Ema

絵馬 The Votive Tablets

1 Source and/or Related Material

the custom of hanging votive tablets at Ise Grand Shrine, the myth of Amaterasu in the cave, The Records of Ancient Matters

2 Author

Unknown

3 Repertoire

Kanze, Hōshō, Kongō, Kita

4 Synopsis

An imperial envoy and his attendants (waki, wakitsure) come to the Great Shrine of Ise, and they learn that since tonight is the eve of the first day of Spring (setsubun), votive tablets will be hung at the shrine. An old man (maeshite) with a votive tablet depicting a white horse, and an old woman (maetsure) with a tablet showing a black horse, appear and tell them that the tablets will be hung to pray for good weather in the next year. They explain that the white horse brings sunshine and the black horse brings rain. Having argued which horse they should hang, the couple decide to hang both and to pray for a rich harvest and peace in the realm. Thereupon the old couple sing a playful list of expressions with the verb kakeru, meaning ‘to hang’. They reveal that they are in fact the twin gods of the shrine, then disappear into the night. Several demons (ai) from the immortal Island of Penglai (J. Hōrai) appear and explain the votive tablets in ordinary language. Finally three Gods appear: Amaterasu (nochishite), Ame no Uzume (nochitsure) and the male Deity Tajikarao (in the Kita school, another Goddess—nochitsure). The deities do a dance, reenacting how Amaterasu once hid in the rock cave and the world became dark, but Ame no Uzume danced a kagura dance and Tajikarao did a dashing dance, thus enticing Amaterasu to come out again.