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Pichi
@pichi
Today I went to a festival and got to see this dance from the Heian period for the second time but today I was given a piece of paper that explained it! The Japanese court music tradition known as Gagaku (heard in the video) incorporates elements of Tang music and dance. This dance is to express joy at finding a snake! I assumed it was due to the year of the snake and was completely wrong!
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Pichi
@pichi
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Pichi
@pichi
@kenjiquest am I explaining this right? Translate was having trouble but the gist was “happiness for finding a snake”
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Kenji
@kenjiquest
Hey Pichi, So the jist is (my Chinese history is rusty)... it is foretold that 'Emperor Ming of Tang' (Emperror Xuanzong?) had raised his military to defeat his foe and on his return to the capital had written this song. It is said that the people of West China had a preference to eating snake meat, and the joy of finding a wild snake was made in to a dance. It's also said this was played whenever royalty (such as the emperor) made a return to their primary location of residence. Fo this occasion (your viewing), the document states that they are doing this Snake Dance as part of it being Snake Year, but the history behind the song differs.
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