On November 23, 2009 I had an incredible experience at a little shrine atop a mountain in a village about an hour from Kochi City. My student Kiyo, who is 73 years old was invited to this harvest festival by one of her former jr. high school students who is now a priest at this shrine. She kindly invited me along and we watched three hours of dancing Shinto priests, a goddess and devils grabbing screaming children. I've shown these photos to many students and most of them don't know what any of this symbolizes so I won't pretend that I can understand it. It was one of the aesthetically amazing experiences of my life.
-a Japanese goddess walked slowly to every side of the room carrying the fan, a branch and that wand with ripped washi at the end. I really want to research into what this meant...
This is Oni-sama. Oni is like a devil but when he hits you on the shoulders will a bamboo stick it sends the evil out of your body and brings you good fortune.
He likes to grab little children and spin them around as they scream and cry. This brings them good fortune and a success? All the older people think it's really cute and funny to watch the children be tortured by the monster :)
He also grabs men and women and spins them around.
1.They old men who must have some important position in the shrine. 2. A priest acting as a very old man. I'm guessing this whole performance had some relationship to Noh theater? 3. Beautiful view from outside the shrine.
The Shinto priests played drums, symbols and chanted. It was so majestic, too bad I don't have a recording...
On November 23, 2009 I had an incredible experience at a little shrine atop a mountain in a village about an hour from Kochi City. My student Kiyo, who is 73 years old was invited to this harvest festival by one of her former jr. high school students who is now a priest at this shrine. She kindly invited me along and we watched three hours of dancing Shinto priests, a goddess and devils grabbing screaming children. I've shown these photos to many students and most of them don't know what any of this symbolizes so I won't pretend that I can understand it. It was one of the aesthetically amazing experiences of my life.
-a Japanese goddess walked slowly to every side of the room carrying the fan, a branch and that wand with ripped washi at the end. I really want to research into what this meant...
This is Oni-sama. Oni is like a devil but when he hits you on the shoulders will a bamboo stick it sends the evil out of your body and brings you good fortune.
He likes to grab little children and spin them around as they scream and cry. This brings them good fortune and a success? All the older people think it's really cute and funny to watch the children be tortured by the monster :)
He also grabs men and women and spins them around.
1.They old men who must have some important position in the shrine. 2. A priest acting as a very old man. I'm guessing this whole performance had some relationship to Noh theater? 3. Beautiful view from outside the shrine.
The Shinto priests played drums, symbols and chanted. It was so majestic, too bad I don't have a recording...
1 comment:
this looks way cool!
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