Tenja - scorer

A person who evaluates and assigns points to works of Renga, Haikai, Zappai, etc. Master of poetry. There were two types of marks: Hiraten (one mark), which draws a single diagonal line from the beginning of a verse, and Choten (two marks), which draws a double line. After the Genroku period (1688-1704), marks gradually became more diverse, with dots and other marks being used, and the highest mark was Kikaku's "Half-Faced Beauty" which had 50 points. A certain amount of training was required to become a marksman, and in Basho's time, one could only become a marksman by performing a ten thousand verse performance led by Master Rikki. Later, the method relaxed, and after the Genroku period, it became a profession, and many people made a living from the income from marks earned by marking works and the income from fees for selecting verses with front verses. Furthermore, with the popularity of point-winning haiku, in which points were awarded in competitions for money and valuables, the point-winners became extremely corrupt, and Basho admonished his disciples, saying, "Rather than being a point-winner, you should beg."

[Kumo Hideo]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

連歌、俳諧(はいかい)、雑俳などで、作品の優劣を評価し点をつける者。宗匠(そうしょう)。点には、句頭から斜線一筋を引く平点(ひらてん)（一点）と、二重を引く長点(ちょうてん)（二点）の2種があったが、元禄(げんろく)（1688～1704）以後しだいに点印などを用いて多様化し、其角(きかく)の「半面美人(はんめんびじん)」の点印など五十点と最高のものであった。点者になるには一定の修行が必要で、芭蕉(ばしょう)時代では宗匠立机(りっき)の万句興行を行って初めて点者になれた。のちにはその方式も緩み、元禄以後は職業化し、作品に点をつけて得る点料や、前句付(まえくづけ)の選句料などの収入で生活する者が多くなった。また金品を賭(か)けて争う点取俳諧の流行に伴い、点者の堕落が著しく、芭蕉(ばしょう)は「点者をすべきよりは乞食をせよ」と門人に戒めている。

［雲英末雄］

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