Description
Book SynopsisDancer, Nun, Ghost, Goddess explores the story of the dancers Giō and Hotoke, which first appeared in the fourteenth-century narrative Tale of the Heike. The story of the two love rivals is one of loss, female solidarity, and Buddhist salvation. Since its first appearance, it has inspired a stream of fiction, theatrical plays, and visual art works. These heroines have become the subjects of lavishly illustrated hand scrolls, ghosts on the noh stage, and Buddhist and Shinto goddesses. Physical monuments have been built to honor their memories; they are emblems of local pride and centerpieces of shared identity. Two beloved characters in the Japanese literary imagination, Giō and Hotoke are also models that have instructed generations of women on how to survive in a male-dominated world.
Table of ContentsAcknowledgements List of Figures Introduction The Giō (and Hotoke) Legend Overview A Note to the Reader 1 Women Entertainers in Heian and Medieval Japan: Eleventh to Fourteenth Century Women Entertainers between Fiction and History Literary Works by Male Authors Literary Works by Female Authors Integrated or Marginalized? Shirabyōshi Shirabyōshi Origins in Medieval Literary Sources The Range of Shirabyōshi Attire Shirabyōshi in History The Case of Shizuka Gozen Shirabyōshi Performance Singing: imayō Dancing Imayō no sho The Gikeiki The Engyōbon Heike monogatari The Towazugatari Conclusion 2 The Story of Giō in the Heike monogatari The Story of Giō in the Engyōbon Heike monogatari Giō in Other Heike Texts What’s in a Name? Kami vs. Buddha Irresistible Ladies, Freakish Caprices Challenging Authority, Saving Each Other: The Bond between Women Conclusion 3 Still Seeking Salvation: The Transformation of the Giō Story in Noh Theater Giō as Seed in Zeami’s Sandō The Plays Giō Hotoke no hara (Hotoke’s Field) Genzai Giō (Present World Gio) Rō Giō (Giō at the Prison) Conclusion 4 Giō in Late Medieval and Early Modern Narrative, Theater, and Visual Arts Performance Texts Related to the Legend of the Man-Made Sutra Island Kōwaka and Sekkyō Jōruri Yomihon Visual Representations of the Giō-Hotoke Story The Giō otogizōshi Texts The Spencer-bon: Giō monogatari The Ishikawabon: Giō The Keiōbon: Giō The Iwasebon: Giō The Tokudabon: Giō Ginyo monogatari Tokugawa Prints Conclusion 5 The Four Graves of Giō: Cultural Heritage Sites and Local Legends The Temple of Giō in Sagano, Kyoto Giō’s Hometown in Ōmi Province Welcome to Haramachi, Hotoke’s Village The Other Hotoke no Hara in Fukui Prefecture They Also Lived Here: Giō’s Grave in Fukui Prefecture Memorial Stupas of Giō and Ginyo in Kobe Conclusion Epilogue The Modern Legacy of Giō and Hotoke Shin Heike monogatari (The New Tale of the Heike) Jotoku (Women’s Virtues) When Reality Takes after Fiction: The Life of Takaoka Chishō In Conclusion Appendix A Translation of “Giō Ginyo” from the Genpei jōsuiki Appendix B Translation of Genzai Giō (Present World Giō) a Noh Play Bibliography Index
