Semimaru - Semimaru

Japanese: 蟬丸 - せみまる

A fictitious name. In legend, he was the fourth son of Emperor Engi (Emperor Daigo), a master of the biwa, who was abandoned on Mount Osaka because he was blind. In the Gosenshu (volume 15), there is a poem that reads, "I built a hermitage at the Osaka Barrier and lived there, watching the people passing by," and it is listed as the author as Semimaru. This poem was selected for the Hyakunin Isshu and is widely known, but nothing is known about the author, Semimaru. There is virtually no credible historical material to prove the existence of a person with this name.

Semimaru [Semimaru]

The title of a Noh piece. The fourth piece. A madwoman piece. A Noh piece from the time of Zeami. In ancient times, it was also called "Sakagami." The author is unknown. The shite is Sakagami no Miya (a madwoman). The fourth son of the Engi Emperor, Semimaru no Miya (Tsure), had been blind since childhood, so the Emperor ordered his retainer Kiyotsura (Waki) to take him to Mount Ousaka, shave his head, and have him discarded. The prince has given up, thinking it is retribution for his past life, and now lives in a straw hut provided by the only person who sympathizes with him, Hakugano Sanmi (Ai), and finds solace in the biwa.

Source: Heibonsha World Encyclopedia, 2nd Edition Information

Japanese:

虚構の人名。説話では，延喜帝(醍醐天皇)の第4皇子で，盲目のため逢坂山へ遺棄された琵琶の名手と伝える。《後撰集》(巻十五)に，〈逢坂の関に庵室を造りて住み侍りけるに，行きかふ人を見て〉の詞書のもとに，〈これやこの行くも帰るも別れつつ知るも知らぬも逢坂の関〉の和歌が収められ，作者は蟬丸となっている。この歌は《百人一首》にも選ばれ，人口に膾炙しているが，作者蟬丸についてはまったくわかっていない。信ずべき史料には，この名の人物の実在を証するに足るものは皆無といってよい。

せみまる【蟬丸】

能の曲名。四番目物。狂女物。世阿弥時代からある能。古くは《逆髪（さかがみ）》とも呼んだ。作者不明。シテは逆髪の宮(狂女)。延喜の帝の第4皇子蟬丸の宮(ツレ)は，幼少時から盲目だったので，帝が侍臣の清貫（きよつら）(ワキ)に命じて逢坂（おうさか）山に連れて行かせ，剃髪（ていはつ）のうえ捨てさせる。宮は前世の報いとあきらめ，今ではただ一人の同情者である博雅三位（はくがのさんみ）(アイ)が用意してくれた藁屋に住み，琵琶に心を慰めている。

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

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