Photo/Illutration A chorus group practices “Takeda no Komoriuta,” an old folk lullaby, in Kyoto in March 2022. (Asahi Shimbun file photo)

In my hazy memories from long ago, my grandmother is humming a tune. Trying to recall the melody now, I think it sounded a bit like “Funiculi, Funicula,” a rhythmical Neapolitan song of the 19th century.

She used to sing while weeding, either in her flower bed or the vegetable garden.

“As a small child, I must have known that the song I was hearing at the time was pleasantly soothing,” said Yusuke Uno, 62, a soft-spoken professor at Ritsumeikan University and the author of “Sekai Komoriuta Kiko” (literally, Global lullaby travelogue).

Why do people sing lullabies? Uno kept asking himself this question while travelling around the world. He knew, of course, that they are sung to send children to sleep. But he wondered if there were other reasons.

In fact, not all lullabies have dreamy, nostalgia-inducing melodies like “Takeda no Komoriuta,” an old folk lullaby from Kyoto’s Takeda district, or Franz Schubert’s (1797-1828) iconic “Wiegenlied.”

Uno came across one African lullaby that was accompanied by the wild pounding of drums. In some countries, the lyrics to lullabies were meant to terrify children.

It then dawned on him that lullabies were similar to dirges.

Whether singing to one’s dearly departed or to an infant, the purpose of the act is none other to try to convey one’s thoughts and feelings to someone who will never respond. And the process heals the heart of the singer, whether they are aware of it or not.

A melody heard long ago while feeling drowsy may have inestimable value.

“Lullabies probably have the power to bring emotional support to people who are in despair and ready to give up,” said Uno.

What is your earliest memory of hearing a song?

--The Asahi Shimbun, Nov. 18

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Vox Populi, Vox Dei is a popular daily column that takes up a wide range of topics, including culture, arts and social trends and developments. Written by veteran Asahi Shimbun writers, the column provides useful perspectives on and insights into contemporary Japan and its culture.

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