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ご存じですか？　五月人形に込められた願い

一般社団法人　日本人形協会

端午の節句に飾る五月人形

五月人形を飾る端午の節句は、家庭で行う小さなお祭りです。緑色の毛氈(もうせん)などで室内に神聖な場所をつくって、赤ちゃんを守ってくれる武者人形や鎧兜（よろいかぶと）を飾り、お供え物をして願い事をします。
「健やかに育ち、将来、立派な人間になるように」と。

５月５日の端午の節句の源流は、古代中国で季節の変わり目に健康を願って厄払いをしていたことにあります。日本でも奈良時代以前には５月５日に薬草を摘み、災いを受けないように祈る風習が生まれました。特にサトイモ科の菖蒲（しょうぶ）は剣のような葉の形と強い根の香りが邪気を祓（はら）うとされ、さらにその「菖蒲」の発音が「勝負」または「尚武」に通じることから、武家の台頭とともに一層重要な年中行事となっていきました。

江戸時代になると、武家では５月５日に男の子の誕生を祝い、武士の精神的な象徴である鎧兜や幟旗（のぼりばた）などを飾って、その子の健やかな成長と家の繁栄を祈りました。やがて民間でもこれをまねて、大きな作り物の兜や武者人形、紙の幟旗などを飾るようになりました。これらの飾り物は当初、天の神様の目印となるように屋外に飾っていましたが、江戸時代中期以降、幟旗以外は小型化したものを屋内に飾るようになりました。

鎧兜は身を守る大切な道具であり、日本伝統の武士道精神を象徴する宝物。また英雄豪傑をかたどった武者人形は男の子の成長を見守ってくれる、その子の守り神のような存在です。そして空を泳ぐ鯉（こい）のぼりには、たくましくどんな荒波をも乗り越え、人生の成功を願う気持ちが込められています。だからこそ一人一人に贈るのがよいでしょう。

五月人形は、生まれてきた男の子に対する、周りの人たちの温かな思いを形にしたもの。誕生を心から喜び、健やかな成長と将来の幸せを願う「愛情のかたち」そのものなのです。

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【English version】

Did you know?　The wishes behind the May dolls.
The Association of Japanese Dolls

May dolls for the oy's Day celebration (May 5th)

The Tango-no Sekku is a small festival held in the home, during which May dolls are decorated. A green carpet is used to create a sacred space inside the house, where warrior dolls and helmets of armour are displayed to protect the baby, offerings are made and wishes are made.
They make a wish that the baby will grow up healthy and become a fine human being in the future.

The origin of Tango-no Sekku on 5 May can be traced back to ancient China, where people used to wish for good health and drive away evil spirits at the turn of the season. In Japan, too, a custom arose before the Nara period (710-794) of picking medicinal herbs on 5 May and praying that they would not bring misfortune. In particular, iris, a member of the taro family, was believed to ward off evil spirits due to its sword-like leaf shape and the strong fragrance of its roots, and the pronunciation of the word “iris”, which is related to “victory” or “strength”, made it an even more important annual event with the rise of the samurai class.

In the Edo period (1603-1867), samurai families celebrated the birth of a boy on 5 May, decorating him with a helmet and banner, the spiritual symbols of the samurai, and praying for his healthy growth and family prosperity. The folk also began to imitate this tradition, decorating their children with large, made-up helmets, warrior dolls, paper banners and other decorations. These decorations were initially displayed outdoors to serve as landmarks for the heavenly deities, but from the mid-Edo period onwards, smaller versions of these decorations, with the exception of banner flags, were displayed indoors.

Armour helmets are important tools for protecting oneself and are treasures that symbolise the traditional Japanese spirit of bushido. Samurai dolls in the shape of heroes and heroic characters are like guardian deities that watch over the boy's growth. Koi Noboris (carp streamers) swimming in the sky symbolise the wish that the boy will be strong and overcome any stormy seas and succeed in life. That is why it is a good idea to give them to each and every one of them.

May dolls give form to the warm feelings of the people around you for the newborn boy. They are a form of affection itself, a way to rejoice in the birth of a boy and wish him healthy growth and happiness in the future.