Preliminary Study of Folk Songs of Main Land Japan and of Okinawa for the Purpose of Making Use of Those as Historical Materials.

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The folk song entitled "Konpira Funefune" has formed at latest in 1880 with the melody and the poem as we see today. Apparently, it was loved by the grassroots masses deeply during 1860s to 1880s through which they could express their ardent dreams for drastic social and political changes. The song was obviously derived from a Chinese folk song "Chuuzan Ryuusui", as an imitated song. I guess that Baien NAGAHARA and/or Renzan HIRAI had arranged and converted the latter into the former in Osaka by 1872. "Chuuzan Ryuusui" had seemingly derived from a old Chinese work song entitled. The former remains keeping powerfulness apparently originated from the latter, and therefore, "Konpira Funefune" remains keeping an encouraging character even today.Researchers of folk songs of Yaeyama Islands have repeatedly claimed that "Washi no Tori Yunta"(Song of the Eagle) was truly indigenous folk song originated by the peasants very long ago. However, formerly some researchers have pointed out that the song seems to be of Chinese origin or to be influenced deeply by Chinese folk songs.I discovered here that there had once a period in which Chinese folk songs had prevailed in Yaeyama, and the Song of the Eagle seems to have been an imitated song of a Chinese folk song. According to me, it is possible to identify the song which bad been original for the Song of Eagle. It might be Senkachou or Marika. After 1879 when the annexation of Ryukyu by Japan had done, researchers ceased to talk about the Chinese tradition among the Yaeyaman folk songs. I claim that the Song of the Eagle remains encouraging even today because the original song, the Senkachou or Marika had begun to be sung and danced in the uplifting situation of the Chinese masses who had been engaged in the rebellion of Tai-Hei-Tengoku(Tai-Ping Paradise).