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JAPANESE THEATER: RELIGION IN NOH: INTRODUCTION TO SHAMANISM The readings for today were: Royall Tyler, "General Introduction," Japanese Nô Dramas (pp. 1-19); Carmen Blacker, The Catalpa Bow (pp. 19-50); Aoi no Ue; and Kamo (in Karen Brazell, Traditional Japanese Theater, pp. 44-60). • shamanism = essential part of 能 (Noh) - Spirits are conjured into or out of human beings by someone who is him/herself spirit-possessed. • When and where did shamanism originate? - around 10,000 BCE in Siberia - spread to Americas, China, Korea, Japan, South Asia • Shamanistic World View: ① familiar human (material) world & ② spiritual world • What can shamans do? a) can act as bridge/mediator between two worlds b) in spirit possessions, can speak with spirits and find out what angry spirits are mad about c) can call down deities to find out about things you have no control over (e.g. weather), give festival and send back • How do they do it? --> Achieve a trance state by... a) creating certain kinds of rhythmic sounds b) stamping, creating circle in dances c) waving long thin objects (採物・torimono) • Two forms of trance: ① dream vision travel ② possession • Two kinds of Japanese shamans: ① passive medium (巫女・miko) "She can enter a state of trance in which the spiritual apparition may possess her, penetrate inside her body and use her voice to name itself and to make its utterance.
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