When I first came to the village, Ryokan Kurosawa, the head priest, welcomed me here with open arms.
The village lacks any formal mayor to speak of. Instead, he serves as its principal organizer.
In all likelihood, Minakami Village probably began as a settlement of religious and ritualistic practitioners, with this informal leadership structure being a remnant of that history.
The region remains culturally rich even today, with folklore about the Gate to Hell passed down through generations.
The Kurosawa house that I'm sitting in as I write this certainly lives up to its role as the home of a chief priest, filled with many surviving records about the village and its history dating back to ancient times. Many of these records relate to those myth and legends that permeate this region, as well as the area's main ritual, among other things.
As a folklorist, I can tell that there is a trove of valuable information within these documents.
Surprisingly, the head priest has even allowed me to freely search through this literature, which I appreciate.
One traditional, hidden ceremony specific to this part of Japan is the Crimson Sacrifice Ritual, where the twin maidens serve to seal the Gate to Hell, or so it goes.
The Gate to Hell itself is a type of legend that concerns a boundary between our living world and that of the dead such as a hole or, indeed, a gate. This realm of the dead goes by multiple names, such as "Hell" or "the Underworld."
Access to these venues is typically forbidden, making them spaces to be simultaneously abhorred and feared, but also sometimes revered.
Such beliefs about the underworld have occupied people's minds since ancient times. It is my sincere desire to get to the bottom of them and uncover the truth.
Though Minakami Village is said to host a hidden ceremony that directly pertains to the Gate to Hell, the mere mention of it isn't allowed, let alone witnessing it.
Seeing as it's a ritual that involves that boundary to Hell approaching our world, a religious quarantine of sorts is probably held, which would explain the strict limitations.
The villagers lead simple, if difficult lives deep in the mountains.
Minakami Village has almost no interaction with the outside world whatsoever. It's a place that feels stuck in the past and in old ways, ignorant of the passage of time and the rest of society.
It's as though it was plucked out of the relentless march of history and kept off to the side.
Regardless, I've also been granted permission to read through the literature stored in the other houses, for which I'm immensely grateful.
There are three main households that comprise the nucleus of the village. These are the Osaka house, the first house I was shown; plus the Tachibana and Kiryu homes, also known locally as the Twin Houses. Though I was only able to enter a small selection of rooms when I previously visited the Kiryu house, I'm sure I'll be able to comb through it more deeply before long.
Once I've finished searching the Kurosawa house, I think I'll next set my sights on the Osaka house.
Folklorist's Note 2 (FF2R)
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 This page contains spoilers for a recent release. |
For the version of this note that appears in Fatal Frame II, see Folklorist's Note 1 (FF2).- For the version of this note that appears in Deep Crimson Butterfly, see Folk Scholar's Writings I.
Folklorist's Note 2 | |
| |
| Kanji | 民俗学者の手記 二 みんぞくがくしゃのしゅき に |
| Game | Crimson Butterfly Remake |
| Author | Seijiro Makabe |
| Chapter | Chapter 3: The Repentance |
| Located at | Kurosawa House, Guest Room |
| Obtained | |
| Description | Written remarks from a folklore scholar who came to study Minakami Village, summarizing Minakami Village's unique customs and history. |
| Related Notes | Folklorist's Note 1, Folklorist's Note 3, Folklorist's Note 4, Folklorist's Note 5, Folklorist's Note 6, Folklorist's Note 7, Folklorist's Note 8, Folklorist's Note 8, Folklorist's Note 10, Folklorist's Note 11, Folklorist's Note 12, Folklorist's Note 13, Folklorist's Note 14, Folklorist's Note 15, Folklorist's Note 16, Folklorist's Note 17, Folklorist's Note 18, Folklorist's Note 19, Folklorist's Note 20 |
祭主の黒澤氏は、我々の来村をこころよく迎えて
くれた。
この村には村長はおらず、祭主を務める黒澤氏
が村のまとめ役を担っている。
おそらくこの村の成り立ちが、神事や儀式を守る
人々の集落であった、ということの名残なのだろ
う。
皆神地方には、今も色濃く「黄泉の門」伝承が伝
わっている。
この黒澤家は、祭主の屋敷だけあり、古くからの
村の記録が多く残っている。
その多くは、この地方に古くから伝わる伝承や神
話、儀式などに関するものだ。
民俗学的に貴重なものも多数見うけられる。
意外にも、祭主から黒澤家の文献を自由に調べ
てよいと言われた。
この地方に伝わる秘祭は「紅贄祭（あかにえさ
い）」と呼ばれ、双子の巫女をもって「黄泉の門」
を封じる祭であるらしい。
「黄泉の門」伝承とは、「黄泉」や「常世」、「根
の国」と呼ばれる死の世界との境となる門や穴な
どに関する伝承である。
それらの場所は通常、禁じられた場所として忌み
嫌われると同時に、畏れられ、時には信仰されて
もいる。
このような、古来より人々の中に根付いている黄
泉の世界への信仰を、なんとしても解き明かした
い。
この村では、「黄泉の門」にまつわる「秘祭」が
行われているらしいが、その祭とは、口にしては
いけない、見ることも許されないものであるらし
い。
おそらく、黄泉との境が近づくという祭である為
に、忌みごもりが行われるのだろう。
村人たちの暮らしは質素なものだ。山深い土地
で日々の糧を得る為に、きびしい生活を送ってい
る。
外部との交流はほとんどなく、世間や時代の流れ
に関わらず、昔のままの生活を留めている。
時の流れから取り残されたように。
ありがたいことに、他の家に残る文献も調べてよ
いと許可をいただけた。
この村の主な家は、最初に案内された逢坂家、双
子の家と言われる立花家と桐生家の三つだ。
桐生家に立ち寄った際には一部の部屋しか入れ
なかったが、さらなる調査ができるだろう。
黒澤家を調べた後、逢坂家を訪ねてみるとしよ
う。