Eisa - Eisa

Bon Odori is a dance that is practiced throughout the Okinawa Islands. It was introduced from the mainland along with Buddhism (Jodo sect) around the 17th century, and gradually spread to other areas, centering on Shuri and Naha. The lyrics are in 7-5 rhythm, and traditionally, songs such as "Mamauya Ninbuchi" (praying for one's parents' souls) and "Uyanugu Budai" (praying for the souls of one's parents) that preach filial piety are sung to the tune of "Chunjun Nagari" accompanied by shamisen, but in recent years, songs in the style of Ryuka (a traditional Okinawan folk song) with 8-6 rhythms that sing of friendship between men and women have been added. On the night of the 15th of the old Bon festival, after the deceased have been sent off, young men and women dressed as hungry ghosts go around the houses, and then form a circle in the gardens and dance to the accompaniment of "Eisa, Eisa." The Yaeyama Islands' Soron Angama is a Bon dance that was introduced to the Okinawa Islands, just like Eisa, and is divided into two groups: the samurai angama, which is centered in Shika, Ishigaki City, and the peasant angama, which is in the other rural areas. The peasant angama is a circle dance of men and women, while the samurai angama is accompanied by an old man and an old woman wearing masks, who are said to have come from the other world, and a group of people wearing head coverings perform in the front yards of houses.

[Eijiro Yoshibo]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

沖縄諸島全域に伝わる盆踊り。17世紀ごろ仏教（浄土宗）とともに本土から伝来し、首里(しゅり)、那覇を中心にしだいに地方へ広まったようである。歌詞は七五調で、親への孝養を説く「継親念仏(ままうやにんぶち)」「親の御菩提(うやぬぐぶだい)」などを三味線にのせた「仲順流れ(ちゅんじゅんながり)」の節で歌うのが伝統的だが、近年は男女の交遊を歌う八・六の琉歌(りゅうか)調の歌なども付加されるようになった。旧盆の15日夜、精霊送りを済ませたころ、餓鬼に扮(ふん)した男女の若者たちが家々を巡り歩き、庭先で輪になって「エイサー、エイサー」と囃(はや)しながら踊る。八重山(やえやま)列島の精霊(そーろん)アンガマもエイサーと同じく沖縄諸島を経て伝わった盆踊りで、石垣市内の四箇(しか)を中心とする士族アンガマと、それ以外の農村の百姓アンガマの二つに分けられる。百姓アンガマは男女の輪踊りであるが、士族アンガマは、あの世からやってきたとされる面をかぶった翁(うしゅまい)と姥(んみー)に連れられ、ほおかぶりをした一行が家々の庭先で芸能を奉納する。

［宜保栄治郎］

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