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Mythology and FolkloreEng. M. 13

Christine May P. Petajen

BSE-English/3D

Rosana S. Abundo

Professor

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ENG. M. 13MYTHOLOGY AND FOLKLORE

CHRISTINE MAY P. PETAJEN March 8, 2013BSE-ENGLISH/3D

JAPANESE MYTHOLOGY

Outline:

1. Introduction to Japanese Mythology2. The Notion of Kami3. Shinto Mythology4. The Introduction of Buddhism5. A Creation Story

a. Death of Izanami and Izanagis Descent into Hellb. Amaterasu and Susano-o

6. Buddhist Mythologya. Amidab. Zen Buddhist Mythology

7. Folk Mythologya. Rain Godsb. Mountain Godsc. Sea and River Godsd. Earthquake Godse. Wind Godsf. Thunder Godsg. Goddess of Food

8. Dragons and Snakes9. Hell and Demons

a. The OniIntroduction to Japanese Mythology

Japanese Mythology is enshrined in two great collections (8th century A.D.):1. Kojiki- record of ancient matters

2. Nihongi- written chronicles of Japan

They were devoted to establishing the divine origin of Japanese emperors, and theuniqueness of the Japanese islands and people

Japanese creation story- has remarkable similarities to Polynesian creation story. Divine origins of the imperial linessimilar to Chinese and Korean origin stories.

The Notion of KamiKami

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- spirits/gods- human beings(emperors)- natural objects- anything which was outside ordinary- anything which possessed super powers- have bodies like those of the human beings and are endowed with all human qualities and

defects

Shinto Mythology

Shinto Mythology

- mythology from which the notion of the special and unique status of Japan was drawn by theproponents ofKokugaku (National revival)

Shamanism

- Religion of the people at the beginning of the empire- It is based on spirit mediums who contracted the spirits to communicate messages from thespirit world to the human world

The Introduction to Buddhism

Buddhism

-Introduced to Japan from China

- Underwent a further transformation into Japanese forms

- Involves identification of preexisting kami with buddhas and bodhisattvas

- Also involves mythicizing the founders of Japanese Buddhist sects

Manyoshu

-Anthology of poems

- Oral traditions of mythological nature may be discovered which match more recently collected folk

traditions

*The proliferation of the New Religions is often accompanied by new myths about their origins

A Creation Story

Kami

-responsible for the creation of the world

Izanagi- the male who invites

Izanami- the female who invites

Izanagi and Izanami stood on the floating bridge of heaven and stirred

the primevalocean with a jeweled spear. When they lifted the spear,

the drops that fell back into the water formed the first solid land, anisland called Onogoro. Izanagi and Izanami descended to the island and

became husband and wife. Their first child was deformed, and the other

gods said it was because Izanami spoke before her husband at their

marriage ceremony.

The couple performed another wedding ceremony, this time correctly.

Izanami soon gave birth to eight lovely children, who became the islands

The eighth pair of deities to appear after

heaven and earth had been created out

of chaos.

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of Japan. Izanagi and Izanami then created many gods and goddesses to represent the mountains,

valleys, waterfalls, streams, winds, and other natural features of Japan.

Death of Izanami and Izanagis Descent into Hell

While giving birth of Kagutsuchi, the fire god, Izanami was badly burned. As she lay dying, she

continued to create gods and goddesses, and still other deities emerged from the tears of the grief-

stricken Izanagi.

When Izanami died, she went to Yomi-tsu Kuni. Izanagi decided to go there and bring his beloved back

from the land of darkness and death. Izanami greeted Izanagi from the shadows as he approached the

entrance to Yomi. She warned him not to look at her and said that she would try to arrange for her

release from the gods of Yomi. Full of desire for his wife, Izanagi lit a torch and looked into Yomi.

Horrified to see that Izanami was a rotting corpse, Izanagi fled.

Angry that Izanagi had not respected her wishes, Izanami sent hideous female spirits, eight thunder

gods, and an army of fierce warriors to chase him. Izanagi managed to escape and blocked the pass

between Yomi and the land of the living with a huge boulder. Izanami met him there, and they broke

off their marriage.

Amaterasu and Susano-o

Amaterasu

- incarnation of the sun from his left eye,- ruler of the heavens

Susano-o-

- incarnation of storms and ruler of the sea and stormsfrom his nose.

- Ruler of the seas- Had a stormy relationship with Amaterasu which

caused the change of seasons.

Susano-o destroyed Amaterasus rice fields, threw a dead horse at some of Amaterasus

handmaids, among other things. Amaterasu fled into a cave out of anger, fear, embarrassment, or

perhaps a combination of the three. Unfortunately, this caused the world to plummet into darkness.

The kami of merriment, Ame-no-Uzume, hatches a plan. She places a large bronze mirror on a tree,

facing Amaterasu's cave. Then, Uzume clothes herself in flowers and leaves, overturns a washtub and

begins to dance upon it, drumming the tub with her feet. Finally, Uzume sheds the leaves and flowers

and dances naked. All of the male gods roar with laughter, and Amaterasu becomes curious. When she

peeks outside, a ray of light called "dawn" escapes and Amaterasu is dazzled by the beautiful goddess

that she sees, this being her own reflection in the mirror. The god, Ameno-Tajikarawo, pulls her from

the cave, which is sealed with ashimenawa. Surrounded by merriment, Amaterasu's depression

disappears, and she agrees to return with her light. Uzume is then known as the kami of dawn as well

as of mirth.

Buddhist MythologyBuddhism

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kamihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ame-no-Uzumehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shimenawahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shimenawahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ame-no-Uzumehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kami

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- arrived in Japan in the 6th and 7th centuries AD via Korea and China- it did not oppose the kami but sought to assimilate the Japanese into the belief of Buddhism.

AmidaAmida Buddha

- It is the heart of Shin Buddhist faith and practice.- the name Amida is Japanese which is derived

from Amitabha orAmitayus of the ancient Sanskrit language

means Immeasurable Life and Light or Oneness.

- Presides the Pure Land, The Lotus Land of Bliss, a kind ofheaven providing fulfillment, and filled with delights

Pure Land- full of fragrances, flowers and fruits, trees decked with

jewels, and jeweled lotus flower

- those who reached pure land have escaped not only hell but all suffering and rebirth

Zen Buddhist Mythology

Zen Buddhism

- Developed a considerable mythology and iconography around the figure of DARUMA, the allegedfounder of the Chinese Chan School of Buddhism, from which Zen came.

Story of Mahakasyapa

- A story of the only disciple of the Buddha who smiled to show he understood when the Buddha held upa flower.

Huineng

- The real founder of ZenHe was a poor man from south China who went north to find enlightenment from the famous teacher, the

fifth patriarch, Hongren. He was set to work to the kitchen, but only Hongren recognized his qualities. The

master, who was dying announced that the monk who wrote the poem best expressing what Buddhism was

about would be his successor. The favorite of the monks wrote a poem about polishing the mirror of the mind,to reflect reality. In the middle of the night, Huineng awoke, and wrote two poems on the wall of the monastery.

They argued that there was no mirror; that the Buddha-nature was in everybody, just waiting to be discovered,

so no polishing was needed. This is the essence of Zen told in story form.

The Story of Toyo

Toyo, a child monk was asked by his master what the sound of one hand clapping is. First he said that it

was the sound of music floating up from the geisha quarters; then the sound of water dripping; then the whisper

of the wind then the hoot of the owl and finally the chirping of the cicadas. The master rejected all his answers.

Finally, he achieved satori(enlightenment) when he realized that it was soundless.

Folk Mythology

Rain Gods

- Taka-Okami- lives on the mountains- Kura-Okami

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lives on the valleys can use snow as well as rain

Mountain Gods

- Mt. Fuji Worshipped as a Kami Has a complex and enormous mythology Said to be the axis of the world and the source of heaven and Earth Claimed to have arisen miraculously out of the earth in the third century B.C.

Sea and River Gods

- Kappa A fearsome dwarf god who is blamed for the drowning

- Sea and River Gods made when Izanagi washed the impurities of death: God of the bottom of the sea God of the middle waters God of the surface

Earthquake Gods

- Nai-no-kami-earthquake god- Namazu-a giant fish which lay bound underground with wisteria vines under a stone until he

escaped.

His movements were said to have caused earthquakesWind Gods

- Tsu-Hiko Came from the breath of Izanagi Blew away the mist which covered the land

- Haya-ji Typhoon god whom fishermen believed to carry wind in a bag on his back

Thunder Gods

- Kami-nari Thunder god who protects the thunder trees against lightning

Goddess of Food

- Uke-mochi- the general goddess of food Produced meal from her mouth, which so disgusted Tsuki-yomi, her brother, that he

killed her and threaten to stop the food supply.

Seeds and crops, farm animals and silk worms were produced from her corpseDragons and Snakes

- Orochi Snake god who lived on top of the mountains

- Ryujin Have wide mouths,sharp fangs,

pointed horns and

all-seeing eyes.

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Dragon god who ruled the clouds, the rain and the water- Yasha

One of the demon-god who protected Buddhism

Hell and Demons

- Jigoku Hell/underground Divided into 8 regions of fire and 8 regions of ice

- Emma-o Ruler of Jigoku Judge of the dead Surrounded by 18 generals and thousands of soldiers, as well as nasty demons and

guards with horses heads.

The Oni

- Giant, horned demons- Said to have came to Japan from China with the arrival of Buddhism and Buddhist priest

perform annual rites to expel them.

- Usually cruel and lecherous- Take sinners to Emma-o