Uzume (dancethedawn) wrote in nevermore_ooc, @ 2020-09-23 10:20:00 |
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Japanese mythology includes traditional stories and beliefs from Shinto, Japanese Buddhism, Ainu religion, localised folk beliefs, legendary tales and literature. Shinto is one of the oldest religions in Japan, dating back to around 300 BCE – 300 CE. The faith has no recognised founder or central authority and includes diverse schools of belief and localised forms of worship. It incorporates elements of other religious traditions imported from mainland Asia, including Buddhism, Confucianism and Taoism. Shinto involves the veneration of kami (loosely the equivalent of gods or spirits) who can influence the world for good and for ill. Offerings and prayers are given to the kami at shrines and household altars to gain their blessings and cultivate a harmonious relationship with them. Buddhism arrived in Japan via China around 400-500 CE. For a large part of the country’s history, Buddhism and Shinto were functionally inseparable: the belief systems complemented and shaped one other and many people practiced both, with Buddhist temples often being attached to Shinto shrines. The two religions were formally separated in 1868, when Shinto was made the official state religion (it remained so until 1945), but effectively they continue to coexist to this day. The blending of Buddhism with Japanese culture and Shinto practice has led to the evolution of uniquely Japanese Buddhist deities. Kami is a fairly nebulous term, encompassing what we’d consider gods, as well as deified mortals, ancestors and other supernatural beings. There is an actual crapload of them, so I’m just going to cover a few of the more important/interesting ones. First, we’ve got our ‘royal family’ of sorts! ➤ Izanami (2) — divine creator who brought the Japanese archipelago and many of the other kami into being, along with her brother-husband Izanagi. After she died in childbirth, her husband journeyed to the land of the dead to rescue her, but she had already eaten the food of the dead and could not leave. She made Izanagi promise not to look at her; he of course did so anyway, got freaked out by her decomposing form and fled, blocking the entrance to the underworld behind him and leaving Izanami to grow ever more angry and resentful. Some other notable kami: ➤ Amanozako (2) — the motherless child of Susano’o, conceived when he let all his ferocious, violent emotions build up inside him and born when he vomited her out into the world. She has a furious temper and a contrarian attitude, and has been said to be the ancestor of all malevolent yōkai. The Seven Lucky Gods (2) evolved out of a blending of Shinto, Hinduism, Buddhism and Taoism. Each one represents good fortune, as well as embodying their own specific virtues and professions. ➤ Benzaiten (or Benten) — goddess of everything that flows: water, time, words, speech, eloquence, music and, by extension, knowledge. She is the patron of artists, writers, dancers and geisha, and is seen to bestow financial fortune. Yōkai is a fairly broad term used for a diverse range of supernatural creatures and spirits, ranging from the malevolent, to the mischievous, to the helpful. In Shinto culture, where spirits resided in everything, yōkai could turn up everywhere. Some have their origins in traditional beliefs, while others were invented in the Edo era by artists and writers who spun stories of strange monsters and ghosts for popular entertainment. (Today you can see the influence of these stories in everything from Japanese mascot characters to anime, manga and video games like Pokemon!) Again, there’s a nearly endless number of yōkai around; you can find a great illustrated database here. A few notable ones: ➤ Baku — Dream-eaters who can be called upon to devour nightmares. They must be summoned with caution, because if they remain hungry after eating the person’s nightmare, they may devour all their hopes and desires as well. ➤ Encyclopedia of Shinto ➤ List of Japanese deities ➤ List of legendary creatures from Japan ➤ Shinto and LGBT+ culture ➤ Shinto and sexuality ➤ List of Shinto shrines in the United States |