能のあらすじ・見どころ Summary and Highlights of Noh Ema English
Summary
An Imperial Envoy and his Attendants are on their way to Ise to present treasures at the Grand Shrine. As the group arrives at the shrine, an Old Man and an Old Woman carrying “ema” (votive tablets) appear. When the Envoy asks about the ema, the old couple replies that they have come here for a ceremony in which they will hang the ema tonight. They say that the ema held by the Old Man is hung, they will be blessed with sunshine, and the ema held by the Old Woman is hung, they will be blessed with rain. They then reveal to be the two gods of Ise and disappear.
Soon, the Sun Goddess Amaterasu appears, bringing with her the female goddess Uzume and the male god Tejikarao, and dances in gratitude. When the dance is over, Amaterasu reenacts the legend of the Heavenly Cave. Long ago, Amaterasu hid inside a cave to escape from her brother, who was tormenting her. Uzume and Tejikarao dance and Amaterasu, attracted by the clamoring of the myriad of gods and peeks out from inside the cave. Tejikarao grabs her and brings her back into the world. After the re-enactment of the legend, the three deities celebrate how, since then, the land has been prosperous and peaceful.
Highlights
In the first half, the story progresses in a calm atmosphere centering on the recitation of songs. According to the tradition, people used to hang black and white ema and the number of white ones indicated the number of sunny days, while the number of black ones indicated the number of rainy days.
The second half of the performance is a spectacular reenactment of the myth of the Heavenly Cave. The dance of Uzume and Tejikarao follows the dance of Amaterasu. The use of a stage property is also a distinctive feature of the play. In the first half, a property representing a shrine is used shrine for hanging ema but in the second half, it is used for the cave. The story of how Amaterasu hid in the Heavenly Cave and the world was plunged into darkness is visually presented with the help of this stage property. At the end of the play, the doors open, and Amaterasu reappears.