-no-
l 雨 降 小 僧 Amefuri-kozō (Ra
l 青 女 房 Ao-nyōbō (Blue Lady
l 骨 女 Hone-onna (Bone-woman) As
l 128 l
l 130 l
l 鵼 Nue (Nue) Nue is a bird-beast
邪 魅 Jami (Evil Spirit) The Jami
貉 Mujina (Badger) Its ability to
l 野 槌 Nozuchi (Field-hammer) Th
l 比 々 Hihi (Hihi) Hihi is a bea
震 々 Buru-buru (Shivers) Buru-bu
l 天 井 下 Tenjō-kudari (Ceilin
l 大 首 Ōkubi (Giant Head) Gener
l 金 霊 Kanedama (Gold-spirit) Th
l (sunrise) The wicked cannot trium
Art: Toriyama Sekien Toyofusa Appre
l 154 l
l 156 l
l More of the Demon Horde: Preface
l More of the Demon Horde: Preface
l Introduction Thus long did I keep
l no suffering or cold, and the fru
l 燭 陰 Shokuin (Torch-Shadow) In
l 人 魚 Ningyo (Mermaid) Dwells t
l 彭 侯 Hōkō (Penghou) A thousa
道 成 寺 鐘 Dōjōji-no-kane (T
l 泥 田 坊 Dorotabō (Mudman) Lo
l 白 粉 婆 Oshiroi-baba (Facepow
l 影 女 Kage-onna (Shadow-woman)
l 煙 々 羅 Enenra (Smokenet) A f
l 182 l
l 184 l
l 紅 葉 狩 Momiji-gari (Momiji H
火 前 坊 Kazenbō (Bonze-before-
l 青 行 灯 Ao-andō (The Blue La
l 小 雨 坊 Kosamebō (Drizzle-mo
あやかし Ayakashi (Ayakashi) Wh
l 鬼 一 口 Oni-hitokuchi (One Gu
l 小 袖 の 手 Kosode-no-te (The
大 座 頭 Ōz a t ō (Great Zatō
殺 生 石 Sesshō-seki (Life-taki
茂 林 寺 釜 Morinji-no-kama (Th
l 206 l
l 208 l
l 羅 城 門 鬼 Rajōmon-no-oni (
l 芭 蕉 精 Bashō-no-sei (Planta
屏 風 闚 Byōbu-nozoki (Screen-p
目 目 連 Mokumoku-ren (Eye-eye)
l 目 競 Mekurabe (Staredown) One
否 哉 Iyaya (Oh No) Upon spotting
ART/ASIAN Such beautiful nightmares
Loading...
Loading...