User:Cheathco/Hashihime/Bibliography

= Hashihime = Hashihime (橋姫) (maiden of the bridge), is a character that first appeared in Japanese Heian-period literature as a pining wife and later on as a fierce oni (鬼) (ogress) or demon fuelled by jealousy. She has come to be most often associated with Uji bridge and is also known as Uji no Hashihime (宇治の橋姫) (Bridge maiden of Uji) Her name is written with the kanji "hashi" (橋) meaning bridge and "hime" (姫) meaning “princess” or “maiden of good birth."

There are varying interpretations of the Hashihime, primarily due to a lack of information, as whether an official Hashihime Monogatari (The tale of Hashihime) existed or not is unclear.

Heian Poetry
According to Heian poetics, the Hashihime character was a wife who asked her husband to go to the sea palace and gather seaweed to ease her morning sickness. While doing so, her husband catches the eye of a sea goddess, and she takes him as her own husband. When her husband does not return, the wife kills herself by jumping off Uji bridge and plunging into the river. Her body is subsequently enshrined at the foot of the bridge.

Kokinshū
Hashihime first appears in a Kokinshū (古今集) waka poem (ca. 905) of which the author is unknown:

"さむしろに (samushiro ni) / 衣かたしき (koromo katashiki) / こよひもや (koyoi mo ya) / 我をまつらむ (ware o matsuramu) / うぢのはしひめ (uji no hashihime)"

Translation:

"“Upon a narrow grass mat

laying down her robe only

tonight, again –

she must be waiting for me,

Hashihime of Uji”"

Shin Kokinshū
Hashihime is mentioned in many other pomes in the Shin Kokinshū (新古今集) (ca. 1205), such as:


 * 420 by Fujiwara no Teika
 * 611 by the monk Kōshō
 * 636 by retired emperor Gotoba
 * 637 by former Archbishop Jien

Heike Monogatari
The Uji no Hashihime character from the Tsurugi no maki (Sword Scroll) of the Heike Monogatari (The Tale of the Heike) is a noblewoman who becomes mad with jealously after her husband leaves her for another woman, so she travels to Kibune Shrine and requests to be turned into an oni in order to enact revenge upon him and his new lover. The god tells her that she must section her hair into five horns, wear an iron tripod with three lit torches, and paint her face and body red with cinnabar. She must then bathe in the Uji river for twenty-one days to complete the transformation. As she makes her way to Uji river, those who see her are so shocked by her appearance that they die of horror. After becoming an oni, as well as her former husband and his lover, she slays many others, transforming into a male or female to kill members of the opposite sex.

Tale of Genji
"Hashihime" is the title of the 45th chapter in Murasaki Shikubu's Genji Monogatari (The Tale of Genji).

Hashihime is mentioned in multiple poems throughout the Tale of Genji and the character of Lady Rokujō shares similar qualities to Hahsihime, as she is also transformed into a demonic figure due to intense jealousy. When her affections are not returned by the man she desires, her ikiryō (生霊) (living spirit), kills his other mistresses.

Kanawa (The Iron Crown)
Kanawa (The Iron Crown) (鉄輪) is a Noh (能) play based on the Hashihime character from the Heike Monogatari. Though it had been previously accredited to the Japanese playwright Zeami, authorship remains unknown. The play tells the story of a woman possessed by intense jealousy after her husband leaves her for another woman. She travels to Kibune shrine and prays to the god there to help her get revenge and the shrine official there advises her to paint her face red, wear red clothing, and wear an iron crown adorned with three lit candles, in order to transform into a demon, wherein she will posses the power needed to kill her husband and his new wife. Her murderous attempt ultimately fails as her husband, plagued by nightmares, enlists the help of the oracle Abe no Semei.

In Noh plays, there are three main masks that depict demonic jealousy: hashihime (橋姫), namanari (生成り), and hannya (般若). The hashihime mask is primarily used in Kanawa, and depicts a demonic face contorted into a terrifying expression with protruding eyes, a wide mouth, and tangled hair.

Hashihime Shrine
Hashihime Shrine (橋姫神社) is located west of Uji River (宇治川) in Uji City, Kyoto. It was originally built in 646 during the Taika period (645-650) as a place of enshrinement for the river goddess Seoritsuhime (瀬織津姫), and later became associated with the Hashihime due to the influence of the waka poem from the Kokinshū (KKS XIV: 689). As the resident guardian deity, she protects the shrine and Uji bridge.

Ushi no Koku Mairi
Ushi no Koku Mairi (丑の刻参り) is a curse-casting ritual performed during the hours of the ox (or cow), from 1:00 am – 3:00 am. The ritual the Hashihime character in the Kanawa play performs in order to become an oni is exemplary of ushi no koku mairi. As a result, Kifune shrine, Seimei shrine, and Hashihime shrine are popular sites for curse-casting.

Tsuno Kakushi
Tsuno Kakushi (角隠し) (horn hider) is a type of traditional Japanese headdress worn by the bride during a Shinto wedding. It is usually placed over a bukintakashimada style wig. It is associated with Hashihime as by covering the piled hair, which resembles horns, the tsuno kakushi symbolizes the bride’s resolve to suppress her jealousy, and any other unacceptable traits, in order to become a complacent wife in marriage.

“Hashihime” Tea Bowl
“Hashihime” is a mino ware (志野焼) Japanese-style tea bowl with the Shinkyō (神橋) (sacred bridge) pictured on it. It is associated with Hashihime no Uji and is thought to have originated from around the Azuchi-Momoya (1568-1600) to Edo (1600-1868) period and is currently housed at the Met Museum in New York City.

= Citations =

= References =

= External Links =
 * Hashihime at yokai.com (English)
 * Hashihime - The Bridge Princess at hyakumonogatari.com (English).
 * Hashihime Shrine at ujimiyage.com (Japanese)
 * Seoritsuhime (瀬織津姫) at Wikipedia.org (Japanese)
 * The Tale of the Hashihime of Uji at hyakumonogatari.com (English).