Memories of Women Who Served the Gods - Origins and Genealogy of the Performing Arts of the Amusements - 8th Century to the Early Heian Period

Memories of Women Who Served the Gods - Origins and Genealogy of the Performing Arts of the Amusements - 8th Century to the Early Heian Period

The origins of prostitutes originated not as mere providers of sex, but as sacred entertainers. The "Asobiome," as they were called in the Manyoshu, were invited to the banquets of the nobility to perform songs and dances. They traveled lightly from place to place, acting as a bridge between faith and entertainment.

The origins of these dancers can be traced back to ancient mythology, and are symbolized by Ame-no-Uzume-no-mikoto, who is mentioned in the Kojiki (Records of Ancient Matters). The scene in the Iwato no kagure myth in which she dances to draw out Amaterasu combines the sacredness of the performing arts with the symbolism of sexuality. The "asobi," or priestesses who were ancestors of this goddess, were women who offered dances and songs at ceremonies in the emperor's mourning palace, and later transformed into yugyo nymphs with the abolition of the bukyoku system.

In the aristocratic society of the Nara and early Heian periods, polygamy was the norm, and sexual and mistress relationships were tolerated. It was not uncommon for prostitutes to become local wives of aristocrats. These women were not prostitutes, but bearers of culture and religion, and their relationships were rooted in spiritual and social ties, not monetary exchange. They were an existence that was completely different from that of the later Yoshiwara, and one that was imbued with a sense of holiness.