노(能)에 등장하는 老女神의 형상화와 특질

Abstract

The purpose of the present study is to preserve the representation and Characteristics of Old Goddess appearing in Japanese medieval theatre, Noh(能). A Old Goddess appears with the venerable old man in the Okina troupe of north-eastern section of Japan, which retains the prototype of Okina troupe. Unlike the current ‘Okina’ where only the venerable old man appears, this reveals the fact that there were earlier forms of Okina performance with old lady deities, and the possibilities that the role was diminished due to the expanding of Okina worship. The elimination or diminishing of Old Goddess subsequent to the growth of the venerable old man does not only appear in ‘Okina’, but throughout the entire Noh. In the Waki-Noh, where the gods are the main character, the venerable old man are mostly the leading characters. The only performances with old deities are in ‘Takasago’ and ‘Arashiyama’, however, even here, these roles diminish towards the end or their bodies are transformed into a younger goddesses. Moreover, there is a ‘6 Songs of Old Goddess’ in Noh pieces placing old ladies as the leading character, and, ‘Kurozuka’ and ‘Yamamba’, where old deities appear as the main characters. In these works, the representation of an old lady was about the hideous appearance from her old age, and the lament and disgrace from it. Furthermore, the meaning of ‘old’ was not only pertaining to the physical decline, but also accompanied by poverty. Thus, like in the story of ‘Ubasuteyama’, they were even abandoned from their own family. Later, these deserted old ladies become horrible demons that devour human. The antipode of the benevolence and peaceful Okina —the blessing of the human world and prayer for the bountiful harvest—the old lady deities wondering aimlessly from one mountain to another forsaken as aged and hideous is the actual representation of the Old Goddess rendered in Noh.