Red Unclean

It refers to the taboo of female blood. In the past, both bleeding during childbirth and menstruation were considered to be impure, and women were socially restricted during that time. For that reason, they sometimes lived separately from their families during this time. It is said that the reason women's blood is considered impure is due to the strong influence of Buddhism, and phrases such as "no women allowed" have been passed down. It was believed that the impurity of women's blood during their period and childbirth would affect not only the women themselves, but also the family members living with them, and carpenters, blacksmiths, fishermen, and other professions were particularly afraid of this impurity. For this reason, it was customary to isolate the women. However, on the other hand, the names of these isolating huts, such as "taya" and "kariya," also refer to huts where people abide and purify themselves for Shinto rituals, and it is questionable whether menstruation was originally impure. In the Nansei Islands (Ryukyu Islands), Shinto rituals are under the jurisdiction of women, but this woman is an adult who is menstruating. The fact that the monthly rituals, which are considered impure on the mainland, were a condition for participating in the rituals means that these same rituals, which were considered impure, were in some ways the most sacred of things.

[Kamata Hisako]

"Folklore of Gods and Women" by Shigeru Makita (Kodansha Gendai Shinsho) " "Folklore of Women" by Kiyoko Segawa (1980, Tokyo Shoseki, Tosho Sensho)"

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

女性の血の忌みのこと。かつて出産の出血も、月経の出血も、ともに穢(けがれ)とみなされ、その期間中の女性は、社会的に生活を拘束されることがあった。そのためこの期間中、家族と別に生活することもあった。女性の血を穢とみる原因は、仏教の影響が強いといわれ、「女人禁制」などのことばも伝承されてきた。女性の生理期間、出産時には、当事者だけでなく、同居する家族にもその穢が及ぶとされ、とくに大工、鍛冶(かじ)、漁師などの職業者は、この穢をおそれていた。そのため本人を隔離する風があったのである。しかし他方、この隔離する小屋のタヤとかカリヤという名称は、神事の精進潔斎(しょうじんけっさい)する小屋をも意味し、月事が本来穢であったか否か問題である。南西諸島（琉球(りゅうきゅう)列島）では神事は女性の管轄下にあるが、この女性は月事のある成女である。本土では不浄とされている月事が、祭祀(さいし)参加の条件であることは、不浄とされていた月事が、他面もっとも聖なることであったことを意味するものである。

［鎌田久子］

『牧田茂著『神と女の民俗学』（講談社現代新書）』▽『瀬川清子著『女の民俗誌』（1980・東京書籍・東書選書）』

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