Smallpox Dance - Hoso Odori

Japanese: 疱瘡踊 - ほうそうおどり

Folk performing art. Kota-odori (small song dance) is handed down in various parts of Kagoshima Prefecture. It is also called Hoso-odori or Hoso-odori. Its origin is unclear, but it is said that people who feared the spread of smallpox long ago began dancing it to pray for the plague god, the smallpox god, to appease the god so that their illness would be milder. In the foot of Urano-no-miyo in Iriki-cho, Satsuma-gun, it was once danced during smallpox epidemics. In Oura-cho, Kawabe-gun, in addition to the Hopo-odori, they also perform a Kyogen version of the Ise Shrine pilgrimage called Umakata-odori (bakata dance).

Source: Heibonsha World Encyclopedia, 2nd Edition Information

Japanese:

民俗芸能。鹿児島県各地に伝承されている小歌踊（こうたおどり）。ほそ踊，ほうそ踊ともいう。起源や由来は明らかでないが，昔，疱瘡(天然痘)の流行を恐れた人々が，疫病神の疱瘡神をなだめて病状が軽くすむようにと祈願して踊りはじめたのだという。薩摩郡入来（いりき）町浦之名（うらのみよう）麓では，かつては疱瘡が流行したときに踊った。川辺郡大浦町では，疱瘡踊のほかに馬方踊と称して伊勢参宮を狂言に仕組んだものも演じている。

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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