Topknot cutting - Motodorikiri

Japanese: 髻切 - もとどりきり

A crime in which someone cuts off their topknot, that is, the hair tied on the top of the head. In the Middle Ages, it was also written as Hontorikiri. In the Kojidan, we see Ariwara no Narihira trying to steal Empress Nijō, only to have her taken back and have his topknot cut off, and in the Genpei Jōsuiki, we see Taira no Shigemori attacking the carriage of Regent Fujiwara no Motofusa with his soldiers and cutting off the topknots of several of Motofusa's attendants in revenge for the humiliation of his son. This is a unique crime that often appears in the history of crimes in the Middle Ages. In an era when the eboshi hat (a traditional Japanese hat) was the most powerful external symbol of social status, cutting off the topknot, which is essential for styling and wearing the hat, was considered a degrading act that not only paralyzed the victim's social life but also caused the victim to lose dignity, and in that sense, it was a crime comparable to the assault of cutting off a woman's hair. In addition, the following two points are thought to have made this crime more unique and serious.

Source: Heibonsha World Encyclopedia, 2nd Edition Information

Japanese:

他人の髻すなわち頭頂部に束ねた髪を切り落とす犯罪。中世では本鳥切とも書いた。《古事談》に，在原業平が二条后を盗み去ろうとして奪い返されたうえに，髻を切られたことが見え，《源平盛衰記》に，平重盛が息子が辱められた意趣返しに，兵をもって摂政藤原基房の車を襲い，基房随従の数人の髻を切ったことが見えるなど，中世の犯罪史にもしばしば現れる特異な犯罪である。烏帽子（えぼし）をもって社会的身分を表す最も有力な外的表徴とした時代にあって，結髪および烏帽子の装着に必須な髻を切断することは，被害者の社会生活を麻痺させるばかりでなく，その人の体面を失わせる凌辱的行為とみなされ，その意味で，女性の髪を切り落とす暴行に比すべき犯罪であったが，これに加えて次の2点が，この犯罪をより特異かつ重大なものとしたと考えられる。

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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