Yorimasa

Noh piece. The second is a Shuramono (Shura story). A five-school contemporary piece. Written by Zeami. Based on "Battle on the Bridge" and "The Last Days of a Princess" from Volume 4 of the Tale of the Heike. A monk (waki) from a trip around the country stops in the village of Uji. An old man (mae shite) appears, tells him about famous places and historical sites, and leads him to Byodo-in Temple. When the monk finds out that this is the place where Minamoto no Yorimasa committed suicide, he offers his condolences. The monk then tells him that today is the anniversary of his death, introduces himself as Yorimasa's ghost, and disappears (intermission). The ghost of Yorimasa (go shite), who appears in his old clothes, tells him about the uprising to support Takakuranomiya, the battle at Uji River and the Heike's crossing in front of the enemy, and the regret of his suicide at Ogi-no-Shiba, before disappearing after asking for condolences. He wears a special mask for Yorimasa with gold in the eyes (which in Noh masks represents a being from another dimension and obsession) and wears a unique armored costume to represent his Buddhist body. Zeami's "Nue" also depicts the glory of Yorimasa from the perspective of the defeated Nue. These two Noh plays influenced the joruri "Genzanmi Yorimasa" and "Yorimasa Tsuizenshi." The Kyogen play "Tsuen" is a parody of the Noh play "Yorimasa."

[Masuda Shozo]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

能の曲目。二番目、修羅(しゅら)物。五流現行曲。世阿弥(ぜあみ)作。典拠は『平家物語』巻四の「橋合戦」「宮御最期(みやのごさいご)」。諸国一見の僧（ワキ）が宇治の里に立ち寄る。一人の老人（前シテ）が現れ、名所旧跡を教え、平等院に導く。そこが源頼政自決の地と知って僧が弔うと、今日が命日であり、自分が頼政の幽霊と名のって消えうせる（中入）。ありし日の装いで現れた頼政の亡霊（後シテ）は、高倉宮(たかくらのみや)を奉じての挙兵、宇治川の合戦と平家の敵前渡河の模様、扇の芝で自害を遂げた無念を語り、弔いを願って姿を消す。目に金の入った（能面では異次元の存在、執心の表現である）頼政専用面を用い、また法体(ほったい)を表現する独特の武装の扮装(ふんそう)である。同じく世阿弥の『鵺(ぬえ)』は、退治された鵺の側から頼政の栄光を描く。この二つの能は、浄瑠璃(じょうるり)『源三位(げんざんみ)頼政』『頼政追善芝』などに影響を与えた。なお『頼政』の能のパロディーに狂言の『通円(つうえん)』がある。

［増田正造］

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