Haiku about New Year (6)

真山の祭りに降りる神の使者

 

shinzan no   matsuri ni oriru   kami no sisha

 

 

From Mount Shinzan

descend messengers of god

into a festival

 

Notes:
The Namahage Sedo Festival is held on the grounds of the Shinzan Shrine at the foot of Mount Shinzan on the second Friday, Saturday and Sunday of February every year, when the “Devil Festival” on December 31 is re-enacted for the public there.
Namahage join the festival as messengers of god in the following way.
First of all, there is a ceremony in which young men are exorcized and changed into messengers of god with devil masks handed by Shinto priest（神官）, entering Mount Shinzan as Namahage.
Next, those Namahage　come down to the grounds of the Shinzan Shrine to take part in the festival.

By Hidenori Hiruta

蛭田秀法