18. The Songs of Truth
When the sacred songs of twelve chapters were completed, Oyasama told Her attendants:
“These are the songs for the Service. Try singing them to the best tune you can find.”
Each of them sang to his own tune. After listening to it, Oyasama said:
“Thank you for your singing, but none of them will do. You should sing them this way.”
She sang loudly Herself. Then She told the attendants:
“These are the songs of truth. So you must dance to the truth. Try dancing the best way you can.”
Each of them arranged the dance and showed it to Oyasama. Afterward, She said:
“Thank you for your dancing, but no one danced to the truth. You should dance in this way. You should not just dance. You should dance the truth.”
So saying, She stood up and performed the dance movements Herself in order to teach the attendants.
In this way, Oyasama Herself taught the singing and dancing after having all the attendants try on their own.
This is the story told by Haru, wife of Ichibei Matsuo.
Note: Haru Matsuo was born on September 15, 1835, and entered the faith in 1866. She passed away on May 1, 1923, when she was eighty-nine years old.
19. Children Playing Shuttlecock
The songs for the teodori, part of the Mikagura-uta, were written by Oyasama at fixed times during the eight months from January to August of 1867. This was how the songs were taught to the world for the first time. It took three years to teach the dance.
Oyasama taught six persons how to dance, making the movements Herself with Her hands and arms, and repeating them three times. Three persons learned while the other three watched. Oyasama said nothing even if someone made a mistake.
“I would not put him to shame,”
is said to be Oyasama’s comment. She taught every movement three times and completed the teaching in three years. While teaching, Oyasama would say:
“It is like children playing shuttlecock during the New Year’s season, singing ‘One, Two.'”*
This is the story that Shirobei Umetani heard from a senior in the faith.
(Note)
* Refers to the counting of the songs in the Mikagura-uta
Anecdotes of Oyasama, pp. 13–14.