Gosekki Dance - Gosechi no Mai

One of the musical and dances used in court ceremonies. A female dance. According to legend, it began when Emperor Tenmu was playing the koto at Yoshino Palace when a heavenly maiden appeared and danced, flipping her sleeves five times. It was first seen in the 14th year of the Tenpyo era (742) during the reign of Emperor Shomu as the "Gosechi no Tamai" (five-stage rice field dance), and there is also an old record that the following year, Princess Abe (later known as Empress Koken) herself danced the Gosetsu dance. At the Todaiji Temple Great Buddha Opening Ceremony (752), Gosekmai was performed along with Kumemai and other musical dances, and although Gosekmai and Denmai became separated a little later, Gosekmai is said to have originally originated from Denmai, an agricultural incantation to pray for a good harvest. It was incorporated into the Gagaku School and taught, and the style was established, and it came to occupy an important position as ceremonial music at the Imperial Court in the Daijoe and Shinjoe ceremonies. On the day of the Ox in the middle of November, there is a ceremony in which dancing girls are viewed by the Emperor, called the Chodai Trial and on the day of the Tiger, there is the Gozen Trial. The day after the ceremony in which young girls are viewed by the Emperor on the day of the Rabbit (this night is the Niiname-e), the Toyonoakari Sechie is held on the day of the Dragon, and five dances are performed to the taiko of the Daiuta-dokoro. It seems that it was not limited to female dances from the beginning, but by the Heian period, it was clearly female dances, and the dancing girls were not maiko (apprentice geisha) belonging to the Naikyoubo (inner education school), but rather the daughters of aristocrats and provincial governors (zuryo). The number of dancers was also set at five for the Daijo-e and four for the Niiname-e. Gosekmai, which had already declined during the Muromachi period, was abolished after 1466 (Bunsho 1) and was revived in 1753 (Horeki 3), but the version that is passed down today was newly revived when Emperor Taisho ascended to the throne.

[Shigeru Takayama]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

宮廷儀礼に用いる楽舞の一つ。女舞。伝説によると、天武(てんむ)天皇が吉野宮(よしののみや)で弾琴のとき、天女(てんにょ)が出現して袖(そで)を五度翻して舞ったのが始まりという。初見は聖武(しょうむ)天皇の天平(てんぴょう)14年（742）に「五節田舞(ごせちのたまい)」とみえ、その翌年には阿倍(あべ)内親王（後の孝謙(こうけん)天皇）が自ら五節舞を舞ったという古い記録もある。東大寺大仏開眼供養(だいぶつかいげんくよう)（752）にも久米舞(くめまい)などの楽舞とともに五節舞が舞われており、もうすこし時代が下ると五節舞と田舞とは分離したが、五節舞はもともとは五穀豊穣(ごこくほうじょう)を祈願する農耕呪術(じゅじゅつ)的な田舞に発するといわれている。それが雅楽寮に組み込まれ教習されるようになって様式が整い、宮中の式楽として大嘗会(だいじょうえ)や新嘗会(しんじょうえ)において重要な位置を占めるようになった。11月中(なか)の丑(うし)の日には帳台(ちょうだい)の試(こころみ)、寅(とら)の日には御前(ごぜん)の試という舞姫天覧の儀があり、卯(う)の日の童女御覧の儀（この夜が新嘗会）の翌日辰(たつ)の日が豊明節会(とよのあかりのせちえ)となって、大歌所の大歌にあわせ五節舞が舞われた。初めから女舞とは限っていなかったようであるが、平安時代には明白に女舞となっており、舞姫は内教坊(ないきょうぼう)に所属している舞妓(ぶぎ)ではなく、貴族諸氏、受領(ずりょう)などの子女が選任されて、これにあたった。その人数も大嘗会には5人、新嘗会には4人と定まっていた。室町時代にはすでに衰微していた五節舞は、1466年（文正1）以降廃絶に至り、1753年（宝暦3）に再興されたが、現在伝わるものは大正天皇即位のおり新たに復活されたものである。

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