VII. FUNA-YŪRÉÏ

The spirits of the drowned are said to follow after ships, calling for a bucket or a water-dipper (hishaku). To refuse the bucket or the dipper is dangerous; but the bottom of the utensil should be knocked out before the request is complied with, and the spectres must not be allowed to see this operation performed. If an undamaged bucket or dipper be thrown to the ghosts, it will be used to fill and to sink the ship. These phantoms are commonly called Funa-Yūréï ("Ship-Ghosts").

The spirits of those warriors of the Héïké clan who perished in the great sea-fight at Dan-no-ura, in the year 1185, are famous among Funa-Yūréï. Taïra no Tomomori, one of the chiefs of the clan, is celebrated in this weird rôle: old pictures represent him, followed by the ghosts of his warriors, running over the waves to attack passing ships. Once he menaced a vessel in which Benkéï, the celebrated retainer of Yoshitsuné, was voyaging; and Benkéï was able to save the ship only by means of his Buddhist rosary, which frightened the spectres away....

Tomomori is frequently pictured as walking upon the sea, carrying a ship's anchor on his back. He and his fellow-ghosts are said to have been in the habit of uprooting and making off with the anchors of vessels imprudently moored in their particular domain,—the neighborhood of Shimonoséki.

Erimoto yé

Mizu kakéraruru

Kokochi seri,

"Hishaku kasé" chō

Funé no kowané ni.

[As if the nape of our necks had been sprinkled with cold water,—so we felt while listening to the voice of the ship-ghost, saying:—"Lend me a dipper!"[³⁹]]

Yūrei ni

Kasu-hishaku yori

Ichi-hayaku

Onoré ga koshi mo

Nukéru senchō.

[The loins of the captain himself were knocked out very much more quickly than the bottom of the dipper that was to be given to the ghost.[⁴⁰]]

Benkéï no

Zuzu no kuriki ni

Tomomori no

Sugata mo ukamu—

Funé no yūréï.

[By the virtue of Benkéï's rosary, even the ship-following ghost—even the apparition of Tomomori—is saved.]

Yūréï wa

Ki naru Izumi no

Hito nagara,

Aö-umibara ni

Nadoté itsuran?

[Since any ghost must be an inhabitant of the Yellow Springs, how should a ghost appear on the Blue Sea-Plain?[⁴¹]]

Sono sugata,

Ikari wo ōté,

Tsuki-matoü

Funé no hésaki ya

Tomomori no réï!

[That Shape, carrying the anchor on its back, and following after the ship—now at the bow and now at the stern—ah, the ghost of Tomomori.[⁴²]]

Tsumi fukaki

Umi ni shidzumishi,

Yūréï no

"Ukaman" toté ya!

Funé ni sugaréru.

[Crying, "Now perchance I shall be saved!" The ghost that sank into the deep Sea of Sin clings to the passing ship![⁴³]]

Ukaman to

Funé we shitaëru

Yuréï wa,

Shidzumishi híto no

Omoï naruran.

[The ghosts following after our ship in their efforts to rise again (or, "to be saved") might perhaps be the (last vengeful) thoughts of drowned men.[⁴⁴]]

Uraméshiki

Sugata wa sugoki

Yuréï no,

Kaji we jama suru

Funé no Tomomori.

[With vengeful aspect, the grisly ghost of Tomomori (rises) at the stern of the ship to hinder the play of her rudder.[⁴⁵]]

Ochi-irité,

Uwo no éjiki to

Nari ni ken;—

Funa-yūréï mo

Nama-kusaki kazé.

[Having perished in the sea, (those Héïké) would probably have become food for fishes. (Anyhow, whenever) the ship-following ghosts (appear), the wind has a smell of raw fish![⁴⁶]]