The “Frolicking of Animals”: first manga?

The direct translation of comics in Japanese is manga. The word manga was created during the late Edo period (beginning of 19th century) to describe a series of drawings by the famous Ukiyoe artist Hokusai. Two Chinese characters form the word manga which means drawings without an end. Today, the word manga is no longer translated into English as comic but it is used in its original Japanese word among the people of the art world.

People and animals were depicted in comical ways even dating back to almost one thousand years ago in Japan. A famous set of four scroll called “Choju Giga” or “Frolicking of  Animals” designated as national treasure dates back to the 12th century.  The scrolls are said to be painted by Toba Soujou (1053-1140) who was a high ranking priest at Kouzanji Temple in Kyoto.

One could say with certainty these scrolls were painted by an artist who excelled in his skill of brush strokes as he has depicted the figures with precision. Usually Japanese scrolls have a story and a narration which accompany the paintings but these set of four scrolls there isn’t any. However, the first scroll is almost self explanatory as there is definitely some kind of a story as one unfolds the scroll.

Picture scrolls were painted in either at the court or in temples during the Heian Period (794 - 1191). There is a scene of funeral in the scroll conducted in accordance to Buddhist rituals by a monkey disguised as a monk. It was probably painted by a priest who was highly trained to draw Buddist figures for paintings or for sculptures.

It is amazing that in the12th century there was a person with so much humor and imagination as to turn animals into people. You could almost hear the artist chuckling as he was painting probably his own view of the society turning the social structure up side down. He certainly did not seem to be bound by the restrictions of different classes but expressed his thoughts freely with humor. This is clearly shown in a scene of wrestling match of rabbit and frog.

Since the rabbit was considered a sacred animal, he should have won the match but to the delight of the frogs the rabbit is beaten. This is paradoxical to real life of that time and therefore the frogs are over joyed with this consequence.

If the artist was a monk then he certainly would have been the one who knew how paradoxical religious rituals were which he himself must have conducted. This is shown in a scroll when a monkey priest is reciting a sutra at a funeral scene in front of  alter where there is a frog disguised as a Buddhist statue which indicates how absurd the rituals were indicating they were in fact meaningless. Also it is interesting to note that the person who painted the scroll must have been well versed in Buddhism as the position of the hands of the frog disguised as Buddha is in accordance to the Buddhist statues.

The most amazing thing about this scroll is that this was done nearly 800 years before anime came into existence.  Walt Disney’s secret of his anime characters of animals resembling so much like real people were because he always used a human model to perform the movements which he wanted the animals to take. So he took a movie of the model and afterwards transformed his movements into animal characters. It is amazing that in the 12th century the artist of the scroll had imagination as to come up with the idea of turning people into animals.

Yes, one could almost say that manga and anime started in Japan 800 years ago but nevertheless  the origin of manga does not seems to go back as far as to  ”Frolicking of Animals” scrolls nor to Hokusai’s drawings. If one were to confirm this theory it is as off setting as to talk of origin of computer associated to the invention of abacas. Of course computer has a system of speeding up the process of calculation and making it easier and in that sense it is the same lineage as abacas. Likewise in contemporary manga there is purpose of transmitting satire and it is true that cartoons and satire have been passed on. However, contemporary manga market has become so gigantic in Japan that cartoons and satire before the Edo period (1869) will not even serve as the history of the preceding period.