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Yatagarasu
is a mythical crowThe Book of Ancient Matters, The Book of Ancient Matters, Gakken, pp. 130, 138, 139. and guiding Kami, god in Shinto mythology. He is generally known for his three-legged figure, and his picture has been handed down since ancient times. The word means "eight-span crow" and the appearance of the great bird is construed as evidence of the will of Heaven or divine intervention in human affairs. Yatagarasu as a crow-god is a symbol specifically of guidance. This great crow was sent from heaven by Takamimusubi as a guide for legendary Emperor Jimmu on his initial journey from the region which would become Kumano Region, Kumano to what would become Yamato Province, Yamato (Yoshino, Nara, Yoshino and then Kashihara, Nara, Kashihara). It is generally accepted that Yatagarasu is an incarnation of Kamotaketsunumi no Mikoto, but none of the early surviving documentary records are quite so specific. Overview In Japanese mythology, the Yatagarasu is said to have guid ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Three-legged Crow
The three-legged (or tripedal) crow is a mythological creature in various mythologies and arts of East Asia. It is believed to inhabit and represent the Sun. Evidence of the earliest bird-Sun motif or totemic articles were excavated around 5000 BCE in China. This bird-Sun totem heritage was observed in later Yangshao and Longshan cultures. Also, in Northeast Asia, artifacts of birds and phoenix observed to be a symbol of leadership was excavated from around 5500 BCE in Xinle culture and later Hongshan culture from Liao river basin. The Chinese have several versions of crow and crow-Sun tales. But the most popular depiction and myth of the Sun crow is that of the Yangwu or Jinwu, the "golden crow". It has also been found figured on ancient coins from Lycia and Pamphylia. China In Chinese mythology and culture, the three-legged crow is called the sanzuwu (; Cantonese: ''saam1zuk1wu1''; Shanghainese: sae tsoh u) and is present in many myths. It is also mentioned in the Shanhaiji ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Misaki
Misaki (, "misaki") are a collective term for spirit-like existences in Japan like gods, demons and spirits, among other supernatural entities. Their name comes from a kannushi's vanguard. Summary Misaki are subordinate to the high-ranking divine spirits, and when divine spirits appear in the human realm and are said to be the small-scale divine spirits that appear as omens or to serve as their familiar spirits. Misaki can be often seen as animals. The Yatagarasu that appears in Japanese mythology is one type of misaki, and when Yatagarasu guided Emperor Jimmu during Jimmu's eastern journey, this provides one example of the characteristics of misaki. Also, the kitsune within Inari Ōkami household are also one type of misaki, and like these Yatagarasu and kitsune, those that appear as heralding something important and the incarnation of gods are also considered misaki. In Iwaki, Fukushima Prefecture, on January 11, when they first hoe the field, they would say "kamisaki kamis ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kamotaketsunumi No Mikoto
Kamotaketsunumi no Mikoto (賀茂建角身命) is a god in Japanese mythology. Overview He is also known by the name Yatagarasu. Kamotaketsunumi is his name; '-no-Mikoto' is an honorific, denoting divinity. Kamotaketsunumi He is the founder of the Kamo clan of Yamashiro Province, and is known as the deity of the Shimogamo Shrine (Shimogamo Shrine). According to Shinsen Shōjiroku, Kamotaketsunumi no Mikoto is the grandson of Kamimusubi. Kamotaketsunumi, under the command of Takamimusubi and Amaterasu, descended from the sky to the peak of Tsune in Hyuga and reached Mount Katsuragi in Yamato, where he incarnated as Yatagarasu and led Emperor Jimmu and contributed to his victory. According to the Yamashiro-kuni Fudoki (an anecdote), he came from Katsuragiyama in Yamato to Kamo in Okada in Yamashiro (where the Okada Kamo Shrine is located) and settled at the confluence of the Katsuno River (Koya River) and the Kamo River (Kamo River) (where the Shimogamo Shrine is located). ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Shinshi
are animals in Japanese mythology that are believed to be associated with a , a divine being. These animals are also known as or . In ancient texts such as and , there are tales of special animals that acted on behalf of the to transmit the divine will or to bear oracles. Over time animals were connected to certain shrines. It became a custom to take care of these animals when they were found within the area of the shrine. Normally, each had only one animal familiar, but sometimes, there were some exceptions where a had more than one. Even some of the "Seven Lucky Gods" like Daikokuten (a ) and Benzaiten (a snake) had animal familiars. Later the animal familiar became a common symbol of the itself. For example, the foxes at Inari shrines was worshipped as a manifestation of Inari Ōkami. These creatures were thought to be extraordinary spiritual beings, and this perception, combined with their relationship with the specific , likely gave rise to this phenomenon. It proba ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Amaterasu
, often called Amaterasu () for short, also known as and , is the goddess of the sun in Japanese mythology. Often considered the chief deity (''kami'') of the Shinto pantheon, she is also portrayed in Japan's earliest literary texts, the () and the (720 CE), as the ruler (or one of the rulers) of the heavenly realm Takamagahara and as the mythical ancestress of the Imperial House of Japan via her grandson Ninigi. Along with two of her siblings (the moon deity Tsukuyomi and the impetuous storm-god Susanoo) she ranks as one of the "Three Precious Children" (, ), the three most important offspring of the creator god Izanagi. Amaterasu's chief place of worship, the Grand Shrine of Ise in Ise, Mie Prefecture, is one of Shinto's holiest sites and a major pilgrimage center and tourist spot. As with other Shinto ''kami'', she is also enshrined in a number of Shinto shrines throughout Japan. Name The goddess is referred to as ''Amaterasu Ōmikami'' ( / ; historical orthogr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kumano Hongū Taisha
is a Shinto shrine located in the jurisdiction of Tanabe, Wakayama, deep in the rugged mountains of the southeast Kii Peninsula of Japan. It is included as part of the Kumano Sanzan in the World Heritage Site "Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range". The main deity enshrined is Kumano Gongen (熊野権現). All of the ancient Kumano Kodō routes lead to the Grand Shrine. It was originally located at present , on a sandbank at the confluence of the Kumano River and Otonashi River. In 1889, it was partially destroyed in a flood and the remaining shrine buildings were relocated at its present site in 1891. Of the original five main pavilions only three were rebuilt. Four deities were moved there and the other eight are still enshrined there in two stone monuments. alt=Largest Torii in the world, left, Otorii In 2000, the largest torii shrine gate in the world (33.9 meters tall and 42 meters wide) was erected at the entrance to the Oyunohara sandbank. It ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Emperor Jimmu
was the legendary first emperor of Japan according to the and . His ascension is traditionally dated as 660 BC.Kelly, Charles F"Kofun Culture" April 27, 2009.* Kitagawa, Joseph (1987). : "emphasis on the undisrupted chronological continuity from myths to legends and from legends to history, it is difficult to determine where one ends and the next begins. At any rate, the first ten legendary emperors are clearly not reliable historical records." * Boleslaw Szczesniak, "The Sumu-Sanu Myth: Notes and Remarks on the Jimmu Tenno Myth", in ''Monumenta Nipponica'', Vol. 10, No. 1/2 (Winter 1954), pp. 107–26. . . In Japanese mythology, he was a descendant of the sun goddess Amaterasu, through her grandson Ninigi-no-Mikoto, Ninigi, as well as a descendant of the storm god Susanoo-n ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tomoe
, commonly translated as "comma", is a comma-like swirl symbol used in Japanese (roughly equivalent to a heraldic badge or charge in European heraldry). It closely resembles the usual form of a . The appears in many designs with various uses. The simplest, most common patterns of the device contain from one to four , and are reminiscent of similar designs that have been found in wide distribution around the world. When circumscribed in a circle, it often appears in a set of three, with this design known as the . Etymology Originally, the Chinese character 巴, a hieroglyphic character that represents a person lying on their stomach was applied, because of the similarity in shape. But it is likely not directly related to the Japanese word "Tomoe" itself. The character 巴 (Chinese pronunciation ''bā'') has several meanings, ranging from a Sichuan toponym to a crust formed by dryness, parts of the body such as hands or cheeks, and, as a verb, bearing the sense of "to hop ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kojiki
The , also sometimes read as or , is an early Japanese chronicle of myths, legends, hymns, genealogies, oral traditions, and semi-historical accounts down to 641 concerning the origin of the Japanese archipelago, the , and the Japanese imperial line. It is claimed in its preface to have been composed by Ō no Yasumaro at the request of Empress Genmei in the early 8th century (711–712), and thus is usually considered to be the oldest extant literary work in Japan. The myths contained in the as well as the are part of the inspiration behind many practices and unified "Shinto orthodoxy". Later, they were incorporated into Shinto practices such as the purification ritual. Composition It is believed that the compilation of various genealogical and anecdotal histories of the imperial (Yamato) court and prominent clans began during the reigns of Emperors Keitai and Kinmei in the 6th century, with the first concerted effort at historical compilation of which we have record ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Heian Period
The is the last division of classical Japanese history, running from 794 to 1185. It followed the Nara period, beginning when the 50th emperor, Emperor Kammu, moved the capital of Japan to Heian-kyō (modern Kyoto). means in Japanese. It is a period in Japanese history when the Chinese influence on Japanese culture, Chinese influences were in decline and the national culture matured. The Heian period is also considered the peak of the Japanese Emperors of Japan, imperial court, noted for its Japanese art, art, especially Japanese poetry, poetry and Japanese literature, literature. Two syllabaries unique to Japan, katakana and hiragana, emerged during this time. This gave rise to Japan's famous vernacular literature, with many of its texts written by court ladies who were not as educated in Chinese as their male counterparts. Although the Imperial House of Japan had power on the surface, the real power was in the hands of the Fujiwara clan, a powerful Kuge, aristocratic family wh ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Wamyō Ruijushō
The is a 938 CE Japanese dictionary of Chinese characters. Heian period scholar Minamoto no Shitagō (源順, 911–983 CE) began compilation in 934, at the request of Emperor Daigo's daughter. The title is abbreviated as , and is also spelled 倭名類聚抄 (with '' wa'' 倭 "dwarf; Japan" for ''wa'' 和 "harmony; Japan") and 倭名類聚鈔 (with ''shō'' 鈔 "copy; summarize" for ''shō'' 抄 "copy; annotate"). The ''Wamyō ruijushō'' is the oldest extant Japanese dictionary organized into semantic headings, analogous to a Western language thesaurus. This ancient lexicographical collation system was developed in Chinese dictionaries like the '' Erya'', '' Xiao Erya'', and '' Shiming''. The ''Wamyōshō'' categorizes ''kanji'' vocabulary, primarily nouns, into main headings (''bu'' 部) divided into subheadings (''rui'' 類). For instance, the ''tenchi'' (天地 "heaven and earth") heading includes eight semantic divisions like ''seishuku'' (星宿 "stars and conste ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kamo Clan
The is a Japanese '' shake'' clan which traces its roots from a Yayoi period shrine in northeastern Kyoto. The clan rose to prominence during the Asuka and Heian periods when the Kamo are identified with the 7th-century founding of the Kamo Shrine. Kamo Shrine The Kamo Shrine's name references the area's early inhabitants, many of whom continue to live near the shrine their ancestors traditionally served. The formal names of corollary ''jinja'' memorialize vital clan roots in a history which pre-dates the founding of Japan's ancient capital.Miyazaki, Makoto "Lens on Japan: Defending Heiankyo from Demons," ''Daily Yomiuri.'' December 20, 2005. The Kamo Shrine encompasses what are now independent but traditionally associated '' jinja'' or shrines—the in Kyoto's Kita Ward and the in Sakyo Ward. The ''jinja'' names identify the various ''kami'' or deities who are venerated; the name also refers to the nearby woods. Although now incorporated within boundaries of the city, th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
