Page:Brinkley - Japan - Volume 1.djvu/251

 tive of the dance in rhythmical language. The motions accompanying the first would suggest the dipping of cloth in lye, the dropping of rain, and immutability. The motions accompanying the second would indicate adoration, humility, and reverent presentation. In fact, all the Kagura dances may be described as solemn hand-wavings and body-swayings, without any movement of the feet except such as is necessary to preserve equilibrium, and without the least approach to strong emotional activity suggesting religious exaltation. The musical accompaniment was a weird, monotonous strain performed on a Japanese horizontal harp (koto), a shrill flute, and a drum. From the sedate Kagura the next step was to the Saibara, which may be described as street sonnets set to Chinese music with appropriate mimetic dances. In these the performers were usually men and women of the highest degree, the orchestra consisted of two kinds of flutes, and the dancers beat out the measure with ivory batons, commonly carried by nobles and ministers in that era. Sixty-one of these ancient dance-songs have been preserved. Like the Kagura they embody suggestions of simple scenes and simple actions, the only difference being greater variety of gesture, greater intricacy of movement, and more picturesque costumes. For example, a party of youths and maidens, robed in many-coloured garments and carrying toy nets and baskets, glide upon the scene, imitating the undulating movement of the waves,