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Kami (Japanese: 神, ) are the deities, divinities, spirits, mythological, spiritual, or natural phenomena that are venerated in the Shinto religion. They can be elements of the landscape, forces of nature, beings and the qualities that these beings express, and/or the spirits of venerated dead people.
The festival begins on the evening of October 15 with the Okitama-no-kami-sai (興玉神祭) in which a guardian kami of the shrine, Okitama, is invoked. This is followed by the Miura ( 御卜 ) , a divination ritual to determine if any of the clergy participating in the festival are impure, rendering them unfit to participate.
A number of traditions of folk kagura exist: [5] Miko kagura. Miko kagura – dances performed by shrine maidens originally derived from ritual dances in which the miko channeled the kami, as part of Imperial Court dances. These originally had a very loose form, akin to similar god-possession dances and rituals, but over time they have ...
Shinko-shiki is primarily linked with the Kami's visitation to its adherents, although interpretations and ceremonial practices can vary significantly. [ 15 ] For example, the Tokyo Shinko-shiki tends to be lively with a focus on revelry and alcohol consumption, whereas in Yuzawa , it is characterized by a more subdued and formal atmosphere.
This suggests that there was a belief in spiritual foxes in ancient Japan. [10] The "Chujin Harai-kun," a book written in the 12th century, states that the kami's messenger is second only to the eight great kami and is subordinate to the 100,000 kami. Moreover, "Kitakami Yuki-fu," an essay written in the early 19th century, explains that a ...
Raijin is the kami of thunder who also has power over drought. [4] According to "A popular dictionary of Shinto", there is a custom in Japan which talks about shimenawa and Raijin. [4] Local residents in Japan's Kantō area put a shimenawa between green bamboo after a bolt of lightning appears on the planted rice field out of gratitude to ...
Harae or harai (祓 or 祓い) is the general term for ritual purification in Shinto. Harae is one of four essential elements involved in a Shinto ceremony. [1] The purpose is the purification of pollution or sins and uncleanness (). [2]
Food offered up could range from their staple of rice to seafood, food foraged from the mountains, seasonal foods, local specialties, or food connected to the enshrined kami. At the end of the ritual, the offered food is eaten together to gain a sense of unity with the kami, and to gain their blessing and protection. The rite is known as naorai.