能がテーマ『蟻通宮透鐔』Noh motif “Ari-dooshi no Miya Sukashitsuba”
特集
2022.06.25
俱楽部御台へようこそお越しくださいました
今回鑑賞するのは『蟻通』（ありどおし）という能が題材の鐔です
この鐔に込められた作者の想いを深掘りしてみたいと思います
『蟻通』の物語は
平安の昔、歌人紀貫之とその従者が、和歌の神として知られる住吉大社、玉津島神社に参詣の旅に出ます
途中、蟻通の宮と知らずに馬を乗り入れたところ、一天にわかにかき曇り、大雨が降ってきて、馬も倒れてしまいます
そこへ傘をさし、松明を手にした老人が現れ、蟻通明神の境内に馬を乗り入れたため怒りに触れたのだと言い、旅人が紀貫之だと分かると、歌を奉納するように勧めます
そこで紀貫之は次のような和歌を詠みました
雨雲の 立ち重なれる 夜半なれば ありとほしとも 思ふべきかは
老人はいたく感じ入り、歌を称えると、明神の本体を表して消えていきました。
老人は蟻通明神の化身だったのです
能の中で傘を使うのは、『蟻通』の演目とその他にもう一つあるくらいの、とても珍しい演出なのだそうです
傘と松明を持っていることから、『蟻通宮透鐔』に彫刻されているのは、紀貫之ではなく蟻通明神の化身だということがわかります
紀貫之が詠んだ歌の意味は
雨雲の重なる闇だったので、星が有るとも、蟻通明神があるとも思いもしなかった
となるでしょうか
「ありとほしとも」の部分が、「有と星」（倒置法で「星有りと」）と「蟻通」の掛詞になっています
さすがは歌の名人紀貫之ですね。掛詞のテクニックが見事です
鐔に彫刻された蟻通明神の化身は、なんだか微笑んでいるように見えます
この鐔の作者は、紀貫之の歌に感心した場面を鐔の題材にしたのでしょうか
たくさんの想像が膨らみます
蟻通神社は大阪府泉佐野市に実在する神社で、この神社にまつわるエピソードは『蟻通』の他に、清少納言の『枕草子』にも記載があります
いつか私も訪れてみたいと思いました
『蟻通宮透鐔』は金の象嵌に金の覆輪耳でゴージャスかと思いきや、蟻通明神の化身が厳かに肉彫され、控えめな金色で品の良い鐔だと感じます
鐔の鑑定書の解説や鑑賞動画をTikTokにアップしています
『蟻通宮透鐔』の動画も後ほどアップする予定です
ぜひ動画もお楽しみいただけましたら幸いです
Welcome to Club Midai.
The Tsuba we will be appreciating is a Tsuba based on a Noh play called “Ari-dooshi.
I would like to delve deeply into the thoughts of the creator behind this Tsuba.
The story of “Ari-dooshi” is as follows
In the Heian period (794-1185), the poet Ki no Tsurayuki and his followers set out on a pilgrimage to Sumiyoshi Taisha Shrine and Tamatsushima Shrine, known as the god of waka poetry.
On the way to the palace, he rode his horse into the palace, unaware that he was in Ari-dooshi no Miya, and the sky suddenly became overcast and a heavy rain started to fall, causing the horse to fall over.
An old man with an umbrella and a torch in his hand appears and tells the traveler that he has offended him because he rode his horse into the precincts of Ari-dooshi Myoujin, and when he finds out that the traveler is Ki no Tsurayuki, he encourages him to dedicate a poem to the god.
So, Ki no Tsurayuki composed the following waka poem.
Amagumono Tachikasanareru Yohanareba Aritohoshitomo Omofubekikaha
The meaning of the poem composed by Ki no Tsurayuki is as follows
It was dark with overlapping rain clouds, so I had no idea that there were stars or that the god Ari-dooshi Myoujin was there.
I guess it would be.
The old man was so impressed that he praised the waka poem and disappeared, revealing the main body of Ari-dooshi Myoujin.
The old man was an incarnation of the Ari-dpshi Myoujin.
Umbrellas are so rare in Noh that there is only one other performance in which umbrellas are used in Noh besides “Ari-dooshi”.
The fact that he is holding an umbrella and a torch indicates that the sculpture on the “Ari-dooshi no Miya Sukashitsuba” is an incarnation of Ari-dooshi Myoujin, not Ki no Tsurayuki.
In the waka poem composed by Ki no Tsurayuki, the part “Aritohoshitomo” is a cross between “Ari to hoshi” (in the inverted form “hoshi ari to”) and “ari-tohoshi” (“ari-dooshi”).
As expected of Ki no Tsurayuki, a master of poetry. His waka technique is superb.
The incarnation of Ari-dooshi Myoujin carved on the Tsuba looks somewhat smiling.
The creator of this Tsuba may have used a scene of an incarnation of the god Ari-dooshi Myoujin admiring a poem by Ki no Tsurayuki as the subject of the Tsuba.One can imagine a lot from this Tsuba.
Ari-dooshi Shrine is an actual shrine in Izumisano City, Osaka Prefecture, and episodes related to this shrine are mentioned in “Ari-dooshi” as well as in Sei Shonagon’s “Makura no Soushi”.
I would love to visit there someday too!
The “Ari-dooshi no Miya Sukashitsuba” is a gorgeous Tsuba with gold Zougan and gold covered Mimi, but the incarnation of the Ari-dooshi Myoujin is solemnly carved into the Tsuba, and I feel it is a very elegant Tsuba with its understated gold color.
I am uploading videos on TikTok with explanations and appreciation of the Tsuba’s certificate of authenticity.
I will be uploading a video of the “Ari-dooshi no Miya Sukashituba” later. I hope you enjoy the videos as well!
https://www.instagram.com/samurai_library
