The San-ga-nichi, or "three days" of the New Year, is one of the most important of the Japanese festivals, for the Japanese make far more of the New Year than we do in this country. They regard the first three days of the year as a fitting occasion when it is most important to insure good luck and happiness for the days that follow, and in order to bring this about many quaint1 and ancient observances take place. Before the houses are decorated a thorough winter cleaning is carried out. "In ancient times," writes Mrs. C. M. Salwey, "from the Court of the Emperor to the hut of the peasant, this attention was observed to such an extent that the Shōgun's Court provided overseers, who visited with ornamented2 dusting poles, to overhaul3 the labour of the servants, passing their official brooms over ledges4 and crevices5, and in so doing flourishing in a certain manner their mystic wands to demonstrate the Chinese ideograph which signified water." Not only is the house thoroughly6 cleaned and everything put in order, but evil spirits are got rid of by throwing out peas and beans from the open shoji, or paper slides.
On the festival of the New Year the houses and gate-posts are adorned7 with straw ropes, and these are often made to represent such lucky Chinese numbers as three, five, and seven. The food chiefly eaten on this occasion comprises lobsters8 (their bent10 and ancient appearance suggesting long life), oranges, and certain varieties of edible11 seaweeds. In addition there are mirror cakes, associated with the Sun Goddess, and these cakes, composed of rice, are eaten with the oranges and lobster9, and served on pure white trays. One other important[Pg 221] decoration must not be overlooked, and that is the branches of the pine-tree. These branches symbolise long life, and for some unknown reason they are burnt when the festival is over.
One of the most picturesque12 customs associated with this festival, and one particularly appealing to children, is the Treasure Ship with the Seven Gods of Good Luck on board, to which we have referred elsewhere.[1]
The Boys' Festival
The Tango no Sekku, or Boys' Festival, takes place on May 5, and is intended to inspire the youth of Japan with warlike qualities. It is the day when flags are to be seen in every direction, when the roofs of the houses are decorated with the leaves of iris14, so that Nature's flag and the flag made by human hands are both conspicuous15 on this joyous16 festival, which is popularly known as the Feast of Flags. Boys are presented with small figures representing certain great heroes of the past, while ancient swords, bows, arrows, spears, &c., are handed down from one generation of children to another.
Perhaps the dominant17 feature of this festival is the paper flag shaped like a carp. It is hollow, and when inflated18 with wind has the appearance of vigorously flying through the air. The carp symbolises something more than the crude spirit of warfare19, for it typifies tenacity20 of purpose and indomitable courage. As the carp swims against the stream, so is the Japanese youth expected to fight against all the fierce currents of adversity. This idea is probably derived21 from the fascinating Chinese legend of the Dragon Carp which, after a long struggle, succeeded in swimming past the Dragon Gate rapids, lived a thousand years, and finally rose into the sky.
[Pg 222]
The Festival of the Dead
The Festival of the Dead, or Bommatsuri, deserves mention here because it contains much that is legendary22. The Japanese peasant's conception of a future life is not a very delightful23 one. At death the body is washed and shaven and then arrayed in a pure white garment—indeed, in the garment of a pilgrim. Round the neck is hung a wallet containing three or six rin, according to the custom of the place in which the death occurs, and these rin are buried with the deceased. The idea of burying coin with the dead is to be found in the belief that all who die, children alone excepted, must journey to the Sanzu-no-Kawa, or "The River of the Three Roads." On the bank of this dismal24 river Sodzu-Baba, the Old Woman of the Three Roads, awaits the coming of souls, together with her husband, Ten Datsu-Ba. If three rin are not paid to the Old Woman she takes away the white garments of the dead and, regardless of entreaties25, hangs them on trees. Then there is the no less formidable Emma-Ō, the Lord of the Dead; and when we add to these dread26 figures some of the terrors of the Buddhist27 hells it is not surprising that the gentle and poetical28 Japanese should have founded a festival that will afford a pleasant, if all too brief, respite29 from the horrors of Hades.
The festival takes place from July 13 to 15. At such a time most of the houses are mere30 skeletons, being open to the summer breeze on all sides. People saunter about in the lightest of garments. Butterflies and dragon-flies disport31 in countless32 numbers, flying over a cool stretch of lotus or settling on the purple petal33 of an iris. Fuji rears her great head into the clear blue sky, bearing like a white scarf a patch of fast-fading snow.
[Pg 223]
When the morning of the 13th arrives new mats of rice straw are spread upon all Buddhist altars and on the little household shrines35. Every Japanese home on that day is provided with a quaint, minute meal in readiness for the great company of ghosts.
At sunset the streets are bright with the flames of torches, and the entrances of houses gay with brightly coloured lanterns. Those to whom this festival applies in a particular sense and not in a general one—that is to say, those who have recently lost some dear one—go out on this night to the cemeteries36, and there pray, make offerings, burn incense37, and pour out water. Lanterns are lit and bamboo vases filled with flowers.
On the evening of the 15th the ghosts of the Circle of Penance38 or Gakidō are fed, and in addition those ghosts who have no friends among the living to care for them. There is a legend bearing upon this particular phase of the Festival of the Dead. Dai-Mokenren, a great disciple39 of Buddha40, was once permitted to see the soul of his mother in the Gakidō. He grieved so much on account of intense suffering that he gave her a bowl containing choice food. Every time she tried to eat the food would suddenly turn into fire, and finally to ashes. Then Mokenren asked Buddha to tell him what he could do to ease his mother's suffering. He was told to feed the ghosts of the great priests of all countries "on the fifteenth day of the seventh month." When this had been done Mokenren returned, to find his mother dancing for joy. In this happy dance after much tribulation41 we trace the origin of the Bon-odori, which takes place on the third night of the festival.
When the evening of the third day arrives preparations are made for the departure of the ghosts. Thousands of little boats are packed with food and loving messages of farewell. Into these boats step the[Pg 224] departing ghosts. Loving hands set these frail42 craft upon river, lake, or sea. A small lantern glows at the prow43, while pale blue clouds of incense float up from the stern. Hearn writes: "Down all the creeks44 and rivers and canals the phantom45 fleets go glimmering46 to the sea; and all the sea sparkles to the horizon with the lights of the dead, and the sea wind is fragrant47 with incense."
There is a pathetic charm about this festival. It is by no means unique, for it corresponds to the Indian Sraddha; but in Japan it is touched with a more delicate and haunting beauty. No one has been able to solve conclusively48 the origin of the Torii, that wonderful gateway49 that leads nowhere. What a charming entrance or exit for a company of wandering souls! What a place for ghosts to play and dream awhile is a Japanese garden, with its lake and moon-shaped bridge, its stone lantern, its paths of silver sand! And what a street for ghosts to wander in is the Street Everlasting50 that is so near to the Street of Aged51 Men! Thus Yone Noguchi sums up the magic of a Japanese night, one of those three nights when souls come in touch with old earthly memories:
"The scented52 purple breezes of the Japanese night!
The old moon like a fairy ship of gold
Softly through the dream sea begins to rock on:
(I hear the unheard song of Beauty in the moon ship,
I hear even the whisper of her golden dress.)
The hundred lanterns burning in love and prayer,
Float on the streets like haunting memories.
The silvery music of wooden clogs53 of the Japanese girls!
Are they not little ghosts out of the bosom54 of ancient age?
Are they returning to fulfil their thousand fancies forgotten?
O the fancy world of the Japanese night
Born out of the old love and unfulfilled desires!
The crying love-song of the Japanese night,
The samisen music of hungry passion and tears!
O the long wail55 of heart through the darkness and love!"
[Pg 225]
The Laughing Festival of Wasa
Numerous other Japanese festivities take place during the year, and two, the Festival of Dolls and the Festival of Tanabata, the Weaving Maiden56, have been referred to elsewhere. Perhaps in some way the Laughing Festival of Wasa is the most quaint of all the Japanese festivities. During the month of October a number of old men form a procession carrying two boxes full of oranges and persimmons spitted on sticks. These old men are followed by children with similar fruit on bamboo rods. Just as the leader reaches the shrine34 he turns round and makes a most ludicrous grimace57, which is immediately followed by a merry peal13 of laughter, and this irresistible58 merriment has its origin in the following legend.
In the month of October the Gods used to assemble in a great temple at Izumo, and they met for the purpose of arranging the love-affairs of the people. When the Gods were sitting in the temple one of them said: "Where is Miwa Daimyō-jin?" All the Gods looked everywhere for him, but he was not to be found. Now Miwa Daimyō-jin was extremely deaf, and, owing to this defect, he had mistaken the great day when the Gods met together. When he reached Izumo the meeting had been dissolved, and all the Gods laughed very much when they heard about it, a laughter that is imitated year by year in the Laughing festival to which we have referred.
The Torii
We have referred in this chapter and elsewhere to the torii, and though authorities agree to differ in regard to its use and origin, the theme is a fascinating one and well worthy59 of study. According to a popular[Pg 226] account the word torii means "fowl-dwelling" or "bird-rest." On the top beam of this imposing60 gateway the fowls61 heralded62 the approach of dawn, and in their cry bade the priests attend to their early morning prayers. In one legend we are informed that the sun descends63 to earth in the form of the Ho-Ho Bird, messenger of love, peace, and goodwill64, and rests upon one of the torii.
Professor B. H. Chamberlain regards the "bird-rest" etymology65 and the theories derived from it as erroneous, and believes that the torii came originally from Asia. He writes, in Things Japanese: "The Koreans erect66 somewhat similar gateways67 at the approach of their royal palaces; the Chinese p'ai lou, serving to record the virtues68 of male or female worthies69, seem related in shape as well as in use; and the occurrence of the word turan in Northern India and of the word tori in Central India, to denote gateways of strikingly cognate70 appearance, gives matter for reflection." Dr. W. G. Aston also believes that the torii came from abroad, "but holds that it was fitted with a pre-existing name, which would have originally designated 'a lintel' before it came to have its present sacred associations."[2]
In regard to the construction of these gateways, Mrs. C. M. Salwey writes: "The oldest torii of Japan ... were constructed of plain unvarnished wood. In fact, they were built of straight, upright trunks of trees in their natural state, though sometimes bereft71 of the outer bark. Later on the wood was painted a deep, rich vermilion, possibly to heighten the effect when the background was densely72 wooded." Though the torii was originally associated with Shintōism, it was later on adopted by the Buddhists74, who considerably75 altered its simple but beautiful construction by turning up the[Pg 227] corners of the horizontal beams, supplying inscriptions76 and ornaments77 of various kinds.
"The Footstool of the King"
Whatever the origin and significance of the Shintō torii may be, no one will deny its exquisite78 beauty, and many will agree in believing it to be the most perfect gateway in the world. Perhaps the most wonderful torii is the one that stands before the Itsukushima shrine on the Island of Myajima, and it is called "The Footstool of the King," "The Gateway of Light," or "The Water Gate of the Sacred Island."
Mrs. Salwey writes: "Is not this Gateway the symbol of the Right Direction, according to the dogmas of the Shintō Cult79, the Goal towards which the face should be turned—'The Way of the Gods.' Are they not monitors writing their mystic message as an ideographic sign over the Lord of the Gods before the rising and setting sun, enhancing by their presence the dense73 luxuriance of cryptomerian avenue, reflecting within dark, still rivers or the silver ripples80 of the Inland Sea?" We must be content with this pleasing interpretation81 of the symbolism of the torii, for it takes us through the gate of conflicting theories, and gives us something more satisfying than the ramifications82 of etymology.
[1] Chapter VII.: "Legend in Japanese Art."
[2] Things Japanese, by Professor B. H. Chamberlain.
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1
quaint
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| adj.古雅的，离奇有趣的，奇怪的 | |
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ornamented
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| adj.花式字体的v.装饰，点缀，美化( ornament的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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overhaul
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| v./n.大修，仔细检查 | |
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ledges
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| n.（墙壁，悬崖等）突出的狭长部分( ledge的名词复数 )；（平窄的）壁架；横档；（尤指）窗台 | |
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crevices
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| n.（尤指岩石的）裂缝，缺口( crevice的名词复数 ) | |
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thoroughly
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| adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地 | |
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adorned
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| [计]被修饰的 | |
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lobsters
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| 龙虾( lobster的名词复数 )； 龙虾肉 | |
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lobster
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| n.龙虾，龙虾肉 | |
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bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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edible
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| n.食品，食物；adj.可食用的 | |
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picturesque
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| adj.美丽如画的，（语言）生动的，绘声绘色的 | |
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peal
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| n.钟声；v.鸣响 | |
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iris
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| n.虹膜，彩虹 | |
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conspicuous
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| adj.明眼的，惹人注目的；炫耀的，摆阔气的 | |
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joyous
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| adj.充满快乐的；令人高兴的 | |
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dominant
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| adj.支配的，统治的；占优势的；显性的；n.主因，要素，主要的人(或物)；显性基因 | |
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inflated
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| adj.（价格）飞涨的；（通货）膨胀的；言过其实的；充了气的v.使充气（于轮胎、气球等）( inflate的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）膨胀；（使）通货膨胀；物价上涨 | |
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warfare
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| n.战争(状态)；斗争；冲突 | |
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tenacity
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| n.坚韧 | |
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derived
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| vi.起源；由来；衍生；导出v.得到( derive的过去式和过去分词 )；（从…中）得到获得；源于；（从…中）提取 | |
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legendary
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| adj.传奇（中）的，闻名遐迩的；n.传奇（文学） | |
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delightful
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| adj.令人高兴的，使人快乐的 | |
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dismal
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| adj.阴沉的，凄凉的，令人忧郁的，差劲的 | |
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entreaties
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| n.恳求，乞求( entreaty的名词复数 ) | |
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dread
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| vt.担忧，忧虑；惧怕，不敢；n.担忧，畏惧 | |
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Buddhist
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| adj./n.佛教的，佛教徒 | |
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poetical
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| adj.似诗人的；诗一般的；韵文的；富有诗意的 | |
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respite
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| n.休息，中止，暂缓 | |
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mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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disport
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| v.嬉戏，玩 | |
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countless
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| adj.无数的，多得不计其数的 | |
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petal
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| n.花瓣 | |
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shrine
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| n.圣地，神龛，庙；v.将...置于神龛内，把...奉为神圣 | |
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shrines
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| 圣地，圣坛，神圣场所( shrine的名词复数 ) | |
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cemeteries
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| n.（非教堂的）墓地，公墓( cemetery的名词复数 ) | |
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incense
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| v.激怒；n.香，焚香时的烟，香气 | |
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penance
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| n.（赎罪的）惩罪 | |
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disciple
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| n.信徒，门徒，追随者 | |
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Buddha
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| n.佛；佛像；佛陀 | |
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tribulation
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| n.苦难，灾难 | |
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frail
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| adj.身体虚弱的；易损坏的 | |
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prow
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| n.(飞机)机头，船头 | |
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creeks
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| n.小湾( creek的名词复数 )；小港；小河；小溪 | |
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phantom
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| n.幻影，虚位，幽灵；adj.错觉的，幻影的，幽灵的 | |
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glimmering
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| n.微光，隐约的一瞥adj.薄弱地发光的v.发闪光，发微光( glimmer的现在分词 ) | |
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fragrant
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| adj.芬香的，馥郁的，愉快的 | |
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conclusively
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| adv.令人信服地，确凿地 | |
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gateway
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| n.大门口，出入口，途径，方法 | |
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everlasting
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| adj.永恒的，持久的，无止境的 | |
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aged
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| adj.年老的，陈年的 | |
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scented
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| adj.有香味的；洒香水的；有气味的v.嗅到(scent的过去分词) | |
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53
clogs
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| 木屐； 木底鞋，木屐( clog的名词复数 ) | |
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bosom
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| n.胸，胸部；胸怀；内心；adj.亲密的 | |
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55
wail
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| vt./vi.大声哀号，恸哭；呼啸，尖啸 | |
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maiden
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| n.少女，处女；adj.未婚的，纯洁的，无经验的 | |
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grimace
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| v.做鬼脸，面部歪扭 | |
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irresistible
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| adj.非常诱人的，无法拒绝的，无法抗拒的 | |
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worthy
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| adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的 | |
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imposing
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| adj.使人难忘的，壮丽的，堂皇的，雄伟的 | |
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fowls
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| 鸟( fowl的名词复数 )； 禽肉； 既不是这； 非驴非马 | |
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62
heralded
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| v.预示( herald的过去式和过去分词 )；宣布（好或重要） | |
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descends
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| v.下来( descend的第三人称单数 )；下去；下降；下斜 | |
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64
goodwill
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| n.善意，亲善，信誉，声誉 | |
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etymology
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| n.语源；字源学 | |
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erect
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| n./v.树立，建立，使竖立；adj.直立的，垂直的 | |
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gateways
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| n.网关( gateway的名词复数 )；门径；方法；大门口 | |
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virtues
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| 美德( virtue的名词复数 )； 德行； 优点； 长处 | |
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worthies
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| 应得某事物( worthy的名词复数 )； 值得做某事； 可尊敬的； 有（某人或事物）的典型特征 | |
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cognate
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| adj.同类的，同源的，同族的；n.同家族的人，同源词 | |
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71
bereft
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| adj.被剥夺的 | |
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72
densely
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| ad.密集地；浓厚地 | |
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dense
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| a.密集的，稠密的，浓密的；密度大的 | |
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Buddhists
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| n.佛教徒( Buddhist的名词复数 ) | |
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considerably
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| adv.极大地；相当大地；在很大程度上 | |
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inscriptions
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| （作者）题词( inscription的名词复数 )； 献词； 碑文； 证劵持有人的登记 | |
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77
ornaments
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| n.装饰( ornament的名词复数 )；点缀；装饰品；首饰v.装饰，点缀，美化( ornament的第三人称单数 ) | |
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78
exquisite
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| adj.精美的；敏锐的；剧烈的，感觉强烈的 | |
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79
cult
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| n.异教，邪教；时尚，狂热的崇拜 | |
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80
ripples
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| 逐渐扩散的感觉( ripple的名词复数 ) | |
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81
interpretation
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| n.解释，说明，描述；艺术处理 | |
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82
ramifications
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| n.结果，后果( ramification的名词复数 ) | |
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