Japanese tradition ｜Beautiful Japanese culture！｜Popular songs of the Heian period(794 to 1185).

「平安時代の流行歌」

Have you heard of Japanese songs of the Heian period(794 to 1185)? There were popular songs primarily sung by courtesans while they danced. At 4T-AMKY, Teachers and Students write about Japanese culture, food, history, many spots to visit, and other stuff. Enjoy reading and knowing about deeper Japanese culture!

Popular songs of the Heian period (794 to 1185).

An illustrated postcard.

I received an illustrated postcard from my Kampo (Japanese traditional) medicine teacher. The postcard was painted by the teacher to send to his granddaughter. The picture depicted a courtesan dressed as a man dancing, with a snail on which her granddaughter, dressed as a witch, was riding.

Popular songs from the Heian period.

The picture was accompanied by two poems from ‘Ryoujin Hishou,’ a collection of poems compiled by Emperor Go-Shirakawa Ho-oh. These were popular songs of the Heian period, primarily sung by courtesans while they danced. During that era, it was rare for women to dress as men, but it was considered alluring.

Reading the songs made me want to go outside and talk to a snail. I longed to hear children playing and felt a desire to play like a child once again.

In today’s age, when children often spend time on their smartphones and tablets, this postcard may be a message from the teacher to her granddaughter, “Let’s play outside as much as we can.”

As a Japanese traditional culture

For me, this postcard evokes images of the Heian period and brings back pleasant and nostalgic feelings as I turn my attention to old times and nature. I sincerely hope that these songs will be passed down to the next generation as an important part of Japanese traditional culture.

Poem 408 from Ryoujin Hishou

Dance, dance, snail. Dance, dance, snail, or I will let the horses and oxen kick you. I will make them trample you down. If you dance so gracefully, I will allow you to play in the flower beds.

Poem 359 from Ryoujin Hishou

Were you born to play? Were you born to play? When I hear the voice of children playing, my body begins to swing.”

１枚の絵葉書

漢方の先生から絵葉書を頂きました。この絵葉書は、先生がお孫さんに贈るために描かれたものです。絵には、男装した遊女が舞う様子と、魔女の姿をしたお孫さんが乗る蝸牛（かたつむり）が描かれていました。

平安時代の流行歌

そして、後白河法皇（ごしらかわほうおう）が編纂した歌謡集『梁塵秘抄（りょうじんひしょう）』に掲載された二つの歌が添えられていました。これらは平安時代の流行歌で、主に遊女たちが舞いながら歌っていたそうです。当時、女性が男装することは珍しく、魅力的と見なされていたのです。いわゆる、男装の麗人です。

歌を読むと、外に出てかたつむりに話しかけたくなりました。子供たちの遊び声を聞きたくなりました。童心にかえって遊びたくなりました。

現代は、子供も携帯やタブレットに向かうことが多い時代、この絵葉書は「外で思い切り遊びましょう」という先生からお孫さんへのメッセージが込められているのかもしれません。

日本の伝統文化

私にとってはこの絵葉書は、平安時代の情景を思い起こし、自然に目を向け、楽しい懐かしい気持ちにさせてくれるものとなりました。このような歌が日本の伝統文化として、大切に受け継がれていくことを心から願います。

梁塵秘抄（りょうじんひしょう）408

舞え舞え蝸牛
舞はぬものなら馬の子や牛の子に
蹴ゑさせてむ
踏み破らてむ
実に美しく舞うたらば
華の園まで遊ばせむ

梁塵秘抄（りょうじんひしょう）359

遊びをせんとや生まれけむ
戯れせんとや生まれけむ
遊ぶ子供の声聞けば
我が身さえこそゆるがるれ

Aki Sawaguchi.

6月, 2023