Bell - Suzu

Japanese: 鈴 - すず

A type of swinging sound-making tool. It is shared among many peoples around the world and has been passed down in Japan since ancient times. In addition to metal ones made of bronze, gilt bronze, iron, gold and silver, there are also ones made of clay and wood. In all cases, a crack is made in a spherical object, a small round ball is placed in the cavity, and it is shook to make a sound. The Japanese dictionary "Wakun no Shiori" (edited by Tanigawa Kotosuga) from the late Edo period states that the name comes from the clear, cool sound it makes. It is believed that striking the bell has the magical power to ward off evil, and it was used as a ritual item in Shinto rituals. It then developed into a talisman that accompanies the pure sound. It can be seen in the grave goods found in tombs from the Kofun culture period and in clay clay figurines. It was attached to the hands and feet, or attached to mirrors and other items. The Kojiki already records that they were used on pet animals such as dogs and hawks. They were also used on horse tack. The Chaguchagu Umako festival, where people visit Onikoshi Sozen Shrine (formerly Komagata Shrine) in Takizawa City, Iwate Prefecture, to pray for the safety of their horses, is named after the sound of the bells that were adorned around the necks of these Nanbu horses. In the Ritsuryo period, station bells were provided to government officials traveling from the Imperial Court, and these were rung to requisition horses at each station.

In addition to spherical bells, there are also bell-shaped ones. In ancient times, they were called taku, large ones made of copper or bronze, with a tongue suspended inside and rang when swung. They are also thought to have been used as musical instruments. In modern times, there are smaller wind chimes made of cast iron or glass. There are also large bells that are swung in front of the shrine by ordinary worshippers. These types of small bells that are swung were also incorporated into Kyogen and Noh plays from the Middle Ages, and into Kabuki Shosagoto performances in the Edo period. Clay bells, called dorei, have a simple sound and come in a wide variety of shapes and are awarded at shrines all over the country, and occupy a unique place among local toys. They are said to have originated in the early Edo period as one of the Fushimi dolls in Kyoto. Well-known bells include the snake's eye bell of Toyama Prefecture, the rattle bell of Hiko-san Shrine (Fukuoka Prefecture), and the insect-cutting bell of Kanazakura Shrine (Yamanashi Prefecture), and Motoori Norinaga, a Japanese scholar of the mid-Edo period who completed the Kojiki-den, loved bells so much that he called himself "Suzunoya."

[Ryosuke Saito]

Bells as musical instruments

Based on their shape, bells as musical instruments can be broadly divided into two types: those with a ball (a small object with moderate weight and hardness) sealed inside a hollow, cracked body, and those with a small cup shape (a bell) with a tongue (a striking stick or small ball, also called a clapper) attached inside. Both are played by shaking the instrument itself, but based on the sound production principle, the former are classified as vibratory music instruments (rattles) and the latter as percussion music instruments. Both types have been used since ancient times throughout Asia, Europe, Africa, and America.

In Japan, there are container-shaped bells such as the Kagura bells and the Sanbaso bells, and bell-shaped bells such as the Kongorei. Kagura bells have several bells attached to the end of a single handle, and have been used in the dances of shrine maidens since ancient times. Meanwhile, bells of the same shape are used in the performing arts of shamans, and remain in the Sanbaso part of the Noh play "Okina," Kabuki dance, and folk performing arts. Kongorei are a type of hand bell with a handle, and are used in Buddhist ceremonies. The bells of the Tendai and Shingon sects have five different handle shapes, and are called five kinds of bells. On the Indonesian island of Bali, a wooden frame called a guntrak is used, with several small bell-shaped bells hung from it. In India, Hinduism introduced container-shaped bells in the 6th century BC, and dancing with bells attached to the feet was considered an act of pleasing the gods. They are still used today in Manipuri and Kathak dance.

In Africa, bell-shaped bells are widely used in marching music and dance. Container-shaped bells are thought to have stronger magical powers than bell-shaped bells, and there are examples in various places where they are not used carelessly.

Bells made of gold or silver have been excavated from pre-Inca ruins in South America and were used as ritual tools and as dance accessories. Even today, in traditional festivals, many dances feature bells of this type attached to the ankles. Bell-shaped objects were relatively rare in the Americas before the European invasion.

In Europe, bell-shaped bells are very prominent due to the development of church bells. At the latest in the 14th century, attempts were made to use bell chimes, a set of several bells, to express music. Later, playing techniques and devices were devised, and the carillon (French for "carillon") was developed, which uses a keyboard or a mechanical mechanism to ring multiple bells. In recent years, some bells are equipped with automatic playing devices that use electricity or compressed air. Small bells with handles called hand bells were originally used in England by several people to practice their technique by ringing church bells, but today they have become independent and are used by several people to play music together.

[Ryūji Uta]

[Reference] | Bell

Insect-Cutting Bell
Yamanashi Prefecture ©Shogakukan ">

Insect-Cutting Bell

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

Japanese:

振り鳴らす発音具の一種。世界の諸民族の間で共有され、日本にも古くから伝えられてきた。青銅、金銅、銑(あらがね)、金銀などを用いた金属製のもののほかに土、木製などがある。いずれも球形のものに裂け目をつくり、空洞内に丸く固めた小球を入れ、これを振って鳴らす。江戸後期の国語辞書『和訓栞(わくんのしおり)』（谷川士清(たにがわことすが)編）には、その音が澄んでいる涼しさからこの名がついたとある。鈴を打ち鳴らせば悪魔をはらう呪力(じゅりょく)があると信じられ、神事の祭具などに用いられたのが起源と思われる。それがさらに清らかな音を伴う魔除(まよ)けの装身具類にも発達した。古墳文化時代の墳墓の副葬品や埴輪(はにわ)の土人形にもそれがみられる。手や足につけたり、鏡などの品に固着したりした。『古事記』には、犬や鷹(たか)など飼っている動物類につけたことがすでに記されている。馬具にも用いた。岩手県滝沢市の鬼越蒼前(おにこしそうぜん)神社（旧駒形(こまがた)神社）に飼い馬の安泰を祈って参詣(さんけい)する「ちゃぐちゃぐ馬こ」の祭礼は、これら「南部馬」の首に飾った鈴の音から生まれた名称である。また律令(りつりょう)時代には朝廷から出張する官人に支給した駅鈴(えきれい)があり、これを鳴らして各駅で馬を徴発したりするのに用いられた。

　鈴には球形のほかに釣鐘形のものがあり、古代には鐸(たく)といい銅や青銅製の大形のものの中に舌(ぜつ)を吊(つ)るし振り鳴らした。楽器として用いられたとも思われる。現代では小形のもので鋳物、ガラス製の風鈴類がある。一般参拝者が神前で振り鳴らす大鈴もある。振り鳴らす小形のこの種の鈴は、中世から狂言・能、江戸時代の歌舞伎所作事(かぶきしょさごと)などにも取り入れられた。土製は、土鈴(どれい)とよばれて素朴な音色と多種多様な形態のものが、全国各地の神社で授与されており、郷土玩具(がんぐ)のなかでも特異な位置を占めている。江戸時代初期、京の伏見(ふしみ)人形の一つとしてつくられたのが始まりとされる。富山県の蛇の目鈴、英彦山(ひこさん)神社（福岡県）のガラガラ鈴、金桜(かなざくら)神社（山梨県）の虫切り鈴などが知られ、江戸中期の国学者で『古事記伝』を完成させた本居宣長(もとおりのりなが)は、鈴を愛して「鈴屋(すずのや)」と自ら号した。

［斎藤良輔］

楽器としての鈴

楽器としての鈴は、その形態から、割れ目のある中空の器体内部に丸(がん)（適度な重さと堅さをもつ小物体）を封じ込めたものと、小形のカップ状で内部に舌(ぜつ)（打ち棒や小球など。クラッパーともいう）を取り付けたもの（ベル）の2種に大別される。両者とも楽器自体を振って鳴らすが、その発音原理から、前者は振奏体鳴楽器（ラットル）、後者は打奏体鳴楽器に分類される。どちらの形もアジア全域、ヨーロッパ、アフリカ、アメリカで古くから用いられている。

　日本には、神楽鈴(かぐらすず)や三番叟(さんばそう)の鈴などの容器状のもの、金剛鈴(こんごうれい)などのベル形のものがある。神楽鈴は、1本の柄の先にいくつかの鈴を取り付けたもので、古代以来巫女(みこ)の舞に使われている。一方、同形のものが呪師(じゅし)の芸能に用いられ、能楽の『翁(おきな)』の三番叟や歌舞伎(かぶき)舞踊、民俗芸能に残っている。金剛鈴は柄のついた手鈴(しゅれい)の一種で、仏教の法会(ほうえ)で用いられる。天台宗や真言宗の鈴(れい)は柄に5種の形があり、五種鈴とよぶ。インドネシアのバリ島では、グントラクとよばれる木製の枠に複数の小さなベル形の鈴を吊るしたものが用いられている。インドでは、ヒンドゥー教が紀元前6世紀には容器状の鈴を取り入れ、とくに鈴を足につけて踊ることが神を喜ばせる行為とされ、今日もマニプリ・ダンスやカタック・ダンスに使用されている。

　アフリカでは、ベル形の鈴が行進の音楽や舞踊で盛んに用いられる。容器状の鈴は、ベル形に比べて、より強い魔力をもつと考えられ、みだりに使用されない例が各地にある。

　南アメリカのプレ・インカ期の遺跡から出土される金や銀製の容器状の鈴は、儀礼の道具として、また舞踊の装身具として用いられた。今日でも伝統的な祭りでは、この種の鈴を足首につけて行う舞踊が多い。ヨーロッパ人の侵入以前のアメリカ大陸では、ベル形は比較的少ない。

　ヨーロッパでは、教会の鐘が発達したため、ベル形の鈴が非常に目だつ。遅くとも14世紀には、ベルをいくつかセットにしたベル・チャイムで音楽的表現を行う試みがみられる。のちに奏法や装置がくふうされ、鍵盤(けんばん)操作や機械仕掛けで複数のベルを鳴らすカリヨンcarillon（フランス語）が発達した。近年では、電気や圧縮空気を利用した自動演奏装置付きのものもみられる。また、ハンド・ベルとよばれるハンドル付きの小形ベルは、本来イギリスで教会の組鐘を何人かで鳴らす技巧練習用であったが、今日ではそれから独立して、数人があわせて音楽を演奏する形態ができあがっている。

［卜田隆嗣］

[参照項目] | 鐘

虫切り鈴

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