Kyōgen

Kyōgen (Japanese狂言Kyōgen, literally "mad words" or "Wild Language" ) is a form of traditional Japanese theater. It evolved along with the Noh theater from the Sarugaku (猿 楽), was listed along with Noh plays as a kind of serene interlude between the acts of the Noh ( often referred to as so-called Aikyōgen ,间 狂言) and retains to this day its close relation to Noh. Therefore, it is sometimes referred to as Noh Kyōgen. Its content, however, is not at all similar to the formal, symbolic and serious Noh Theater. Is Kyōgen - with few exceptions - a strange form, its main goal is to make the audience laugh, or rather to make you smile. Kyōgen and Noh were recorded in 2001 under the collective term Nogaku together in the UNESCO list of Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity and included in the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2008.

History

It is believed that the archetype of the Kyōgen derived from a form of Chinese entertainment that came in the Nara period as part of Sangaku (散 楽) mentioned performing arts to Japan. This original form soon became the Sarugaku, which initially contained both serious drama and hilarious comedy. Until the 14th century, these two forms of Sarugaku had finally split conceptually in Noh and Kyōgen.

Kyōgen exercised on the later development of the Kabuki theater of considerable influence. After the earlier, crude forms of Kabuki mid-17th century had been banned, the government allowed the establishment of the new yaro - kabuki ( men's Kabuki ) only for the reason that this avoided the personalities of the earlier Kabuki forms and at now become tamer Kyōgen oriented.

Noh was the official form of entertainment in the Edo period and was therefore supported by the government. Kyōgen, which was exercised in connection with Noh, benefited from this support by the government and the upper class. Until the early Edo period there had been a plethora of schools and " sects", carried by different families or subfamilies. Under the Tokugawa government in these three large, established Kyōgen Schools (狂言 流) were incorporated. After the Meiji Restoration, the support but stopped and dropped the interest in Kyōgen. Noh and Kyōgen therefore fell into disrepair, as many Japanese were more attracted by the "modern" Western art forms. However, in 1879 expressed the former U.S. President Ulysses S. Grant and his wife during a visit to Japan's interest in the traditional art of Noh. They should have been the first Americans who have seen Noh and Kyōgen performances, and to the idea enjoyed. This, it is believed, sparked a renewed interest in these forms of theater from. Still did not survive one of the three established schools that Sagi School (鹭 流), this time. Although still Kyōgen every now and then listed by type of Sagi - school, the Okura (大 蔵) and Izumi (和 泉) those large families whose schools still perform Kyōgen.

Today, there are two forms of Kyōgen: Aikyōgen (间 狂言) and Honkyōgen (本 狂言). As already mentioned, Aikyōgen are listed along with Noh plays and have the function again briefly represent the characters and actions of the usually somewhat more difficult, melancholic and dramatic Noh pieces for loose, often light-hearted way and in a simpler language. Therefore Aikyōgen is usually listed as a bridge between the first and the second act of a Noh play. Not infrequently such Aikyōgen is also a farce or a posse of Noh piece that accompanies it. The Honkyōgen other hand, is independent and is often listed as a separate theater without Noh. Here usually are the already mentioned stories of everyday life in the form of antics, farces or satires in the center. But even gods or bakemono ( ghosts, shapeshifters, etc. ,化 物), even Enma - ō (阎 魔王), the king of the underworld, will obscenities liable shown on the stage, which so often thematized in the Japan of the numinous part of their eeriness and abstractness loses. Of the Honkyōgen pieces have the two great schools an estimated 260 permanently in their repertoire, including the especially difficult due to its performance and its dramatic and comedic techniques act estimated Tsurigitsune ( " The fox trap "钓 狐).

Elements of Kyōgen

As in Noh and Kabuki actors are all in Kyōgen, even in female roles, grown men. In some pieces such as the famous Utsubo - zaru ( " The Monkey Skin Quiver "韧 猿), however, are also provided children players, after all, the training of a professional Kyōgen player starts in, or even just before the kindergarten age.

Kyōgen pieces are usually shorter than Noh pieces, ie usually not more than 45 minutes, and often have only 2-3 rolls, often standard types. The main player is referred to as shite (シテ) that are side players as ado (アド). Here, the main player is in many ways not synonymous with the " leading role " in that one could neglect or replace the other roles. In the play Shidōhōgaku ( " The unruly horse,"止 动 方 角), for example, we are dealing with four characters: the servant ( Tarōkaja ,太郎 ​​冠 者), the Lord ( Shujin ,主人), the elder uncle ( Oji ,伯父) and the Horse ( Uma ,马). The main players are indeed the servants, which occupies the central role, but without the figures of men and the horse this piece is neither implement nor to understand.

The Kyōgen is listed on a Noh stage, the four main elements honbutai the main stage (本 舞台) or even butai (舞台), the "bridge" hashigakari (橋懸り/橋 掛り) that as the way to the main stage and as its extension acts, the choir Square Jiutai -za (地 謡 座), where the choir sits, and the "Rear space " ato -za (后座) or the " cross the floor " (横 板), on which the musical accompaniment sitting, are. In Kyōgen however the ato -za -za and the Jiutai play only a minor role and also the seating arrangement at this stage parts differs from that of the Noh.

Movements and dialogues in Kyōgen are usually highly exaggerated and make the plot for immediate understanding. Elements of slapstick or satire exist in most pieces. Some of them are parodies of Buddhist or Shinto rituals, others are shorter, livelier, simplified forms of Noh plays, many of them created by Japanese folklore or folk tales.

Kyōgen is indeed occasionally accompanied by music, especially flute, drums and gongs listed. However, the focus of the pieces is more on dialogue and action rather than on music and dance, which is why Japanese Noh and Kyōgenforscher assign the Kyōgen usually the spoken theater.

The actors wear - unlike Noh - usually no face masks, unless they play the role of a woman, an animal ( such as a Tanuki or Kitsune ), a god or a monster ( ghosts, demons, etc.). Consequently, there is less diversity in Kyōgen what facial masks / larvae ( came仮 面) terms as in Noh. The masks and costumes are usually easier than their Noh counterparts. Moreover, few props and a minimalist or no stage be used.

Swell

• (English )
• BRANDON, James R., Noh and Kyōgen in the Contemporary World, University of Hawai'i Press. Honolulu, 1997.
• ABURATANI, Mitsuo (ed.), Kyōgen handobukku, Sanseido ( revised edition ): Tōkyō 2000.
• Immoos, Thomas, Kyōgen. What the Japanese laugh? . From Myth to Kyōgen, published in: mask and buskins, 30, 1984, pp. 41-62.
• KOBAYASHI, Seki (ed.), Arasuji de yomu Meisaku Kyōgen 50, Sekai Bunkasha: Tōkyō 2005.
• MORIOKA, Heinz / SASAKI, Miyoko, The Stage Art of Kyōgen. Nine classic Kyōgen games (OAG Paperback 69), German Society for Nature and People of Eastern Asia: Tōkyō 1997.
• NOMURA, Mansai, Laughter. Exploring Kyōgen 's global potential, published in: Japan Quarterly, 48.1, 2001, pp. 58-65.
• SAKANISHI, Shio, Japanese Folk - Plays. The Ink - Smeared Lady and Other Kyogen (. UNESCO Collection of Representative Works Japanese Series), Charles E. Tuttle Company ( 7th edition ): Rutland - Tōkyō 1983.
• SCHOLZ Cionca, Stanca, formation and morphology of the classic Kyōgen in the 17th century. From the medieval theater of the outsider to chamber play of the shogunate, Iudicium: Munich 1998.
• WELLS, Marguerite A / DAVIS, Jessica Milner, farce and satire in Kyōgen, published in:. Jessica Milner Davis ( ed.), Understanding Humor in Japan (Humor in Life and Letters Series), Wayne State University Press: Detroit 2006 pp. 127-152.