The Mibu kyōgen (壬生狂言), also called Nenbutsu kyōgen, is a Japanese traditional theatrical kind based on the mime and inspired by the lesson of Buddhism. In its form and its spirit, it is very close to the theater kyōgen, the principal difference being that the actors do not pronounce a word in the mibu kyōgen. Thus, the history is entirely mimée by the actors, the movements of the body and the hands being exaggerated to be explicit. Moreover, all the actors carry masks following the example part of the actors of the theater kyōgen and Théâtre nō, as well as traditional costumes. Lastly, the roles are interpreted by men, including the feminine roles.
About the 14th century, the mibu kyōgen was supported by the Buddhist priest Engaku with the Mibu-Dera temple with Kyōto. Engaku regarded it as the shape of crowned theater. The mibu kyōgen was practiced like a prayer with Bouddha in the shape of a comic part.
The repertory
The complete repertory counts 30 parts, 17 of them being specific to this kind and 13 having been borrowed from the repertory nō.17 typical parts of the mibu kyōgen:
- Atago Mairi (愛宕詣り, the Pilgrimage with the Atago Mount)
- Bo Furi (棒振, the Stick which turns)
- Daikoku Gari (大黒狩, the Woman of the Monk)
- Gaki Zumo (餓鬼角力, Arraché Greedy Phantoms)
- Hananusubito (花盗人, the Robber of Fleur)
- Hanaori (花折, Casser Branches of Cherry tree)
- Honnōji (本能寺; this part tells the suicide of Nobunaga Oda in the Honnō-ji temple at the time of a coup d'etat aiming at reversing it)
- Hōraku Wari (炮烙割, Broken Plates)
- Kanidon (蟹殿, the Revenge of Master Crab)
- Oharame (大原女, Women of the Ohara village)
- Oketori (桶取, Compassion by the Bucket)
- Sai No Kawara (賓の河原, On banks of the hell)
- Sakagura Kanegura (酒蔵金蔵, Entrepôt of saké, gold Entrepôt)
- Setsubun (節分, Demons Outside, Fortune Inside)
- Tamamonomae (玉藻前, Beautiful the Witch-Fox)
- Yamabana Tororo (山端とろろ, Sweet potato grated at the House of the Yamabana)
- Yutate (湯立, the Ritual of Ebullient Water).
13 parts coming from the nō:
- Adachigahara (安達原, the Ogre of the Adachigahara village; part so called Kurozuka in the repertory No)
- Daibutsu Kuyō (大佛供養, the Ceremony of Offering to the Great Buddha; part so called Nara Mōde in the repertory nō)
- Dōjō Ji (道城寺, the Bell of the Jealousy)
- Funa Benkei (船弁慶, Benkei in the Boat)
- Hashi Benkei (橋弁慶, Benkei on the Bridge)
- Horikawa Gosho (堀川御所, the battle of the Horikawa Palate; according to the part of nō Shōzon )
- Kumasaka (熊坂, the Chief of the Gangsters)
- Momiji Gari (紅葉狩, Seen on Maple)
- Naked (鵺, the Fabulous Bird)
- Ōeyama (大江山, the Ōe Mount)
- Rashōmon (羅生門, the Door)
- Tsuchigumo (土蜘蛛, the Demon Spider)
- Yo-Uchi Soga (夜討曽我, Attacks of Night of the Soga Brothers).
Music
Three musicians accompany the actors on scene: a gong, a drum and a flute. The drum and the gong play in an alternate way. The rhythmic principal one consists of three blows of drum, a gong, two blows of drums, a gong, and this buckles some during all the part; this rate/rhythm can vary during a few seconds to accompany an action carried out by a character. The flute, as for it, plays uninterrupted over the two other instruments.
Course of the representations
A series from three to six different parts is played during one day of representations. The duration of a part generally lies between 45 minutes and an hour. Each part starts with a series of blows of gong ( Horaku wari ) in order to drive out the demons. After the last representation of the day, the whole of the troop goes up on scene, accompanied by a Buddhist priest who animates a religious ceremony of ten minutes.
Inheritance
The Japanese government registered the mibu kyôgen in its list of the important intangible inheritance.
See too
External bond
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Summarized parts on the site of the temple Mibu-Dera
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