Shirabyoshi - Shirabyoshi

It refers to the dance and song that emerged in the late Heian period and flourished through the Kamakura period, as well as the female dancers who performed it professionally. There are various theories about the origin of the name, including that it comes from the Shirabyoshi melody of Shomyo-do, Ennen-shoga, and Kagura-uta, or that it comes from a dance that originated from Bugaku. The Tale of the Heike states that during the reign of Emperor Toba, female dancers Senzai of Shima and Waka-no-mae began performing the dance, and Tsurezuregusa states that Shinzei taught the Zen priest Iso Zenji to dance. Shizuka Gozen, a famous Shirabyoshi dancer in a story about Minamoto no Yoshitsune, is said to be the daughter of a Zen priest from Iso, but Gion, Gion, and Hotoke Gozen, who were beloved by Taira no Kiyomori, as well as Senju and Emperor Gotoba's favorite princess Kamegiku, are all known to be masters of Shirabyoshi. Singing Shirabyoshi is called "kazoeru," and in addition to modern poetry, waka, and roei, they also sang temple and shrine annals such as "Horyu-ji Engi Shirabyoshi." The accompaniment was fan beats and drum beats, and the dance was called otoko-mai (male dance) because the dancer wore a suikan (water-leaf dress), eboshi (black hat), and sayamaki (sheath wrap). Shirabyoshi dance influenced later performing arts such as Kusemai, and was also incorporated into the Noh play "Dojoji" and other plays, and its legacy was passed down to Kabuki dance (such as "Kyoganoko Musume Dojoji").

[Shigeru Takayama]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

平安時代末期におこり鎌倉時代にかけて盛行した歌舞、およびその歌舞を業とする舞女をいう。名称の起源は、声明道(しょうみょうどう)や延年唱歌(えんねんしょうが)、神楽歌(かぐらうた)の白拍子という曲節にあるとか、舞楽(ぶがく)を母胎にする舞にあるとかの諸説がある。『平家物語』には鳥羽(とば)天皇の御代に島の千歳(せんざい)と和歌の前という舞女が舞い始めたとあり、『徒然草(つれづれぐさ)』には信西(しんぜい)が磯(いそ)の禅師(ぜんじ)という女に教えて舞わせたとある。源義経(よしつね)との物語で有名な白拍子静御前(しずかごぜん)は磯の禅師の娘とされているが、平清盛(きよもり)の寵愛(ちょうあい)を得た祇王(ぎおう)・祇女(ぎじょ)・仏御前(ほとけごぜん)や、千手(せんじゅ)、後鳥羽(ごとば)天皇の寵姫亀菊(かめぎく)などの名はいずれも白拍子の名手として知られている。白拍子を歌うことを「かぞえる」といい、今様(いまよう)、和歌、朗詠などのほか、「法隆寺縁起白拍子」のような寺社縁起も歌った。伴奏は扇拍子・鼓拍子を用い、水干(すいかん)・烏帽子(えぼし)・鞘巻(さやまき)姿で舞ったので男舞(おとこまい)といわれた。白拍子の舞は後の曲舞(くせまい)などの芸能に影響を与えたほか、能の『道成寺』ほかにも取り入れられ、その命脈は歌舞伎(かぶき)舞踊（『京鹿子娘道成寺(きょうがのこむすめどうじょうじ)』など）にも受け継がれていった。

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