Hyottoko

A mask with an extremely pointed mouth. Generally, the mouth is slightly jutting out at an angle, but some are cylindrical and can move. It can also refer to the role played by the performer wearing this mask, or more generally to a clown or fool. Masks with this type of mouth shape can be found in the old masks of Dengaku and Sarugaku, but they are represented by the Kyogen mask Usofuki and the imitation masks of Sato Kagura, and in Edo Sato Kagura, they use the name Hyottoko. It is a clown mask with not only a mouth, but also eyes that are far apart, with one eyeball popping out and the balance between the left and right being lost, and it is used to play Kyogen roles between Okame and Daruma. This mask is also called a fool mask, and the dance it is performed with is sometimes called a baka-odori. This mouth expression seems to be based on the image of a talkative spirit that rebels against the gods, but etymologically it is said to have come from the fire man of the hearth god of the Tohoku region, and it could be said to be modeled on the expression of the face when blowing on fire with pursed lips. The god statue of the fire man has an ugly face and is also called Hyotoku, and in Kansai it is called Tokusu. Shobuki is said to be an archaic word for whistling.

[Masahiro Nishikado]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

口を極端にとがらせた仮面。やや斜め上に突き出た口のつくりが一般的であるが、筒状になっていて動かすことが可能なものもある。また、この仮面をかぶって演ずる役や、さらに一般的におどけ者、まぬけ者を意味することもある。このような口の形をした仮面は田楽(でんがく)や猿楽(さるがく)の古面にみいだせるが、狂言面の嘯吹(うそふき)と里神楽(かぐら)のモドキ面に代表され、江戸里神楽でひょっとこの名を用いている。口ばかりでなく目を左右に甚だしく離し、片方の眼球が飛び出すばかりで左右のバランスも崩した道化面であり、おかめ、だるまなどと間(あい)の狂言役を演じる。この面を馬鹿面(ばかめん)ともいい、その踊りを馬鹿踊ともよぶことがある。この口つきは神に反抗する饒舌(じょうぜつ)な精霊の姿を根底に宿すもののようだが、語源的には東北地方の竈(かまど)神の火男(ひおとこ)に出たものといわれ、口をすぼめて火を吹くときの顔つきを模しているともいえよう。火男の神像は醜顔で、ヒョウトクともいい、関西ではトクスという。嘯吹のほうは口笛を吹く古語という。

［西角井正大］

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