Kanawa
/ka.na.wa/noun
A Japanese Noh play and the iron ritual ring associated with a traditional curse ceremony.
Did you know?In the Noh play Kanawa, the abandoned woman is instructed to wear an iron tripod crowned with candles and visit a shrine at the hour of the ox to curse her former lover.
Etymological Timeline
Classical Japanese
Japanese
鉄輪 (kanawa)
“An iron ring or iron hoop; literally, “iron” plus “ring.””
Medieval Japan
Japanese
丑の刻参り (ushi no koku mairi)
“A midnight shrine-visit ritual traditionally associated with cursing an enemy.”
Muromachi Period
Japanese
金春禅竹’s Kanawa tradition
“The story develops within the Noh theater tradition, linking an abandoned woman’s rage with supernatural vengeance.”
15th–16th Century
Japanese
鉄輪 (Kanawa)
“A Noh play in which a betrayed wife appears as a vengeful spirit wearing an iron ritual crown.”
Modern English
English
Kanawa
“A transliterated title used in English writing about Japanese Noh drama and traditional curse folklore.”
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