- Return to Bohemian Archive in Japanese Red
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第百十九季 水無月の三 |
3rd of the Waterless Month (June), Season 119 |
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神社の裏の木に大量の藁人形 |
Large Number of Straw Effigies Found In Forest Behind Shrine |
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○月○日、神社の裏の木々に大量の藁で出来た人形が打ち付くられていたことが判明した。 |
X month X day, a great number of human-shaped dolls made from straw were found attached to trees behind the shrine. |
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藁で人の形を作り、人に見つからない様に期に釘で打ち付けるという、古来より伝えられてきた儀式。 |
The act of fixing human-shaped dolls to trees in a hard-to-find place is an ancient ritual. |
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今なお行われているとは驚きである。 |
It's surprising to see it practiced in modern times. |
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また、藁で出来た人形も出来は丁寧で、まさに職人技術の結品の様な物だった。 |
Perhaps that's not an accurate depiction of their craftsmanship - they were practically works of art. |
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今回はその伝統を今に伝える職人に密着取財したいと思う。 |
I'd like to learn more about the craftsman continuing this tradition into the present. |
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それにはまず職人を捜さないといけないので、神社の裏で張り込みを開始した。 |
Since it would be a shame not to seek out this fine soul, I kept a close watch over the area behind the shrine. |
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三日目にしてようやく姿を現したのは人形職人、アリス・マーがトロイドさん(魔法使い)だった。 |
After three days, I finally came across the doll maker, Alice Margatroid (sorceror). |
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突然の取財を快く引き受けて頂けた。 |
Ms. Margatroid was happy to give me a brief statement. |
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「藁人形だって人形の一つ。 |
"These straw effigies are a type of doll." |
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手を抜いて作るわけにはいかないわ。 |
"You can't cut any corners making them." |
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それに藁人形が一番輝くときって何だと思います? |
"So, what do you think a straw effigy's finest moment is?" |
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それは言うまでもなく木に打ち付けられた時。 |
"Of course, it's when it's tied to the tree." |
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だからこうやってこっそりと打ち付けにくるの」 |
"That's why I come here secretly to put them up." |
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今に生きる伝統と職人技術 |
The Present-Day Tradition and Artisan |
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藁人形は木に打ち付けられて初めて藁人形という職人。 |
The artisan began affixing the the figures to the trees using nails. |
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今度は、何故藁人形というマイナーな伝統工芸を創ろうと考えたのかを聞いてみた。 |
This time I tried to ask why she decided to use such a relatively minor traditional method as straw figures. |
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「藁人形は、一定のルールの上で完成させれば呪術対象の魂に作用させることが出来るって言うじゃない。 |
"Obviously because they say if you complete it according to certain rules that sorcery will work on the subject's soul." |
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これって人形の原点だと思うのよ。 |
"I believe this is the origin of dolls." |
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人形が何故人の形をしているかって言うと、そこには呪術的な概念である類似が存在するからなの。 |
"People ask why dolls are in the form of humans; I believe it's because it allows for a mystical connection to a subject." |
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藁人形が釘で打たれれば、類似の元も痛みを感じる。 |
"If you pierce the figure with a nail, the subject will feel pain as well." |
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この事実をもっと良く調べれば、私の目標である自体して動く人形の作成に一歩近づけると思うの。 |
"If I can understand this dynamic better, I believe I can come a step closer to my aim of creating an independently moving doll." |
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だから、藁人形を作っている訳です。 |
"That's why I'm creating these straw figures." |
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あ、決して誰かに恨みがある訳じゃないのよ、いやほんと。」 |
"Oh, it's not like I have a grudge on anyone, honestly." |
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そういうと職人は再び釘を打ち始めた。 |
And so the artist began spiking the dolls again. |
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研究のためとはいえ熱のこもった演技と鬼気迫る表情に、これ以上話しかけるのは止めてここで取財を終了した。 |
Though she said it was only for research, she returned to her performance with such vigour and such a terrifying expression that I decided not to bother her any further and end my questioning. |
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この様な伝統技術は時代の流れと共にどんどんと失われていく。 |
Traditional crafts such as this are being lost with the succession of the ages. |
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それを保守出来るのは、何を隠そう人間ではなく妖怪だけなのだ。 |
The only ones who can preserve them are not the humans, who ever wish to hide things, but youkai. |
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それはあっという間に代を変える人間より、一人で長く生き続ける妖怪が習得した方が昔をそのまま残しやすいからだ。 |
This is because it's easier for youkai, who often live alone for long periods of time, to leave remnants of the past as they were in olden days than it is for the humans, whose society can change in the blink of an eye. |
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今に生きる妖怪の皆さん、未来を見て歩き続けるだけではなく、たまに立ち止まって後ろを振り返ってみてはいかがだろうか。 |
To all youkai living today, perhaps it would be best not only to keep walking into the future, but to occasionally stop and turn to examine the past. |