General

Noh comment

I normally despise English puns on ‘Noh’, usually lame and trite. But after reading the delightful report of a Noh performance I found on a blog by WK Hellestal that I copy below, I couldn’t refrain from doing one myself. I personally sympathise with the spectators who really cannot cope with the Noh dramatic devices, and come up with the most fanciful observations – the variety of reactions that Noh theatre can generate is just amazing.

“Noh.

My first visit to the local Noh theater. I didn’t understand a damn thing, but apparently the performances are done in classical Japanese, so I’m not sure how much the native audience understood either.

Masks were interesting. Costumes were beautiful. Drumming and random shouting were cool. But I need a story, so I made one up in my head as I watched. A brief summary of the first act, as interpreted by me.

Ghost A: I don’t like you.

Ghost B: I don’t like you either.

Ghost A: Can we agree to put aside our differences for the moment, in order to join forces to terrorize these helpless townspeople?

Ghost B: My distaste for you has been ameliorated somewhat by the undeniable allure of your plan.

Mayor: No! Don’t terrorize us! We’re helpless!

Ghost A: Hahahaha! Terrorize!

Mayor: No, seriously. We’re not helpless. I’m a ghostbuster. I studied psychology and parapsychology under Dr. Venkman.

Ghost A: I don’t see no damn proton pack on your back.

Mayor: It’s, uh… being dry-cleaned. It’s due back today, though. Any time now.

Ghost B: Isn’t my fan cool? I have a fan. It’s super cool.

Mayor: Not just your fan, dude. That’s some wild-ass hair you got going on. I mean, I know it’s a wig, but it’s a fucking great wig.

Ghost A: Don’t get too chummy. We’re supposed to be terrorizing him, remember?

Ghost B: You’re not the boss of me.

Ghost A: Am too.

Ghost B: Are not.

Ghost A and B: Argh!

Mayor: My plan of setting the two against each other has succeeded. I’m now going to sit in the corner and remain there for the rest of the performance, moving only to shift my weight when my legs start hurting from this uncomfortably formal kneeling style.

End Act 1

The rest of the story continued in a similar vein. I assume.”

Here the link to the original post.

Candle crowns

 

lucia

 

 

 

 

 

 

Following up my previous post, and since December festivals are getting closer, I could not help associating the madwoman of the Noh play Kanawa 鉄輪 and the Scandinavian representation of St. Lucia. Obviously the two iron crowns with candles have very different meanings – while the Japanese is part of a revenge ritual of a jealous woman, the Scandinavian candles are symbols of the return of the light after the 13th of December.
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The end of it all

If there is something Noh teaches, and is really good at it, is to fight against expectations. What is an expectation? The logic conclusion of a process based on the probability of this occurrence to happen – this is mathematics. The possible conclusion of a process based on our hopes for this occurrence to happen – this is humanity.

In both cases, the focus of our thought is the aim of the path we are following, rather than the path itself. We struggle to keep the balance on the line we are stepping on – look down or on the sides and you only risk to fall. Hence, treading this path becomes an individual, autonomous process, excluding whatever happens around us. Reaching the end of the path is our only interest. There is a tendency to build up expectations on the target of our mission and its achievement becomes the symbol of what we are doing, but not seeing now, blinded by the light of the end of the tunnel. Humans are self-referential entities, with a tendency to consume, rather than live an experience. How to escape the projection of ourself in onto the world? How to be ‘otherwise than being’ (Levinas)?