石見の夜神楽定期公演

最も神聖な演目……岩戸 iwato

キャスト：天照大御神・天児屋根命・天太玉命・天宇津女命・手力男命

神楽の中で最も神聖視されている演目。

元々神楽の起源は、この演目の舞台である高天原（たかまのはら）で行われた神事によると信じられています。天照大御神の岩戸隠れの神話を神楽化したものです。須佐之男命の乱暴に困り、天照大御神が天の岩戸に隠れてしまわれました。天宇津女命の舞いに八百万の神が笑うのを、岩戸を開き垣間見たところを、手力男命が戸を引き開け、天照大御神を迎えだし、世が再び明るくなったという神話を基にした演目です。

This is the most important kagura.

The goddess of the sun Amaterasu was at a loss because of her brother Susanou's violent behavior. Because of this, she hid in a cave and blocked the entrance with a large rock which caused the world to become dark. The other gods came up, with a plan to get her to come out, so they had a party in front of the big rock which covered the entrance. There the goddess known as Amaterasu-uzume danced and all the gods laughed because of her dance. Amaterasu wondered what was going on outside and was enticed to have a look. When she peered through rock, a very strong god removed the rock the rest of the way and pulled her out of the cave. The sunshine returned and the world became bright again.

疫鬼を退け、魔を除く神……鐘馗 shouki

キャスト：鐘馗・疫鬼

天の岩戸騒動で、高天原を追放された須佐之男命（すさのおのみこと）が唐土（もろこし）に渡り鐘馗となり、茅の輪（ちのわ）を持ち疫鬼を退治したところ、その怨念が日本に渡り民を悩ますのでこれを命が平定するという内容です。

元来鐘馗は中国の唐時代玄宗皇帝の故事に基づき、疫鬼を退け魔を除く神として信じられています。「大蛇（おろち）」とともに石見神楽の代表的な演目です。

Susanou no Mikoto, who was exiled from Takamagahara (the heaven), went to China and turned into the god known as Shouki. Shouki was a Chinese god who fought against plague with his large hoop of hemp. After eliminating China of the plague demons, he returned to Japan, but the demons also came and spread disease. Shouki battled the demons once again in Japan.

二神二鬼の壮絶な戦い……塵輪 jinrin

キャスト：仲哀天皇・高麻呂・塵輪

塵輪（じんりん）とは、演目中に出てくる鬼の名前です。身に翼があって、自由自在に飛び行く大悪魔が、何万という兵を連れて、全国の人々を殺し廻るので、時の天皇、14代の帝（みかど）、仲哀（ちゅうあい）天皇は、自らこれに立ち向かい、ついにこれを退治しました。

鐘馗（しょうき）とともに、鬼舞の代表的なものです。二神と二鬼の四人組の闘いで、その立ち会いの凄さがみどころです。

Jinrin is the name of the demon in this piece. He was the king of demons, and had wings on his back so he could fly anywhere. This powerful demon flew all over Japan with his troops and killed people. King Chuai, the fifteenth son of Emperor Yamato Takeru, worried greatly about the slaughter of his people and decided to take on Jinrin himself.

石見神楽の最長の演目……五神 goshin

キャスト：春青大王・夏赤大王・秋白大王・冬黒大王・埴安大王・使・分け役

石見神楽の演目の中で一番長い演目です。衣裳や面が最も豪華なのは、内容が農事に関係しており、尊重されているからで、農民の知識、哲学、倫理観を集大成したものといえます。

春・夏・秋・冬を司る四神と、末弟の土の神との領土争いを描いたものです。面はとりわけ大きく、そして豪華な衣裳のいでたちは壮観です。荒々しく旋回する多くの神楽舞とは異なり、舞手はただ体を揺るがせ、弊（へい）を振り、左または右に回って位置を変えるだけで、ゆったりとした舞です。

This is the longest of the Iwami Kagura pieces.

The costumes and masks are very gorgeous because this dance is related to agriculture and highly respected. It incorporates the wisdom, philosophy and ethics of farmers. This story is about the brother gods of the seasons, fall, winter, spring, summer, and a fifth younger brother who wanted his own kingdom. This story recounts the fight between him and his brothers, who didn't want him to have his own kingdom. Other gods intervened and granted him special days in each of the seasons (a total of 18 days surrounding the equinoxes and solstices). The dance quality in this piece is different from many other kagura because the main characters wear large mask and move very slowly.

菅原の道真を神格化した演目……天神 tenjin

キャスト：菅原道真・柝雷・藤原時平

時の右大臣、菅原道真は左大臣藤原時平のねたみにより、無実の罪を着せられ、九州筑紫大宰府へ流されてしまいます。傍若無人な時平はやがて王位を苦しめ御心を悩ますに違いないと、雷神となり時平を成敗するその場面を神楽化したものです。

Sugawara Michizane was a very talented person and became the Minister of the Right at a young age. The Minister of the Left, Tokizane, envied Michizane's talent and captured him. Sugawara Michizane was exiled to Dazaifu in Kyushu, but he continued to worry about the evil that Tokizane might commit against the emperor. So Sugawara Michizane turned into the god of thunder and came back to defeat Tokizane.

This legend came about as a result of Tokizane's house being struck by a bold of lightening and burning to the ground following the exile of Michizane.

恵比須の釣り画面が見もの……恵比須・大黒 ebisu daikoku

キャスト：恵比須・大黒

恵比須は美保神社の祭神で、大国主命（おおくにぬしのみこと）御子である事代主命（ことしろぬしのみこと）の神徳を讃えたものです。この演目は恵比須の釣り場面とともに身振り手振りも面白く、おめでたい舞として近年結婚式や祝賀式で舞われることの多い舞です。なお、釣竿には人の心がまっすくとなるように、糸には長生きするように、針にはよろずの宝物が手に入るように、との願いが込められています。

Ebisu is the god of fishing, Daikoku is the god of wealth and prosperity. This is a very auspicious kagura and is often performed at weddings or well wishing ceremonies.

八幡麻呂が第六天の悪魔王と対決……八幡 hachiman

キャスト：八幡麻呂・第六天の悪魔王

九州豊前の国、宇佐八幡宮に祭られている八幡の神八幡麻呂が、異国から第六天の悪魔王が日本に飛んできて人々を殺しているので、自ら出向いて神通の弓に方便の矢を持って見事退治する物語です。八幡の神を讃える神楽として舞われています。

At first the god of the Usa Hachiman Shrine comes on stage and makes himself known. He says that he must fight the demon king of the sixth heaven come from abroad. He defeats the demon with his magical arrow.

This kagura praise the god of Usa Hachiman Shrine and for honoring Hachiman.

日本建国の演目……神武 jinmu

キャスト：神武天皇・日臣命・長髄彦　他

日向の国高千穂を治めていた若御毛泥命（わかみけぬのみこと）は、大和の国へ赴きます。しかし、そこでは長髄彦（ながすねひこ）との戦いになり、命は金?（きんとび）の助けで勝利します。その後、命は、畝火山のふもとに橿原（かしはら）の地を都と定め、神倭磐余彦命（かみやまといわれのみこと）－すなわち、神武天皇と名を改め、日本国を建国しました。

This is the story about the first emperor, Tennou Jinmu. Wakakeminu no Mikoto was the lord of Hyuga in the Kyushu region. One day, he moved his kingdom, Yamato, to central Japan. He had to fight the warrior, Nagasunehiko, and won with the help of a golden bird. After the fight he made Kashihara the capital of Yamato. He changed his name to Jinmu. It is said that this event represents the founding of Japan as a country.

四天王が悪鬼を討つ……大江山 ooeyama

キャスト：源頼光・四天王・姫・酒呑童子・鬼他

別名「酒呑童子」ともいいます。丹波の国、大江山に酒呑童子という悪鬼が多くの手下を従え、農作物を荒らし庶民を苦しめていました。帝は武勇の誉れ高い、源頼光に命じて悪鬼を征伐する事となり、頼光は、四天王の面々と大江山に向かい、悪鬼を退治しました。入り乱れて戦うシーンが見所です。

This piece is about the fight between samurai of the Heian era and infamous mountain bandits on Mt.Oe. The honorable samurai Minato no Yorimitsu and his famous four soldiers disguised themselves as ascetic monks in order to get close to the bandits. They defeated the bandits by tricking them into drunken stupors and then taking advantage of their imbibed state. In this kagura there may be many demons on stage which represent the mountain bandits.

仏道を取り入れた異色の神楽……黒塚 kurotsuka

キャスト：法印・剛力・悪狐（鬼女）・三浦介・上総介

黒塚は謡曲「安達ヶ原」が元です。法印（山伏）が剛力を連れて諸国行脚の途中、那須野ヶ原にさしかかり、老婆の住むあばら屋に宿を借ります。この老婆こそ三国無双の妖婦金毛九尾の大悪狐で、法印が仏道修行していると二人の弓取りが現れ大悪狐を退治した一説。神楽の中に仏道をとりいれた異色の神楽です。

Two Buddhist ascetics were traveling through the mountains and met a mysterious woman. She was actually a famous monster in disguise the fox with nine golden tails in the form of a lady. One of the men was eaten by the monster but the other was able to escape. Later, two masters of archery encountered the monster fox and killed it.

鬼を殺さず改心させる……道返し chigaeshi

キャスト：武甕槌命・鬼

道返しは俗に「鬼返し」とも言われ、鬼を殺さずに改心をさせることから、道の途中からかえすという意味です。

常陸の国に住む武甕槌命（たけみかつちのみこと）は、世界を股にかけて荒れ狂う大悪鬼を迎え討ち降参させ、九州高千穂に追放し、九州地方の農業の振興を計らせたといいます。後に食物の神として祭られました。

The Kashima god knew that the king of the demons had come from abroad and had been eating people, so the god decided that he needed to fight the demon king. After a violent fight, the demon king surrendered and begged for his life. The god persuaded him not to eat people anymore, and go to Takachiho in Kyushu region and eat rice there. The demon was very thankful and would make his living by working the soil from then on.

見えない鬼を退治……鈴鹿山 suzukayama

キャスト：坂上田村麻呂・鬼

別名「田村」ともいいます。坂上田村麻呂は勅命によって鈴鹿山の鬼が庶民を苦しめているので退治しようと出掛け、里人の案内で鈴鹿山に向かいます。鬼が現れ退治しますが、この鬼は人の目には見えないために、一本の帯を引き合って戦います。その戦いの様子が変わっているので大変興味深い演目です。

Sakanoue Tamuramaro was a commander in the Heian era who was in charge of the subjugation of the tribes in Northern Japan. He was orded to beat the demon living in Suzukayama. This demon is invisible, thus making for a most interesting piece: the fight sequence very inventively expressed. He was given the title of shogun in reward for his remarkable triumph. He is well known as the founder of Kiyomizu Temple in Kyoto.

神と神の力比べ……鹿島 kashima

キャスト：建御雷神・経津主命・大国主命・御名方・従神

別名「国譲り」ともいう。天照大御神が豊葦原の瑞穂の国を治めるべき地であるとして建御雷神（たけみかづちのかみ）の神達に命じ、この国の主神である大国主命と交渉させます。命は下命に従い大社に隠退しますが、命の二人の子のうち建御名方命（たけみなかたのみこと）は承服せず力比べを挑み、破れて国土を献上することとなります。力比べの場面が演目の面白いところです。

The gods of thunder who served Amaterasu(goddess of the sun), negotiated with Okuninushi who was the king of Mizuho for the peaceful transfer of his lands to them. Okuninushi agreed to give his land to Amaterasu and retired to Izumo Shrine in Shimane. But one of his sons, Prince Takeminakata, did not agree with his father and challenged the measure of his strength in a fight with the gods of thunder.

石見神楽の代名詞的演目……大蛇 orochi

キャスト：須佐之男命・足名椎・手名椎・櫛稲田姫・大蛇

高天原（たかまのはら）を追放された須佐之男命が、出雲の国、斐の川の河口で箸が流れるのを見て、川上に人が住んでいる事を知り、川上に上がってみるとそこに老夫婦と娘が嘆き悲しんでいました。命が尋ねると、この奥山に大蛇が住み毎年出てきて娘をさらってゆき、八人のうち今一人だけとなりました。そこで、命は老夫婦に造らせた濃い酒を大蛇に飲ませて退治します。

この時、大蛇の尾から出てきた一振りの刀を天叢雲の剣（あまのむらくものつるぎ）と名づけ、天照大御神に捧げます。のちに草なぎの剣と改名され、三種の神器の一つとなりました。助けられた娘、櫛稲田姫は須佐之男命と結婚し地方の産業治水に努力されました。

「大蛇」の演目は、石見神楽の代名詞にもなっている壮大なスケールの演目です。

Susanou no Mikoto, who was exiled from the Heaven Tamagahara, found a chopstick drifting down the Hii river. He followed the river up towards its source, wondering if there might be someone living up river. After a while, he found an old couple and a young woman, who were crying by the river. He asked them why they were crying and they answered, "Every year a giant serpent living deep in the mountains comes to carry off one of my daughters. We had eight daughters, but now only one. Tonight is the night the serpent will come. So we are very sad." Susanou no Mikoto decided to overcome the gigantic serpent known as Orochi. He asked them to make 8 barrels of strong sake: as the Orochi serpent had eight heads and eight tails, and the length was monster while it was drunk and sleeping. Afterward, he found a sword inside the tail of the serpent, and he offered it to his sister, goddess Amaterasu. This sword became one of the three sacred treasures. The rescued woman, Princess Kusinada married Susanou and is icredited with developeing flood prevention in Shimane region.