翻刻
知らさる様成し故図して永代へ遺す
螺貝之事
一正月元日ゟ十四日迄之内山伏之面々御家御繁
昌御祈祷とて数人目連れ螺貝を
家毎に吹廻れり仍而心次第米銭を出せしが
是は神仏判然之御趣意に而修験者被廃
頃ゟ相止又兵隊調練改正之頃ゟ陣貝
も廃り最早貝吹もの稀に成し故一筆
を遺す
抑螺貝は深山の洞屈にすみて劫を歴
水気を発して素形を現し神器と
成ては護持之祈念を職とし兵器と
成ては序破急蒐之音声を吹分け
隊伍調練の進退を指揮し陣中三
器の一等たるを以真紅の総に銀の口
錦の袋に桐の箱入美銘を号けて
秘蔵となり格別功ある貝もなく最
早ほら吹事のなき様に成しも時節
餝藁に結込む品々
現代語訳
知らせるような様子もなくなってしまったので、図を描いて永代へ遺すものである。
螺貝のこと
一、正月元日より十四日までの間、山伏の面々が御家御繁昌の御祈祷として数人連れ立って螺貝を家ごとに吹いて回った。そこで心次第に米銭を出したものであったが、これは神仏判然の御趣意によって修験者が廃止された頃より止めとなった。また兵隊調練改正の頃より陣貝も廃れ、もはや貝を吹く者も稀になったので、一筆を遺すものである。
そもそも螺貝は深山の洞窟に住んで長い年月を経、水気を発して本来の形を現し、神器となっては護持の祈念を職とし、兵器となっては序破急蒐の音声を吹き分け、隊伍調練の進退を指揮し、陣中三器の一等たるをもって真紅の総に銀の口、錦の袋に桐の箱入りで美銘を号けて秘蔵となった。格別功ある貝もなく、もはやほら吹きことのないような様になったのも時節
飾り藁に結び込む品々
英語訳
would not know about this, so I draw illustrations to leave for future generations.
Regarding Conch Shells (Horagai)
From New Year's Day to the 14th day, groups of yamabushi (mountain ascetics) would go from house to house blowing conch shells, calling it prayers for household prosperity and flourishing. People would give rice or money as they saw fit. However, this practice ceased around the time when ascetic practitioners (shugenja) were abolished according to the policy of clearly separating Shinto and Buddhism. Also, from around the time of military drill reforms, battle conches fell into disuse, and those who blow conch shells have now become rare, so I leave this written record.
Originally, conch shells dwell in caves of deep mountains, and through the passage of long ages, they emit moisture and manifest their true form. When they become sacred implements, their function is protective prayer and meditation; when they become military instruments, they blow different sounds for jo-ha-kyū-shū (sequence-break-rapid-gathering), commanding the advance and retreat of troop formations and drills, and as one of the three primary instruments of military camps, they were treasured with crimson tassels and silver mouthpieces, kept in brocade bags and paulownia boxes, given beautiful names and held as secret treasures. There are no shells of particular merit anymore, and it has come to pass that there is no more conch shell blowing, but such are the times...
Items tied into decorative straw