Tamanoi

玉井 The Jeweled Well

1 Source and/or Related Material

“Age of the Gods,” Nihon shoki

2 Author

Kanze Nobumitsu

3 Repertoire

Kanze, Kongō, Kita

4 Synopsis

Hohodemi (waki), the Mountain Man, announces that he has lost his brother Hoderi the Sea Man’s fishing hook and has come to the Dragon Palace to look for it. He is hiding behind a jeweled well when the Dragon King’s daughters Princess Toyotama (maeshite) and Princess Tamayori (tsure) find him and take him back to the palace. He marries Princess Toyotama (shite) and spends three years at the Dragon Palace, but then he then decides to return home. Some clam spirits (omoai, adoai) retell the story in plain speech. The Dragon King (nochishite) comes with Princess Tamayori (nochitsure) to give Hohodemi his brother’s fishing hook and some precious jewels, then performs a dance to say farewell to his daughter Princess Toyotama (nochitsure). Finally the couple set off on the back of a crocodile for the land up on the shore.