is among the most-performed

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

ese

Noh is a major form of classical Japanese dance-drama that has been performed since the 14th century. Developed by Kan'ami and his son Zeami, it is the oldest major theatre art that is still regularly performed today. Although the terms Noh and ' ...

plays. Tyler, Royall. ''Japanese No Dramas.'' Penguin Classics (1992)
p96
. It is an example of the traditional

swan maiden The swan maiden is a mythical creature who shapeshifts from human form to swan form. The key to the transformation is usually a swan skin, or a garment with swan feathers attached. In folktales of this type, the male character spies the maiden, ...

motif.

Sources and history

The earliest recorded version of the legend dates to the eighth century.Blacker, Carmen. ''Collected Writings of Carmen Blacker.''

Routledge Routledge () is a British multinational publisher. It was founded in 1836 by George Routledge, and specialises in providing academic books, journals and online resources in the fields of the humanities, behavioural science, education, law, and ...

(2000)
p44
. The play however apparently combines two legends, one concerning the origins of the Suruga Dance (''Suruga-mai'') and another the descent of an angel onto Udo Beach. A parallel story may also be found in the 14th volume of the fifth-century ''Sou-shen chi''. A poem by the 11th century poet

Nōin , also known was , was a Japanese poet and monk of the late Heian period. Along with Izumi Shikibu, Nōin is one of " Thirty-six Medieval Poetry Immortals" of waka poetry selected by (1107–1165). Nōin authored of the ''Gengenshu'' and ''Nōi ...

is quoted. The authorship of the Noh play ''Hagoromo'' is unknown. The earliest references to the play in historical records date to 1524, which suggests that it was written well after

Zeami (c. 1363 – c. 1443), also called , was a Japanese aesthetician, actor, and playwright. His father, Kan'ami Kiyotsugu, introduced him to Noh theater performance at a young age, and found that he was a skilled actor. Kan'ami was also skil ...

's time.

Plot

A fisherman is walking with his companions at night when he finds the Hagoromo, the magical feather-mantle of a ''

tennin , which may include , , and the specifically female version, the , are a divine kind of spiritual beings found in Japanese Buddhism, the equivalent of Angels. They were seemingly imported from Chinese Buddhism,

'' (an aerial spirit or celestial dancer) hanging on a bough. The ''tennin'' sees him taking it and demands its return—she cannot return to Heaven without it. The fisherman argues with her, and finally promises to return it, if she will show him her dance or part of it. She accepts his offer. The Chorus explains the dance as symbolic of the daily changes of the moon. The words about "three, five, and fifteen" refer to the number of nights in the moon's changes. In the finale, the ''tennin'' disappears like a mountain slowly hidden in mist.

Adaptations

W. B. Yeats' ''

At the Hawk's Well ''At the Hawk's Well'' is a one-act play by William Butler Yeats, first performed in 1916 and published in 1917. It is one of five plays by Yeats which are loosely based on the stories of Cuchulain the mythological hero of ancient Ulster. It ...

'' drew extensively from the Hagoromo legend. An abridged version of the plot of play is attested in

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

, with the name ''Das Federkleid'', in ''Japanische Märchen und Sagen'' (1885). An English translation exists in the book ''Green Willow; and other Japanese fairy tales'', with the name ''The Robe of Feathers''. A literary treatment of the play was given as ''The Fisherman and the Moon-Maiden'' in ''Japanese Fairy World'' (1880). Another version exists with the name ''The Angel's Robe''.

Osamu Tezuka Osamu Tezuka (, born , ''Tezuka Osamu''; – 9 February 1989) was a Japanese manga artist, cartoonist, and animator. Born in Osaka Prefecture, his prolific output, pioneering techniques, and innovative redefinitions of genres earned him such ...

based a short story in his Phoenix series on the story of the Hagoromo, but with a sci-fi twist, featuring a time displaced human girl from the distant future instead of a tennin. Recently, the story was adapted into the

manga Manga (Japanese: 漫画 ) are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long prehistory in earlier Japanese art. The term ''manga'' is u ...

and

anime series is Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside of Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, in Japan and in Japane ...

Ceres, The Celestial Legend ''Ceres, Celestial Legend'', known in Japan as , is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Yuu Watase. It was originally serialized in Shōgakukan's magazine ''Shōjo Comic'' from May 1996 to March 2000, with its chapters collect ...

''.Drazen, Patrick. ''Anime Explosion!: The What? Why? & Wow! of Japanese Animation''. Stone Bridge Press (2003)
p41
.

References

External links

English translation of the ''Hagoromo'' Noh play
by

Arthur Waley Arthur David Waley (born Arthur David Schloss, 19 August 188927 June 1966) was an English orientalist and sinologist who achieved both popular and scholarly acclaim for his translations of Chinese and Japanese poetry. Among his honours were ...

English translation of the ''Hagoromo'' Noh play
by

Ezra Pound Ezra Weston Loomis Pound (30 October 1885 – 1 November 1972) was an expatriate American poet and critic, a major figure in the early modernist poetry movement, and a Fascism, fascist collaborator in Italy during World War II. His works ...

''Hagoromo'' Noh play Photo Story and Story Paper
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hagoromo (Play) 16th-century plays Noh plays Japanese mythology Buddhist plays Swan maidens

Sources and history

Plot

Adaptations

See also

References

Further reading

External links