Pit Workers in the Old Days #16: Cockhorse
1958 - 1963

Mukashi no Yamabito #16: Harukoma
[Pit Workers in the Old Days #16: Cockhorse]
20.2 x 30.1 cm Ink Painting

Lyrics of the Song Called Harukoma
Hah, medetai na! Medetai na! Ei!
Saita sakura ni naze koma tsunagu?
Koma ga isameba hana ga chiru.

Hah, how happy! How happy it is! Hey!
Why do we tie a horse to a blossoming cherry tree?
It is because cherry blossom petals will fly as the horse bucks and neighs.

This horse did not carry the visitor but was carried on his shoulders. Its head was made of paper and its body was made of a long bamboo basket called a nagajoke. It only had two legs, because the person wore the long basket around his waist like a Japanese skirt called a hakama. His aim was begging rice cakes for celebrating the New Year from the people in the pit. He bucked and danced in the paper horse in front of each house and was given so many rice cakes that even a real horse would have stumbled about if it was so loaded with rice cakes. Even poor pit workers at that time made and had a considerable number of rice cakes for celebrating the New Year because rice was not rationed and they could buy it freely.
This visitor made loud sounds without limit, beating to the rhythm of his song and dance with the clapper and bells in his hands.


Translation Assisted by Mr. Nathan Johndro

<<Last pictorial record    Next pictorial record>>

<<Last 10 items  241 | 242 | 243｜244 | 245 | 246 | 247 | 248 | 249 | 250 |   Next 10 Items>>

243／306