Wasan

Template:Italic title Wasan (和讃) are a type of Japanese Buddhist hymn composed in native Japanese language (wago).Template:Sfnm The word is meant to distinguish Japanese hymns from those composed in Sanskrit (bonsan 梵讃) or Chinese (kansan 漢讃).Template:Sfnm These works sing of the teachings and deeds of buddhas, bodhisattvas and Template:Illm (the founders of schools of monks).Template:Sfnm They are composed in verses of alternating seven and five syllables, with each hymn consisting of four or more such verses.Template:Sfnm They were composed from the addition of a melody to a Buddhist service (法会 hōe) or teaching (教化 kyōke),Template:Sfnm and became popular starting in the Heian period.Template:Sfnm These hymns in colloquial Japanese played an important part in the spread of Buddhism throughout Japan and among the members of the lower classes.Template:Sfnm The Fusō Ryakki includes a hymn composed by Gyōki extolling the virtues of the Buddhist dharma, which is a valuable tool for understanding the function of wasan.Template:Sfnm Wasan fell out of popularity during the Edo period.Template:Sfnm

See also

• Waka (poetry)