Caldron, Transvestism and "Okama"(<Special Issue>The "Sacred" in the Middle Ages)

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  • 異性装と御釜(<特集>中世における「聖なるもの」)
  • 異性装と御釜
  • イセイ ソウ ト オカマ

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Abstract

The entry of Nov. 19, 2nd year of Onin in a Zen monk Taikyoku's diary Hekizan-Nichiroku describes "Kamanari-ho" (a collection of techniques for stopping the sound from a hot caldron, a way of fortune-telling). What is interesting, it says cross-dressing is one of the techniques. How does cross-dressing make a caldron sound stop? Besides, does this act have any etymological relation to "okama" (slang for gay)? With these questions in mind, I will consider the transvestism of medieval monks, the sacredness of "okama" and finally hijrah, the fabulous hermaphrodite in India.

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