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GLOSSARY
Kagura, dengaku and other ancient dance music
These pieces are among the earliest surviving examples of Japanese music.Kagura is rooted in ancient Shinto rituals which draw their inspiration from Japanese mythology, notably the dance which is said to have lured the Sun Goddess, Amaterasu, from the cave where she retired after an argument with her brother, Susanowo. Surviving examples of kagura music and dance have two sources: kagura performed at the Imperial Court (mi-kogura) and rural kagura (sato kagura).The latter is strongly tinged with shamanism and other primitive folk beliefs. Musical accompaniment to kagura is provided by instruments used in bugaku (see above: A-4-1). The dancers, usually priests or shrine maidens, wear Chinese- influenced costumes of the Heian period. Dengaku is another ancient music and dance form. It was refined during the 14th and 15th centuries from rural dances related to the rice-planting ritual and, for a while, performances of dengaku were patronised by the military elite. Dengahu performers today dance while accompanying themselves on the binzasara (a percussion instrument made of slats of wood) and the shitetei (a circular handdrum).
Furyu were popular songs and dances of the mediaeval period. Prior to the popularisation of faryu in the 16th century there was a clear distinction between the elegant dances of the court and the folk dances of the countryside. Fnryu represents a transitional phase preceding the development of buyo, the sophisticated secular dance of the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries. Furyu are among the most graceful and rhythmic of all Japanese dances.