Hige Yagura - Hige Yagura

The title of a Kyogen piece. Female Kyogen. A man (shite) who is proud of his beard is asked to play the role of Daihige at the Daijoe ceremony at the Imperial Palace, and orders his wife to prepare his attire. Far from being happy, his wife tells him that it is his beard that has caused him to take on such a demanding role despite living from day to day, and tells him to just shave it off, which leads to an argument. The wife, who has been subjected to violence, enters the act in anger. Then, news comes that the wife is conspiring with the neighboring ladies-in-waiting to fight back, so the man hangs a small prop, a tower, in front of his beard to protect it and wait. When the ladies-in-waiting army appears with naginata, spears, rakes, and other weapons in their hands, the man opens the door of the tower hanging from his neck, draws his sword, and fights back, but is outnumbered and his beard is ripped out by the roots with large tweezers. The plot, in which a woman's everyday logic triumphs over a man obsessed with honor, is brilliant, but the unusual setting - a small tower and giant tweezers - is thoroughly entertaining.

[Mitsuo Yuya]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

狂言の曲名。女狂言。髭自慢の男（シテ）が、宮中の大嘗会(だいじょうえ)の大髭役を仰せ付かり、妻に装束の用意を命じる。妻は喜ぶどころか、その日暮らしのくせにそんな物いりな役を引き受けてくるのは髭のせいだと、いっそ髭を剃(そ)ってしまえといいだし、喧嘩(けんか)になる。暴力を振るわれた妻は怒って幕に入る。そこに、妻が近所の女房連と語らって反撃にくるという知らせが入り、男は髭の前に小道具の櫓を吊(つ)るして髭を守り待ち受ける。薙刀(なぎなた)、槍(やり)、熊手(くまで)などを手に登場した女房軍に向かって、男は首から吊るした櫓の扉を開き太刀(たち)を抜いて応戦するが、多勢に無勢、大きな毛抜きで髭を根こそぎ引き抜かれてしまう。名誉にこだわる男に対して生活に根ざした女の論理が勝利するという筋立ても鮮やかだが、小さな櫓に大きな毛抜きという奇想天外な道具立てが底抜けに楽しい。

［油谷光雄］

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