shirabyōshi
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

were Japanese female entertainers in the Heian and
Kamakura period The is a period of Japanese history that marks the governance by the Kamakura shogunate, officially established in 1192 in Kamakura by the first ''shōgun'' Minamoto no Yoritomo after the conclusion of the Genpei War, which saw the struggle bet ...
s who sang songs and performed
dances Dance is a performing art form consisting of sequences of movement, either improvised or purposefully selected. This movement has aesthetic and often symbolic value. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its reperto ...
. They danced dressed as men. The profession of became popular in the 12th century. They would perform for the nobility, and at celebrations. The word can also refer to the songs they sang and the dances they performed. They are sometimes referred to as
courtesan Courtesan, in modern usage, is a euphemism for a "kept" mistress (lover), mistress or prostitute, particularly one with wealthy, powerful, or influential clients. The term historically referred to a courtier, a person who attended the Royal cour ...
s in the English language, but by nature they were performers. Some did sometimes sleep with their patrons and give birth to nobles' children, but this was not their intended purpose as entertainers. The best known were
Shizuka Gozen Shizuka GozenNote: ''Gozen'' is not a name, but rather an honorific title, usually translated as "Lady", though the title was bestowed upon men on rare occasions as well. (静御前) (1165–1211), or Lady Shizuka, one of the most famous women in ...
, Giō and Hotoke, who were featured in ''
The Tale of the Heike is an epic poetry, epic account compiled prior to 1330 of the struggle between the Taira clan and Minamoto clan for control of Japan at the end of the 12th century in the Genpei War (1180–1185). Heike () refers to the Taira (), ''hei'' being ...
''.


History

The name may be interpreted as "white beat" or "simple rhythm"; it may refer to the white robe they wore, or alternatively the rhythm of the songs that they sang and danced to, which were also performed by . means "white", although scholars believe that it should be interpreted as ; in this interpretation therefore refers to the lack of musical accompaniment apart from the rhythmic percussion. appeared during the mid-
Heian period The is the last division of classical Japanese history, running from 794 to 1185. It followed the Nara period, beginning when the 50th emperor, Emperor Kanmu, moved the capital of Japan to Heian-kyō (modern Kyoto). means "peace" in Japanese. ...
(794–1185). During a time of transition of power and societal change, a change in fortune for some aristocratic families resulted in the daughters of these families needing to perform as in order to survive. As educated and cultured ladies, they become a superior group of courtesans noted for their singing, dancing and poetry as well as beauty. became popular as entertainers in the 12th century, and many women then chose to be because of their popularity. A was always a woman who dressed in men's attire. They were popular in the late Heian and early
Kamakura period The is a period of Japanese history that marks the governance by the Kamakura shogunate, officially established in 1192 in Kamakura by the first ''shōgun'' Minamoto no Yoritomo after the conclusion of the Genpei War, which saw the struggle bet ...
in the 12th century, but during the 13th century, their status declined. They disappeared around the end of the Kamakura or the beginning of the
Muromachi period The is a division of Japanese history running from approximately 1336 to 1573. The period marks the governance of the Muromachi or Ashikaga shogunate (''Muromachi bakufu'' or ''Ashikaga bakufu''), which was officially established in 1338 by t ...
in the 14th century. It has been said that the culture greatly influenced
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 ' ...
drama by bringing forth , an unorthodox form of dancing, and introducing it to Noh.


Attire and appearance

were recognizable for their clothing, which was
Shinto Shinto () is a religion from Japan. Classified as an East Asian religion by scholars of religion, its practitioners often regard it as Japan's indigenous religion and as a nature religion. Scholars sometimes call its practitioners ''Shintois ...
-inspired. It was a man's outfit and featured the following: * A hat; tall black hat worn at court * A a samurai's sword * Red , worn primarily by men * White and red , a male Shinto outfit * A
hand fan A handheld fan, or simply hand fan, is any broad, flat surface that is waved back-and-forth to create an airflow. Generally, purpose-made handheld fans are folding fans, which are shaped like a sector of a circle and made of a thin material (suc ...
, which men carried also wore , white face makeup. This would cover their face and neck, and their eyebrows would be painted higher on the forehead (). Their hair was worn simply, and was left long and pulled back into a loose ponytail secured with a ribbon called a . The hat and the sword were only worn by in the early period, and in later eras, they danced only in white , which gave rise to the belief that were named after the robe they wore.


Music

songs were mostly based on Buddhist prayers. The songs were usually slow and rhythmic, with great meaning in the words. They also would sing songs, which were poems using images of nature to convey meanings of circumstances in their lives. These songs typically had lines of seven and five syllables. Trademarks of their music included their voices, the
drum The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments. In the Hornbostel-Sachs classification system, it is a membranophone. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a she ...
and the
flute The flute is a family of classical music instrument in the woodwind group. Like all woodwinds, flutes are aerophones, meaning they make sound by vibrating a column of air. However, unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is a reedless ...
.


Famous


Shizuka

Shizuka, commonly referred to as Shizuka Gozen, was the
concubine Concubinage is an interpersonal and sexual relationship between a man and a woman in which the couple does not want, or cannot enter into a full marriage. Concubinage and marriage are often regarded as similar but mutually exclusive. Concubi ...
and lover of
Minamoto no Yoshitsune was a military commander of the Minamoto clan of Japan in the late Heian and early Kamakura periods. During the Genpei War, he led a series of battles which toppled the Ise-Heishi branch of the Taira clan, helping his half-brother Yoritomo conso ...
, the tragic hero of many folk legends. She was possibly born in 1168, and is popular in folk legends herself. She and Yoshitsune met and fell in love, but by the time she had become pregnant, Yoshitsune was on the run for his life. Shizuka was captured and taken to the ,
Minamoto no Yoritomo was the founder and the first shogun of the Kamakura shogunate of Japan, ruling from 1192 until 1199.Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "Minamoto no Yoriie" in . He was the husband of Hōjō Masako who acted as regent (''shikken'') after his ...
in
Kamakura is a city in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. Kamakura has an estimated population of 172,929 (1 September 2020) and a population density of 4,359 persons per km² over the total area of . Kamakura was designated as a city on 3 November 1939. Kamak ...
, Yoshitsune's older brother. There she gave birth to a son, who was, according to some versions of the tales, promptly killed by his uncle Yoritomo, but survived in others. In some tales, Shizuka was then forced to perform a dance for Yoritomo and his wife
Hōjō Masako was a Japanese politician who exercised significant power in the early years of the Kamakura period, which was reflected by her contemporary sobriquet of the "nun shogun". She was the wife of Minamoto no Yoritomo, and mother of Minamoto no Yo ...
at a temple celebration, where she sang a song of praise for her lover Yoshitsune. This greatly angered Yoritomo, and he intended on having her put to death but Masako begged for her life. Shizuka was freed and sought to follow Yoshitsune, but she learned of his death. She became a nun and died in 1189. Her song is famous and is still sung today by
geisha {{Culture of Japan, Traditions, Geisha {{nihongo, Geisha, 芸者 ({{IPAc-en, ˈ, ɡ, eɪ, ʃ, ə; {{IPA-ja, ɡeːɕa, lang), also known as {{nihongo, , 芸子, geiko (in Kyoto and Kanazawa) or {{nihongo, , 芸妓, geigi, are a class of female ...
.


Giō and Hotoke

The story of Giō and
Hotoke The Japanese noun is a word of Buddhist origin and uncertain etymology. It has several meanings, all but a few directly linked to Buddhism. It can refer to: *A person who has achieved ''satori'' (state of enlightenment) and has therefore become a ...
, featured in the , tells of the most famous , Giō, who had won the heart of
Taira no Kiyomori was a military leader and ''kugyō'' of the late Heian period of Japan. He established the first samurai-dominated administrative government in the history of Japan. Early life Kiyomori was born in Heian-kyō, Japan, in 1118 as the first so ...
, being ousted by a younger and more talented named Hotoke. Kiyomori cruelly sent Giō away, which grieved her greatly, and Hotoke was constantly ridden with guilt. A year later, Giō was asked to perform a dance for Hotoke at Kiyomori's command, who actually intended on humiliating her. In her grief and humiliation, Giō, her sister and their mother became nuns seeking for a happier life. A few years later, the guilt was too great for Hotoke and she too became a nun. She asked for forgiveness from Giō, who willingly forgave her and the four women lived out the rest of their days in prayer.


See also

*


References


External links


A brief explanation of shirabyoshi

Japan print gallery: shirabyoshi

Shirabyoshi on Immortal Geisha
{{DEFAULTSORT:Shirabyoshi Theatre in Japan Dances of Japan Cross-dressing Sexuality in Shinto Buddhism and sexuality Women of medieval Japan