The influence of Indian classic literature
on the Noh Play “Ikkakusennin”
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　
                                              Sachi Amano(Sachiko Masuda)
                                               sachia@mac.com
                                               Osaka, Japan
Abstract
     Noh Play and Kabuki are traditional musical plays in Japan.
The themes and stories are taken from not only Japanese myths, folklores and novels, but Asian classic literature and Buddhist teachings.“ Ikkakusennin” is a story about a hermit who loses his magic power enchanted by  a beauty . “ Ikkaku-sennin(one-horned hermit)”shown in the Noh play(14thC〜)and the  Kabuki( 17thC〜) originated from the literature of Buddhism and the ballad of middle ages;　“Konjakumonogatari”and　“Taiheiki.  Its origin is the story of 'Rysyasrnga' in Indian   classics “Mahabharata”,“Ramayana ”,  “Jataka”,  and “Kanjur Legend” of Tibet.  In these stories, the contents are slightly different; the place, the name and status  of the beauty, the reason of the temptation, the ending  of the story differ too.
Concerning the theme, there is some research about rain god, dragon, and royal authority.
In this paper I will introduce the translation from Japanese libretto of Noh play, presenting the dance and music on DVD.

1 The story of One-Horn Hermit
    
     As for the tow biggest Indian epics “Mahabharata” and “Ramayana”,  it is said that the story of present styles  were made in the 4th C., but the contents  stretch over a period  through 3000B.C.〜5000 B.C.. From among such stories, one descended to Japan. It is the story of “One -Horn Hermit”, which origin is seen in volume three( volume of forest) of " Mahabharata".   Also the story can be seen in “Ramayana”,  “Jataka”, “Kanjur Legend(Tibet)”, ect. 

 I show some examples among many elements of the story. See for the detail table in the paper of“ Narukami to Ikkakusennnin: The Kabuki Play and Rsyasrnga”1    
(This is a  remake summarized and arranged by me.)
   

Fig.1.  The elements  in each story
     From this table, it is clear that “Ikkakusennnin”is influenced in the name of the nation from “kanjur”, tempter from “Ramayana”.
Comparing Indian stories with Japanese ones, the biggest difference  is the ending. In Japan, the hermit didn’t return to the mountain, lost magic power, or died. They can be said a kind of human drama near comedy.

2.Liblet

Ikkakusennin(Noh Play)

     composer: Konparu, Zenpo　(1454〜1532)
     season: autumn
     place: Harana, India

          
     Fig.2.
tsukurimono (symbolic stage props in Noh Play ) of Ikkakusennin :
                                         the lodge of the hermit

Character: Shite(leading character): Ikkakusennin(one-horned hermit)
           Tsure(accompanying character):Sendabunin(Madam Senda)
                                         Ryujin(Dragon God)                                                                                                                                                                               
           Waki(supporting character):subject of the emperor
           Wakiture(accompaniying character)palanquin carrier
           Ji(Chorus)

(Music of appearance)

subject             “I am a subject of the emperor of Tenjiku(India)-haranakoku.
                Now aside this country,there lives a hermit, who had inhabited
                deer's womb and was born with a horn on his forehead.
                For this reason he was named Ikkaku sennin(a horn hermit).
                And he pitted his strength against dragons for some reason,
                closed all of them in the cave with his magical power,
                while it has not rained for several months.
                The emperor deplored it and considered various ideas.
                And with the idea of sending a incomparable beauty,
                Senda-bunin(Madam Senda), who pretends a  traveler losing
                her way and enters  the hermits' region, I've brought her.
                Now we are coming into the mountain road.”

♪(song)
subject&servants       
              ♪Mountain is far, cloud coming over the travelers' traces,
                and the wind through pine trees is so cold that a traveler
                wakes from  his short dream.
                Dew of  autumnal capricious rain drops on the red leaves in
                the shady mountain.
                The traveler feels autumn wind blowing through  his robe
                colored with the red leaves.
                Finding the way in  the fog, advancing in the cloud, the
                traveler lost way in the deep mountain where he doesn't know
                any idea. Where to go is the way?

subject          “Hurrying day by day, I came into the deep  mountain where
                I don't know.
                Wind blowing  with aroma from  the shady  rock, here is a
                hermitage made of pine and laurel branches bound.
                I wonder if it is the fairyland.  Walking around here for
                a while, I will search the circumstance.”

ikkakusennin  ♪A drip form ripple of  the mountain stream filled the pot,
                and a  blue mountain with some clouds are  drawn   in the tripod.
                A melody finished. Nobody can be seen. Some mountains are blue
                reflected in the river.
                The treetops are now red and the scenery of autumn is
                fascinating.

subject        “I have something  to say into this hermitage.”
                
Ikkakusennin    “Mysterious!  This is the place of  high mountain  range where
                people don't haunt.
                Whoever are you?”
                
subject        “I am a mere traveler losing my way into the mountain.
                Darkness is coming and I don't know what to do.
                Please accommodate me one night.”

Ikkakusennin    “As I said, here is not the place where humans come. Please
                leave here at once!”

subject       “Well Considering that humans don't come, here would be the
                lodging of hermits.”             
                Please appear, first of all.

Ikkakusennnin  “Then, feeling ashamed,”
              ♪I will show myself to the traveler.

chorus            Openning the grass door, appeared the hermit , with a grown
                horn of hart  in green hair.
                How mysterious now at a glance I see the hermit.

subject         Just now I remembered. You are no doubt the Ikkakusennin
                whom I was told.”

Ikkakusennin   “Yes, I am the hermit named Ikkaku. 
                Well seeing the members, you are not the ordinary travelers.
                Such beautiful lady with laurel eyebrow in a designed thin
                silk.
                Moreover you don't seem to be ordinary.
                Whoever are you?”

subject        “As I said then, we are the lost travelers.
                I have alcohol  for the tiredness of  the travel.
                How about a glass  of  drink?”

Ikkakusennin   “No, thank you. I like pine leaves, wearing moss, licking
                the dew of laurel  in the fairyland, so I am  immortal  how
                long years have passed.
                Alcohol is not necessary.
               
subuject       “I understand what you say, but just please accept my favor.
              ♪Madame stood to invite him to drink.

Ikkakusennin  “That you don't know my will"ー♪would be below the devil."

Chorus        ♪He said and accepted the cup of the moonー
                The mountain inhabitant folds his sleeves of fragrance with
                the chrysanthemum dew, which he whisks away. 
                Today is the first day of acquaintance   during thousand years.

Sendabunin    ♪How fantastic the glass is!

 Chorus       ♪How fantastic is the glass, of which brilliance  reflects
                the red leaves.
                Dancing Music with waving colored sleeves  is amusing.

　　　＜  Dance of “Gaku”2 by  Sendabunin and Ikkakusennin　＞

Chorus         ♪Music being played on various strings and bamboo flutes,
                 Often offering of the glass by the kind Madam,
                 The hermit moved gradually, became unsteady  and dizzy, 
                 laid the waving sleeves of dance and  lay.
                 The Madam pleased and returned to the capital through the
                 mountain road with the followers.                           
                Then rumbling came from in the cave like heaven and earth
                sounded.

Ikkakusennnin ♪ Strangely I unconsciously  drank and slept by the kind offer
                of the glass, when  suddenly sounded the cave where I had
                enclosed the Dragon Gods,
                Why?

Dragon Gods   ♪What's the matter,  Ikkakusennin?!
                You associated with humans, were tempted and got drunk to
                sleep, and lost magic power.  That'll teach a  visitation on
                you.
                    
 Chorus       ♪A flurry of mountain wind blew down, it clouded suddenly,
                 and  no sooner had the cave seemed trembling than it broke
                 to pieces, when the Dragon Gods appeared.
　　　　　　
　　　　　　＜Dance of “Maibataraki”3 by Dragon Gods＞ 　

Ikkakusennin  ♪ Then hermit  astonished and excited
Chorus         Then hermit astonished and excited took a sward and faced
                the Dragon Gods that wore the golden armor and  arranged the
                end of the  beautiful swards.
                After fighting for a while, the hermit drained off his magic
                power and gradually got weak to fall down.
                The Dragon Gods pleased and  hold the clouds, when it thundered
                and lighted in whole the heaven and the earth, and rained
                heavily to make floods, on that white wave  Dragon
                Gods jumped and returned to the palace of Dragons.
               
                                         Translation:Sachi Amano
                                         (Text: Kanzeryu-zokuhyakubanshu)

References
    
     Kanze,Sakon(1974)Kanzeryu-youkyoku-zokuhyakubanshu.
Tokyo:Hinokishoten
     (1959)Konjakumonogatarishu1:NihonkotenbungakutaikeiVol.22
Tokyo:Iwanamishoten
     (1962)Taiheiki:Nihonkotenbungakutaikei Vol.36
Tkyo:Iwanamishoten
     Wazumi,Htoshi(1976)Kabukinyumon.
Tokyo:Bunkenshuppan              
     Yamagiwa,Motoo(1991)Mahabharata Vol.1〜７
Tokyo:Sanitsushobo
     Nihonbunkajinruigakugakkai(1951)Kikan-minzokugakukenkyu:;The Japanese journal of ethnomusicology Vol.16.
     Indogakushukyogakkai(1992)Studies in religions East and West No.19

Endnotes

    1 Aoe,Shunjiro(1951) Kikan-minzokugakukenkyu:;The Japanese journal of ethnomusicology Vol.16. pp.25〜32
  
    2 A piece of Noh play dance music danced in the drama concerned with China or India. Noh play dance music is 　　　8beats and played by a flute(Nohkan), and 3 drums(tsuzumi,okawa and taiko)

    3 A piece of Noh play dance music danced by dragons, devils, etc. that shows fierce movement or fighting.