著者

山田 厳子

出版者

国立歴史民俗博物館

雑誌

国立歴史民俗博物館研究報告 (ISSN:02867400)

巻号頁・発行日

no.54, pp.p267-294, 1993-11

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通常とは違った特徴を持つ子どもが生まれることは民俗社会の中では歓迎されざることであった。そのことは、民俗社会の中で語られるさまざまな話の中からもうかがうことができる。しかしこのような子どもが却って富をもたらすと説明する話もある。ここでは現実との関わりによって語られる、しかも事実そのものとはいえない話(世間話)を例として検討しながら通常とは違う子どもに対する「過剰な意味づけ」を問うていきたいと考えている。「歓迎される」異常児として「福子」が、「忌避される」異常児として「鬼子」が挙げられる。「福子」には自身を犠牲にして「家」の繁栄をもたらすイメージがある。一方「鬼子」には「富」とともに「他界」からもたらされるイメージと、歓待されることによって「富」をもたらすイメージがある。異常児が、富とともに他界からもたらされるというイメージは、異常児の去来によって家の盛衰が決定されるという話へとつながるであろう。また異常児の誕生という不幸によって「富」の獲得という幸福とのバランスをとろうとする家の外部の者の心意もうかがうことができる。子どもの「異常」の説明のために「富」の推移が語られ、家の盛衰の説明のために「異常児」の誕生が語られたことが推測される。その際に「異常児」は家の盛衰と密接に結びついた霊的な存在と受け取られていたといえるであろう。It can be said that a child with a distinctive feature different from the normal was an unwelcome existence in the traditional folklore society of Japan. However, there are signs that, due to the distinctive feature which part it in the minority, such a child was regarded as an existence close to the Other World, determining the ups and downs of its family.In this paper, the author takes up stories regarding children connected with "wealth" from rumors called Seken-banashi (small talk), and aims to clarify the image people had of such children.When a child different from ordinary children is favorably accepted, it is called "Fukugo" (lucky child), literally meaning a child who brings happiness. However, if we look back to the origins of this tradition, we find that the "lucky child" was thought to bring happiness to the family through the sacrifice of the child itself. On the other hand, an unwelcomed "abnormal" child was called "Onigo" (devil child). Though a devil child was detested, it seems to have been believed that people would have a devil child after they had obtained wealth, or would be able to obtain wealth by welcoming a devil child.A child born with an abnormality was thought to be sent from the Other World, together with wealth. Therefore, stories about children who were born with an abnormality and left home were stories hinting at the decline of the fortunes of the family concerned.Also, in relation to wealth, there were examples in which people regarded children born with abnormalities as serving spirits to be used for the wealth of the family ; or identified such children with a dangerous god (God of Plague) bringing wealth to the families that welcomed the child.Rumors about children born with abnormalities can be considered to have arisen in two ways as follows : One was to explain, when a child was born with an abnormality, why such a child was born : The other was to see the reason for a sudden rise or decline in a family's fortunes in the birth of the abnormal child. In the latter case, there seems to have been examples in which the "abnormality" of the child was exaggerated more than necessary. The stories of children born with abnormalities should be examined with a wider vision, with consideration also given to rumors of "Zashikiwarashi" and animal spirits.