Lion dance - Shishimai

Japanese: 獅子舞 - ししまい

This is a folk art form with a religious ritual in which the performers dance wearing lion's heads. The lion's heads are usually wooden sculptures in the shape of male lions' heads, but can also be tigers, deers, and other shapes. To the ancient Japanese, lions were not real animals, but imaginary, powerful, sacred beasts, and were the subject of faith to ward off evil and bring good fortune. Shishimai is thought to have both imported and indigenous lines, with imported lines called "futaridachi" and indigenous lines called "hitoridachi." Futaridachi is thought to have been introduced from the continent along with gigaku music (gaku music). A lion's head used in the consecration ceremony for the Great Buddha of Todaiji Temple in 752 (Tenpyo Shoho 4) is preserved in Shosoin, and its shape is not very different from that of the lion's heads used in today's daikagura (dance music). In Bugaku, which was introduced in the mid-7th century, it was performed as one of the dances dedicated to prayer, and can still be seen today in the Shika Memorial Service of the Shoryoe Bugaku at Shitennoji Temple in Osaka. Since the Heian period, it has been incorporated into festival parades, Dengaku, Kagura, and other forms of dance, and continues to be performed to this day.

[Masahiro Nishikado]

Two-person lion dance

It is a form of lion dance in which one person takes care of the head and front legs, and the other takes care of the buttocks and hind legs to form one head, and the body is a hood. In the "Kyokumonsho" it is described as having five-colored fur, in the "Nenchu Gyoji Emaki" the fur is arranged in rows on the hood, and in the "Shinzei Kogaku Zu" it is a stuffed animal. Today, in parts of Kyushu and Okinawa, there are Chinese-style stuffed animal-style ones, but in other places they are hood-style ones.

This style is seen all over the country, but the Daikagura style is the most widespread. "Ise Daikagura" is a professional two-person lion dance based in Tayu-cho, Kuwana City, Mie Prefecture, and consists of a Shinto ritual dance of prayer, a votive Kagura dance, and a sideshow acrobatic performances. "Edo Daikagura" consists of a prayer dance called Kotobukijishi, as well as acrobatics, and previously also performed farce.

After the end of the Edo period, the "shishi-shibai" (lion plays the female protagonist) was born in the Chubu region as a sideshow art incorporating kabuki (traditional Japanese theater). Today's shishi-shibai is non-professional, but non-professional shishimai generally only perform religious rites or votive kagura-style dances. There are many cases where two lions, one male and one female, appear, and there are also shi-ayashi (lion-playing) dances involving the lion. In addition, in cases where it is considered meaningful for villagers to participate, such as in coming-of-age ceremonies, several or even dozens of people may enter the hood of one lion. The "Hayachine Kagura" of Iwate Prefecture, known as Yamabushi Kagura, has a variety of performing arts, but as it is classified as a lion kagura, it is centered on a lion dance of prayer called "Gongen-mai". There are many in this lineage in the Tohoku region, and the lion's head, called Gongen-sama, is a god. There are also some "tiger dances" with a tiger head and body.

[Masahiro Nishikado]

Solo Lion Dance

Each person plays one head, and in most cases they dance while beating a small drum attached to their stomach, but there are also some groups with three heads, and others with eight heads. There are exceptions where this form was introduced to Western Japan due to the transfer of feudal lords, but it is a form that exists only in Eastern Japan.

A set of three lions consists of three lions called male lion, female lion, and middle lion, and is called a "three-headed lion dance" or "elegant lion dance." It often features a clownish lion dance. It is performed mainly in the Kanto region, Koshinetsu, and parts of the Tohoku region, including Fukushima Prefecture. In some areas it is called "sasara," and is often performed as a summer prayer. In addition to "Heikakari," "Yumikake," and "Kenkake," pieces such as "Meshishikakushi" are often performed. It is usually accompanied by a flute, and there is also a lion song. The heads are not only lions, but also dragons, wild boars, antelopes, bears, and other heads that vary depending on the characteristics of the region.

The Yatsushiki is unique to the Tohoku region. It is also written as "Shishiodori" or "Shikaodori", but the "shishi" (deer) is the shishi (deer) of the kanoshishi (deer). The eight deer are made up of a neutral deer, a female deer, and six side deer. They are broadly divided into two types: the Taiko-odori style, where a large shime-daiko drum is attached to the lower abdomen and danced while beating it, such as the "Yanagawa Shishiodori" in Oshu City, Iwate Prefecture, and the Maku-odori style, where a large curtain is draped over the front of the body and danced while fluttering it, such as the "Aosasa Shishiodori" in Tono City, Iwate Prefecture. In the latter, the drummer is separate. In most cases, the heads are deformed in the style of a gongen, and the horns are real deer antlers in the Taiko-odori style, while the Maku-odori style uses wooden antlers. The dancers form circles and squares, and there are also Shishi songs, including a song about "hiding the female deer." It is often danced during Bon Festival and at memorial services for the dead.

There is a lack of old documents for the solo dance, making it difficult to pinpoint its history. There is vague evidence for it in the "Beggar's Song" in Volume 16 of the "Manyoshu," and its existence in the Muromachi period is confirmed by the "Kitano Tenmangu Shrine Festival Scroll," but this does not prove its connection to today's solo dance. It is also unclear whether the famous "Kakubei Lion Dance" from Tsukigata Village, Niigata Prefecture (now Minami Ward, Niigata City) was originally a two-person or solo dance. There is a strong possibility that the Daikagura-style lion dance was advocated by secular saints of Onmyodo, while the Yamabushi Kagura-style Gongenmai and solo lion dances were advocated by Shugendo.

Furthermore, lion dances (two people) and similar performing arts have been handed down in various parts of East Asia, including China and Korea.

[Masahiro Nishikado]

"Folk Art No. 3: Lion Dance" (1930/included in Folk Art Society's reprint of "Folk Art 5"/1973/Kokusho Kankokai)" ▽ "Folk Art and Folk Crafts Series 32: Folklore of the Lion" by Kiyoto Furuno (1968/Iwasaki Bijutsusha) ▽ "Ennen" by Yasuji Honda (1974/Mokujisha)

[References] | Ise Daikagura | Kakubei Lion Dance| Shikaodori | Yamabushi Kagura

Lion dance illustration
A lion dance performed using stuffed animals. Part of "Rakunin no zu" (Drawing of Musicians) owned by the National Diet Library .

Lion dance illustration

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

Japanese:

獅子頭(ししがしら)をかぶって舞う神事的な民俗芸能。獅子頭はおもに雄の獅子の頭をかたどった木製の作り物であるが、トラ、シカその他の場合もある。上古の日本人にとって獅子は現実の動物ではなかったが、空想上の威力ある聖獣であり、除魔招福の信仰の対象であった。獅子舞には渡来脈と固有脈があると考えられ、渡来脈を「二人立(ふたりだち)」、固有脈と目されるものを「一人立」という。二人立は6世紀なかばから7世紀にかけて、大陸から伎楽(ぎがく)とともに伝来したと推定される。752年（天平勝宝4）の東大寺大仏開眼供養に用いられた獅子頭が正倉院に伝存するが、今日の太神楽(だいかぐら)の獅子頭と形状的に大差がない。また7世紀なかばに伝来した舞楽(ぶがく)では、御願供養舞の一演目として演じられており、今日でも大阪四天王寺の聖霊会(しょうりょうえ)舞楽の四箇(しか)法要などにうかがえる。平安期以降は、祭礼の練り風流(ふりゅう)の一つとして、また田楽(でんがく)、神楽などに取り入れられて今日に至っている。

［西角井正大］

二人立の獅子舞

1人が頭部と前肢、もう1人が尻(しり)部と後肢を受け持って1頭をなす形式の獅子舞で、胴体は幌(ほろ)である。『教訓抄』には五色の毛があると記され、『年中行事絵巻』では幌に毛が列状に配してあり、『信西古楽(しんぜいこがく)図』では縫いぐるみである。今日、九州の一部や沖縄には中国風に縫いぐるみ式のものがあるが、そのほかは幌式である。

　この形式は全国各地にみられるが、太神楽系がもっとも普及している。「伊勢太神楽(いせだいかぐら)」は、三重県桑名市太夫(たゆう)町に本拠を置く職能的な二人立獅子舞で、祈祷(きとう)の神事舞と奉納神楽、それに余興的な放下芸（曲芸）からなる。「江戸太神楽」は、寿(ことぶき)獅子という祈祷の舞のほかは曲芸で、以前は茶番も演じた。

　幕末以降、中部地方には、余興芸として歌舞伎(かぶき)を取り込んだ「獅子芝居」（女主人公を獅子が演じ、「嫁芝居」ともいう）も生まれた。今日の獅子芝居は非職能であるが、一般に非職能の獅子舞は祈祷の神事舞あるいは奉納神楽的な舞しか演じない。雌雄2頭出るケースも少なくなく、また獅子と絡む獅子あやしが出ることもある。なお、成年式など村落民が参加することに意義があるとする場合には、1頭の幌の中に数人ないし数十人も入ることがある。山伏神楽として知られる岩手県の「早池峰(はやちね)神楽」は多様な芸能をもつが、獅子神楽に分類されるように、「権現舞(ごんげんまい)」とよばれる祈祷の獅子舞に中心がある。東北地方にはこの系譜のものが多く、権現さまとよぶ獅子頭は神である。なお、虎頭・虎胴の「虎舞」も若干ある。

［西角井正大］

一人立の獅子舞

1人で1頭をなし、多くの場合、腹に小型の太鼓をつけて打ちながら舞うが、3頭で1組をなすものと、おもに8頭で1組をなすものとがある。藩主の移封などによって西日本に伝わった例外はあるが、東日本にのみ存在する形態である。

　3頭1組のものは、男(お)獅子、女(め)獅子、中(なか)獅子などとよばれる3頭で構成され、「三頭（匹）獅子舞」「風流(ふりゅう)獅子舞」という。道化の獅子あやしが出ることが多い。関東を中心に甲信越、また福島県など東北地方の一部に及ぶ。「ささら」とよぶ土地もあり、夏祈祷として舞われるケースが多い。『幣掛(へいかかり)』『弓掛』『剣掛』などのほか、『女獅子隠し』などという曲目がよく演じられる。普通、笛の伴奏がつき、獅子歌もある。頭は獅子だけでなく、竜、イノシシ、カモシカ、クマなど地域の特性によって一様ではない。

　八頭式は東北地方固有である。「獅子踊」または「鹿踊」とも書くが、鹿(しし)はカノシシ（シカ）のシシである。8頭は中立(なかだち)と雌ジシのほか6頭の側(がわ)ジシからなる。岩手県奥州(おうしゅう)市の「梁川(やながわ)鹿踊」のように、大ぶりの締太鼓を下腹部につけて打ちながら踊る太鼓踊型と、同県遠野(とおの)市の「青笹(あおざさ)獅子踊」のように、身体の前面に大きな幕をかけてそれを翻して踊る幕踊型に大別される。後者では太鼓打ちを別に置く。頭は権現風にデフォルメされたものがほとんどで、角(つの)は太鼓踊型が本物の鹿の角を、幕踊型が板の作り物を用いる。円陣や方陣を形づくって踊り、シシ歌もあり、やはり『雌ジシ隠し』の曲がある。盆や年忌供養に踊られることが多い。

　一人立は古い資料に乏しく、歴史を特定しにくい。『万葉集』巻16の「乞食人詠(ほかいびとのうた)」などにかすかな根拠が求められ、『北野天満宮御祭絵巻』によって室町期の存在が確認される程度であるが、今日の一人立との関連を論証するに至らない。有名な新潟県月潟(つきがた)村（現新潟市南区）の「角兵衛獅子」も、もともと二人立か一人立か不詳である。太神楽系の獅子舞は陰陽道(おんみょうどう)の、山伏神楽系の権現舞と一人立の獅子舞は修験道(しゅげんどう)の、俗聖(ぞくひじり)たちが唱導した可能性が強い。

　なお、獅子舞（二人立）、あるいはこれに準ずる芸能は、中国、朝鮮をはじめ東アジアの各地に伝承している。

［西角井正大］

『「民俗芸術三ノ一・獅子舞号」（1930／民俗芸術の会復刻『民俗芸術5』所収・1973・国書刊行会）』▽『古野清人著『民俗民芸双書32　獅子の民俗』（1968・岩崎美術社）』▽『本田安次著『延年』（1974・木耳社）』

[参照項目] | 伊勢太神楽 | 角兵衛獅子 | 鹿踊 | 山伏神楽

獅子舞の図
縫いぐるみ式の獅子舞。『楽人の図』（部分）国立国会図書館所蔵">

獅子舞の図

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