Cocoon ball - Mayudama

One of the celebrations to celebrate Little New Year. Numerous cocoon-shaped rice dumplings and mochi are attached to branches of mulberry, dogwood, willow, oak, and Chinese hackberry trees, and are used to decorate tatami rooms, Shinto altars, main pillars, and other places. The cocoon-shaped decorations began after sericulture became popular, and originally the rice dumplings and mochi were torn into pieces and attached to the branches, or were decorated with auspicious items such as shaved paper and large or small gold coins. This is based on contagious magic, which aims to bring about similar good harvest conditions in the fall by displaying these shapes at the beginning of the year. It is widely distributed from Nagano Prefecture to the Kanto and Tohoku regions. The rice dumplings are roasted over a "tondo" fire before eating.

[Shoji Inoguchi]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

小(こ)正月の予祝行事の一つ。クワ、ミズキ、ヤナギ、カシ、エノキなどの枝に、繭形の団子や餅(もち)を数多くつけ、座敷、神棚、大黒柱その他に飾り付ける。繭形につくるのは養蚕が流行するようになってからで、本来は団子や餅をちぎってつけ、あるいは削掛(けずりかけ)や大判・小判など縁起のよいものを飾る。年頭にこのような形を示すことによって、秋に同様の豊作状態をもたらそうとする感染呪術(じゅじゅつ)に基づく。長野県あたりから関東・東北地方に広く分布する。団子は、「とんど」の火であぶって食べたりする。

［井之口章次］

出典　小学館　日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)について　情報 | 凡例