Sword Dance - Tachiodori

A dance performed with swords. It is found in the Kochi Prefecture area and southern Ehime Prefecture. Although there are differences depending on the place, 20 to 30 young people wearing white headbands, family crests and sashes form pairs and line up in two rows, dancing back to back, front to front, or taking turns while drawing and striking each other with real swords. In some cases, paper flowers are attached to the handles of the swords to the accompaniment of music and songs, and the other dancer cuts off the tip of the sword with a real sword. In some regions, it is called Hanatori Dance or Hanacho Dance because the paper flies up into the air. Its origins include various occasions such as celebrating the victory of a castle lord, breaking through enemy lines, and exorcising vengeful spirits, but it is also related to the Bo Dance, in which people strike each other with sickles, sticks, and other items, and the Naginata Dance, and it seems that it originally meant to drive away evil spirits. The Hanatori dance of Yusuhara Town, Takaoka County, Kochi Prefecture, is similar to the Tobinenbutsu dance of the same town, and elements of the nembutsu tradition can be seen in the sword dance. The difference is that in Kochi, only the sword is used, while in Ehime, the sword and sickle are used in a clash.

[Hidezaburo Hagiwara]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

太刀を持って踊る踊り。高知県一帯から愛媛県南部にかけて分布する。所により異同もあるが、白鉢巻、紋付にたすき掛けの若者2、30人が2人一組になって二列に向かい合い、真剣を抜いて激しく打ち合わせながら、背中合わせ、前合わせ、入れ替わり合いなどして踊る。囃子(はやし)や歌に合わせ、ときに太刀の柄(つか)に紙でこしらえた花をつけ、他方がその先端を真剣で切り散らす場合もある。その紙が空中に舞い上がるため、花取(はなとり)踊とか花鳥踊とよぶ地方もある。起源は、城主の戦勝祝い、敵陣突破、怨霊(おんりょう)退治などさまざまあるが、鎌(かま)や棒などの持ち物を打ち合わせる棒踊、長刀(なぎなた)踊などとも関連して、もともと悪霊退散を意味するものであったらしい。高知県高岡(たかおか)郡檮原(ゆすはら)町の花取踊は同町の飛念仏(とびねんぶつ)といわれるものに類似しており、太刀踊に念仏系の要素がみてとれる。普通高知では太刀のみ、愛媛では太刀と鎌との切り合いという差異が認められる。

［萩原秀三郎］

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