Before the Meizi era (1868–1912), nô and kyôgen were called sarugaku —a term deriving from a popular entertainment of the Heian period (eleventh century, at the latest) that was full of farce and pantomime. The element of farce remains in kyôgen.
In the Kamakura period (1192–1333), the main repertoire was okina , a sacred ceremony, in which three ancient gods called Okina, Titi no zyô, and Sanbasô gave their blessing to humankind. This ceremony is believed to have been derived...