Japanese mythology and its features

Japan – a country that is full of mysteries. For many years it was isolated from the outside world, and this isolation helped to create a distinctive culture. A vivid example-rich Japanese mythology.

Religion in Japan

Despite the long centuries of isolation from European and other countries, Nippon (Japanese call their homeland) has a surprising diversity of religious teachings. Among them is dominated by Shinto, which is professed by more than 80 % of the population. The second largest is Buddhism, which came to Japan from neighboring China. There are in the country and representatives of Confucianism, Christianity, Zen-Buddhism, Islam.

The peculiarity of the religion of Nippon – syncretism, when the overwhelming majority of the inhabitants profess several religions. It is considered normal practice and is a perfect example of religious tolerance and tolerance of the Japanese.

Shinto – path of the gods

The Rich Japanese mythology has its origins in Shinto – the main religion of the Country of the rising sun. It is based on deification of natural phenomena. The ancient Japanese believed that any item has a spiritual essence. Therefore, Shinto – the worship of various deities and spirits of the dead. This religion includes totemism, magic, faith in the miraculous power of amulets, talismans and rituals.

A Large influence on Shinto has been Buddhism. This is manifested in the main principle of the religion of Japan – live in harmony and unity with the surrounding world. According to the beliefs of the Japanese, the world – the environment in which people coexist together, the spirits and gods.

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The Feature of Shinto is that there are no strict boundaries between such concepts as good and evil. The rating action consists in the fact, what goals a person sets before. If he respects elders, has good relations with others, capable of sympathy and help, he is a good man. Evil in the understanding of the Japanese – selfishness, anger, intolerance, the violation of social order. As in Shinto there is no absolute good and evil, to distinguish them can only be man himself. To do this, he needs to live properly, in harmony with the world around you, cleansing your body and mind.

Japanese mythology: gods and heroes

Nippon has a large Pantheon of deities. As in other religions, they have ancient origins, and the myths about them are connected with the creation of heaven and earth, the sun, humans and other living beings.

Japanese mythology, the gods which have very long names, describes events from the creation of the world and of the age of gods to the period of the beginning of the reign of their descendants-emperors. At the same time frame of all events is not specified.

The First myth, as usual, talk about the creation of the world. Everything was in chaos, which at one point was divided into Tacoma, but Hara and the island of Akitsushima. Began to appear other deities. Then arose the divine couple composed of brother and sisters, embodying any of the phenomena of nature.

The Most important ones for the ancient Japanese were Izanagi and Izanami. This divine couple from a marriage which appeared the island and many new kami (divine entities). Japanese mythology, for example, these two gods shows very clearly the Shinto view of death and life. Izanami became ill and died after giving birth to her Fire God. After her death, she went to the land of Darkness Yomi (Japanese underworld), where there is no turning back. But Izanagi could not accept her death and went after his wife to bring her to the upper world of the living. Finding her in a terrible state, he fled from the land of Darkness and the entrance filled up. Izanami was enraged from the act of leaving her husband and promised that daily take the lives of thousands of people. The myth says that all the death, and the gods are no exception. Therefore, it is pointless to try to recover the dead.

The Following stories tell about how returning from Yomi Izanagi washed away all the filth from visiting the country of Darkness. From clothes, jewelry and water drops flowing from the body of God, was born a new kami. The main one and the most revered Japanese – Amaterasu, goddess of the Sun.

Japanese mythology couldn't do without the stories of the great heroes of the people. One of them – the legendary Kintaro. He was the son of a samurai from childhood possessed unprecedented power. Mother gave him a hatchet, and he helped the loggers to fell trees. Amused by the fact that broken rock. Kintaro was kind and made friends with animals and birds. He learned to speak their language. Once one of the vassals of the Prince Sakato saw Kintaro with one blow of the axe knocked down a tree and asked him to serve his master. The boy's mother was very happy because it was the only way to become a samurai. The first feat of the hero in the service of the Prince was the destruction of the monster cannibal.

The Myth of the fisherman and the turtle

Another interesting character in the myths of Japan – young fisherman Urashima Taro. Once he had saved the turtle, who was the daughter of the ruler of the seas. In gratitude, the young man was invited to the underwater Palace. A few days later he wanted to go home. Goodbye Princess gave him a box, asking him never to open it. On land, the fisherman learned that it's been 700 years and, shocked, opened the box. Escaped from her smoke was instantly aged Urashima Thoreau, and he died.

The Legend of Momotaro

Momotaro, or Peach boy, – the famous traditional Japanese hero myths that tell the story of his emergence from a giant peach and freeing them from the demons of the island Onigashima.

Fancy characters

Many interesting and unusual fraught with Japanese mythology. Creatures play a big role in it. These include bakemono and youkai. In a broad sense so-called monsters and spirits. This is a live and supernatural creatures that may temporarily change its shape. Usually these creatures are or are pretending to be human, or take a dreadful form. For example, Noperapon - a faceless monster. Day he appears in human form but at night you can see that instead of his face purple ball.

Animals of Japanese mythology have supernatural powers. They are a kind of youkai and bakemono: raccoon dog (Tanuki), a badger (mujina).

The Tanuki – animals that bring good luck and prosperity. They are big fans of sake, and their way devoid of negative connotation. Muzina – typical of the shapeshifter and deceiver of men.

But the most famous foxes in Japanese mythology, or a kitsune. They possess magical abilities and wisdom, can become as seductive in girls and in men. A great influence on the way the kitsune had Chinese beliefs, where Fox was a werewolf. Their main feature – the nine tails. Such a creature got fur in silver or white, and endowed with unprecedented insight. Species kitsune a lot, and there are among them are not only cunning and evil, but also kind of a Fox.

The Dragon in Japanese mythology is also not uncommon, and it can also be attributed to supernatural beings. He – one of the main characters Eastern religions such countries as Japan, China and Korea. In appearance it is easy to determine where a particular dragon. For example, Japanese feet three fingers.

Wasmerely Yamata-Orochi but – one of the most famous Shinto. He received from the demons of immense power. Each head symbolized evil: betrayal, hatred, envy, greed, destruction. God susanoo, exiled from Heavenly fields, was able to defeat the terrible dragon.

Japanese mythology: demons and spirits

At the heart of Shinto is the belief in the deification of natural phenomena, and that any object has a certain essence. So the monsters and spirits in Japanese mythology are especially diverse and numerous.

The inhabitants of the Country of the rising sun is a very confusing terminology in relation to supernatural beings. They are the names of yokai and monster. They can be animals, changing his form, or the spirits that once were people.

Get – the Ghost of a deceased person. This is a classic perfume. Their feature – the absence of legs. According to the beliefs of the Japanese, the get is not tied to a particular place. Most of all they love abandoned houses and temples, where waiting travellers. If youkai can be good towards man, ghosts – the characters are scary myths and fairy tales.

Spirits – it's not all that can surprise Japanese mythology. Demons – another kind of supernatural beings that play a big role in it. Call them they. This large humanoid fanged and horned creature with skin of red, black or blue. Armed with an iron Mace with spikes, very dangerous. Their Tr...