A Kagura festival is held on this island on the day of the lunar eclipse. On that day, they say that all living souls tend towards the underworld, and that the souls of the dead return from there.
Since the moon symbolizes the soul here, the eclipse must be thought of as the consumption of the soul.
I have read that the Rogetsu Kagura used to be performed using a mask called the Mask of the Lunar Eclipse. The document I read was very old and fragmented, but I ascertained from it that this black mask was said to have brought to the island a disaster known as the Day of Tranquility.
I asked the head of the island about this, but he told me with a fearful look on his face that no such thing ever existed.
It seems this Mask of the Lunar Eclipse is something of a taboo subject here.
From what I have discovered, the mask is a dangerous artifact, but still, I wish I could have had the chance to take a look at it with my own eyes.
It could have been a great help in my investigations into the spirit world.
Prof. Asou's Mask Inquiries
Prof. Asou's Mask Inquiries | |
| |
| Kanji | 麻生博士の仮面考察 あそう はかせ の かめん こうさつ |
| Game | Fatal Frame: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse |
| Author | Dr. Kunihiko Asou |
| Chapter | Phase II: Resonance |
| Located at | Rogetsu Hall, Archive |
| Obtained | In the mask display. |
| Description | An old document about the masks of Rogetsu Isle. |
| Additional Description | It's a document about masks. |
| Related Notes | Professor Asou's Notes (1), Professor Asou's Notes (2), Professor Asou's Notes (3), Rogetsu Kagura Chronicle |
この島では、月蝕の日に神楽が行われる。
月蝕の日には、すべての生きた人の心が
死の側へと傾き、死者の魂が
黄泉からやってくるとされる。
島では月が魂を示すものであるため、
月蝕は魂が蝕まれると
考えられていたのだろう。
かつてこの島の神楽にて
「月蝕の面」という面が
使われたことがあったと文献で読んだ。
非常に古く、また断片的な文献であったが、
それは島に#r#「無苦の日」#という災厄を
もたらした黒い面だという。
島の長にも尋ねてみたが、
ひどくおびえた表情で
そのようなものは無かった
と言うのみであった。
島では、その面は触れてはならぬ
禁忌なのだろう。
たとえ危険であるにせよ、
ぜひ一度この目で見て、
調べてみたかった。
もしかしたら、異界へとつながる
強力な手がかりとなったかもしれない。