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 (in Shiramine) A variety of folk ballads have been passed down from generation to generation. "Medeta" is a song that is sung first on auspicious occasions such as a wedding ceremony. It features a solemn and graceful tune. "Haiya" was originally sung in northern Kyushu as a drinking song for fishermen but was transmitted all the way to Shiramine. "Otsue-kuzushi" was originally a weaving song, but nowadays it is sung on festive occasions. Men wearing hakama (a legged skirt-like clothing part of traditional men's formal wear) and bearing swords dance gracefully to the accompaniment of this song. "Jokabe", a song that has been handed down from ancient times, is sung along with dancing at the Bon festival. The Bon festival occurs in summer at a time when, according to popular Buddhist belief, ancestral spirits return to visit their families. The lyrics, which reflect the people's feelings of religious awe, relate the story of a group of Nichiren-sect Buddhist priests who travelled through hell. |
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