"The Seven Autumn Frosts of Wild Geese"

...These include the Five Men of Karigane, the Five Men of Clouds and Mist, and the Five Men of Shiranami. The five real-life ruffians (who were executed in August 1702), led by Karigane Bunshichi, were played as puppet plays at the Okamoto Bunya Theater in the month following their execution in "Kankin Bunshichi: Autumn Frost." Since then, the stories have been passed down as "Kankin Bunshichi: One Year's Memorial" (Yamamoto Hidajo, 1703) and "Kankin Bunshichi: Three Years' Memorial" (Uji Kagajo, 1704). However, the story of the Five Men of Karigane (written by Takeda Izumo, July 1742 at the Osaka Takemoto Theater) emphasized their character as men of chivalry, and had a great influence on later generations. It was also performed as a kabuki play in 1702 (Genroku 15) at the Matsumoto Nazaemonza in Osaka, and in 1717 (Kyoho 2) at the Nakamuraza in Edo as Kaido Itto Kami Soga, and in 1726 at the Kaneko Kichizaemonza in Osaka (the middle play) as Otokosaku Goningumi, and in Meigetsu Gonin Otoko (1730 at the Nakamuraza) the part where all five men gather together to recite the tune became popular.

*Some of the terminology used in "The Seven Autumn Frosts of the Wild Geese and Gold Pattern" is listed below.

Source | Heibonsha World Encyclopedia 2nd Edition | Information

…雁金（かりがね）五人男，雲霧（くもきり）五人男，白浪五人男などをいう。雁金文七を頭とした庵（あんの）平兵衛，布袋市右衛門，極印千右衛門，神鳴庄九郎という実在した5人の無頼漢(1702年8月刑死)を，獄門の翌月に岡本文弥座で人形浄瑠璃化した《雁金文七秋の霜》以来《雁金文七一年忌》(山本飛驒掾，1703)，《雁金文七三年忌》(宇治加賀掾，1704)と語りつがれたが，《男作五雁金（おとこだていつつかりがね）》(竹田出雲作，1742年7月大坂竹本座)によって，仁俠の徒としての性格が強調され，後世に大きな影響をもたらした。歌舞伎でも1702年(元禄15)に大坂松本名左衛門座で上演，以後17年(享保2)江戸の中村座で《街道一棟上曾我》として演じられ，26年大坂の金子吉左衛門座(中の芝居)で《男作五人組》が，また《名月五人男》(1730年中村座)では五人男が勢ぞろいしてつらねを述べる個所が評判となった。…

※「《雁金文七秋の霜》」について言及している用語解説の一部を掲載しています。

出典｜株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典 第２版について | 情報