プロローグ
ここは与那国の伝説の女傑、サンアイイソバの住んでいた場所。今は虫の音に蝶々が舞い、草が生い茂り何もかもが隠されている。私は与那国にいる間、毎日長い坂道を歩きここへ通った。
サンアイとは与那国の言葉で”ガジュマル”のこと、『ガジュマルのある場所に住むイソバ』とでも言うのだろうか。ガジュマルは与那国や八重山では神聖な木とされている。その力強さは建物さえも潰してしまう威力をもつ。精霊の住む木とも、その根のありようから歩く木とも言われる。
このガジュマルからは外見の強さからはとても想像できない優しいピンクの色が生まれる。
今は誰もいなく畑の広がるこの場所は何万年も前には浅海であり海からの隆起が広い範囲にわたって起こった土地である。かつてここ一帯は村がありとても栄えていた。その時イソバはアサディいろ（薄いピンク色）の苧麻で織った着物を来てこの世界の平和を願っていたに違いない。
・・・・ひらひらと何処かへ招くように蝶々が舞う。そして私の意識は遠い場所へと向かう。
Prologue
The hill, it’s a place where the woman called “San ai -Isoba” was living at that time. She is a legend of Yonaguni island. When she was a top person in its island in the 16century , Yonaguni was very peaceful and prosperous. Nowadays, this place is covered with full of green grass, everything is hidden below them. Just only butterfly is floating with a song of insects. ….When I was in Yonaguni, I visited this hill by walking everyday.
“San ai” means Banyan tree in Yonaguni dialect. “San ai- Isoba” means Isoba who is living near the Banyan trees”. Bayan tree is a holy tree ( god tree) in Yonaguni and Yaeyama. It’s a very powerful tree, they can crash the house. There are lots of myth about it, people said that a fairy is living on this tree, then the tree can walk because their roots become so long. Bayan tree looks so powerful, the color can be born from it. Even though it looks strong, but the color of light pink comes out from it.
This land was a sea in millennia ago, then it rised from a sea. This place was once flourishing in the era of San ai Isoba. She put on a Kimono that was made from Choma plants. its color is light pink, it called “Asady” in Yonaguni dialect. I can imagine she prayed the peace for this world with wearing the color of pink, Asady
… The butterfly is dancing as if they invite me to somewhere , then my consciousness goes to a faraway place.
About Yonaguni: 与那国について
http://www.town.yonaguni.okinawa.jp/donan-bunka/index.html