研究班番号【 55 】

Cultural differences seen in the German and Japanese version ofthe folk song “Kogitsune”
Kaho Umeda Ririko Furukawa
Riku Matsunaga Mirei Oshima Mariko Ototake

1. Introduction
It is thought that folk songs express both national character and peoples’ lifestyles.
Many folk songs from overseas are well-known in Japan, such as “Torna a Surrient” from
Italy, “Froschgesang” from Germany, and “J'ai perdu le do” from France.
Interestingly, there is a big difference between the original lyrics of the folk song “Kogitsune”
and the lyrics once translated into Japanese.
By comparing and studying the original song and Japanese version, it might be possible tounderstand the living conditions and thoughts of the people at the time the song was made.

2. Method
An Internet search for the lyrics for the Japanese version of the song “Kogitsune” and thelyrics of the original German version was conducted. The historical background and lyrics
were explored to understand the purpose for which each version of this folk song was made.

3. Results・German version of “Kogitsune”(Fuchs, du hast die Gans gestohlen)(Fox, You've Stolen The Goose)

Fuchs, du hast die Gans gestohlen,Fox, you've stolen the goose.

Gib sie wieder her!

Give it back!

Sonst wird dich der Jäger holen

Or the hunter will get you

Mit dem Schießgewehr.

with his gun.

Seine große, lange Flinte,

His big, long gun,Schießt auf dich den Schrot,

takes a little shot at you,

Daß dich färbt die rote Tinte,so, you're tinged with red

Und dann bist du tot.

and then you're dead.

Liebes Füchslein, laß dir raten:

Dear little fox, let me advise you:

Sei doch nur kein Dieb,

don't be a thief,Nimm, du brauchst nicht Gänsebraten,
Mit der Maus vorlieb.

don't take the roast goose,be content with the mouse.

Ernst Anschütz, a German educator and organist, published this song for the first time in1824.The lyrics describe the hero, a huntsman who threatens to shoot a fox for trying tosteal a goose. The fox is warned to be happy eating a rat and not to steal. At that time, inEurope there was a sport called “Fox crushing”, in which a fox was flicked high in the airwith a rope. This activity was sponsored by the Royal court. In the early 18th century,
Europe restricted free economic activity, and “the Vienna system”which was trying to return
to a social system from before the French Revolution was under way. As free economic
activity was limited, a form of culture called Biedermeier, or trying not to be extravagant,but to look at daily and simple things among the citizens spread and influenced literature,clothing, and painting. This more modest way of living is reflected in the original German
lyrics of Kogitsune. However, this theme is not mirrored by the Japanese translation.

・Japanese version of “Kogitsune”

こぎつねコンコン
草の実つぶしてお化粧したり
こぎつねコンコン

山の中 山の中
もみじのかんざし つげのくし
冬の山 冬の山

枯葉の着物じゃ縫うにも縫えず きれいな模様の花もなし
こぎつねコンコン穴の中 穴の中大きなしっぽは邪魔にはなるし 小首をかしげて考える

Yoshio Katsu who was a poet in Japan published this song in a music textbook for thethird grade of elementary school in 1947. A little fox making up or sawing in a mountain is
depicted like a human in that lyrics and they are much different from those in the Germanversion. In Japan, The fox is said to be the divine messenger from the God of Rich
Harvest,enshrined in Inari Taisha shrines throughout Japan. When this song was firstpublished, Japan was a post-war society, so daily necessities such as clothes and food werelacking. At the same time, the Japanese national government enacted the fundamental lawof education. This tried to organize the education systems to improve children’sindependence, creativity, and critical thinking. One part of that policy included publishingeducational materials including songs. According to this new educational policy developedby the Ministry of Education, songs that were militaristic, ultra-nationalistic, or related toShintoism were excluded, and foreign songs were rewritten to Japanese versions. Inaddition, the Ministry of Education published a new educational policy that changed thefocus of education for post-war Japan. In this policy, individuality was heightened while themilitarism and ultra-nationalism of the previous system was repressed.

4. Discussion
Foxes are thought to be a sneaky creature in Germany and are looked down on as acreature inferior to humans. The German version of “Kogitsune” was inspired byBiedermeier’s thoughts and has lyrics that reflect the idea that luxury, represented by thegoose, was not good at the time. The lyrics also included a lesson that thieves are bad. .
In Inari Taisha Shrines, foxes have long been a messenger from God, so in Japan foxes are
creatures to be respected. The Japanese version of “Kogitsune” avoided the use of violent
expressions seen in the German version. Instead of them, the Japanese version used lyrics
which give a peaceful image, and made listeners think in various ways. In addition, since
Japan was poor after the war, it appears to match the simple life of common Japanesecitizens in those days.

5. Conclusion
When a song is transmitted from abroad, the lyrics may change depending on the cultureof the country, and are not often a literal translation. Folk songs like ”Kogitsune” are good
representations of the life and philosophy in the country of origin, so knowing about folksongs can help you better understand the country they come from. By accepting culturaldifferences, a reader could learn to respect and understand other cultures and use that
understanding to help build good international relations.

6. References『世界の民謡・童謡』http://www.worldfolksong.com/『歌詞ナビ 無料歌詞検索サイト』https://kashinavi.com/『世界史の窓』https://www.y-history.net/appendix/wh1201-008.html『Thueringen-lese』https://www.thueringen-lese.de/index.php?article_id=5「みんなの歌」研究会『大きな古時計の謎：みんな知ってる“あの歌”に隠された意外なストーリー１５』
野島 利彰『ドイツ・オーストリアの新聞に見られる狩猟表現』
http://repo.komazawa-u.ac.jp/opac/repository/all/28991/spffl064-06.pdf
笠間稲荷神社ホームページ www.kasama.or.jp/history/index3.html