![]() they are so bitter towards humankind, Yama Uba are said to go in search of human flesh. You’ll sometimes hear Yama Uba being called the Mountain Ogress and these are elderly women that were kicked out of society and went to live in the mountains. There are also Oni and Yurie which are types of evil ghosts and while not classed as demons, are not something you’d want to awaken.įor This Reason – Most God-fearing Japanese people will tell you to leave them well alone. In Japanese, demons are referred to as Yokai but this term can also cover things like supernatural monsters and other spirits. These rituals are designed to ward off the fire of Kagutsuchi and must be performed at least every six months. Within the Shinto religion, Kagutsuchi is regarded as incredibly powerful and destructive.Īs such there are several rituals with him as the focus. His father was so angry at what had happened that he cut off Kagutsuchi’s head and used the blood to birth even more Gods Kagutsuchi is the God of fire and the son of the Mother and Father of all Gods Izanami and Izanagi.Įarlier, I talked about how Izanami died during childbirth that was a result of the burning fire of her son, Kagutsuchi. They are believed to offer protection from enemies in the form of weather and there is a story that they created the Kamikaze Divine Wind back in the late 1200s which helped in the battle between the Japanese and the Mongols. While Japanese believers do fear these two Gods, they also have a deep seated respect for them. His long hair is often depicted blowing behind him. not uncommon to see Raijin portrayed with drums and a hammer while Fujin is usually seen holding a bag that contains winds. Raijin rules over thunder and lightning while Fujin rules over the wind. Raijin and Fujin are Gods of the weather, namely thunder, lightning and storms. In the 17th century, there was a ban on Christianity in Japan meaning that people practicing this religion needed to come up with new ways of worshiping their own Gods.Īs a result, many Christians would take the image of Kannon with a baby in her arms and use this in place of an image of the Virgin Mary and the Baby Jesus. This is a Goddess that is known for her compassion and mercy but she has also been used by Christians. Kannonīuddhism is alive and well in Japan and one of the most important Gods is known as Kannon. This is the Ise Grand Shrine which is one of the most important in the whole Shinto religion. When She Emerged – There was a straw rope at the opening of the cave preventing her from going back inside.īeing one of the most important Goddesses in Japanese culture, Amaterasu deserves her very own temple of worship and she has such a thing in the Mie Prefecture in Japan. The other Gods had to have a celebration in order to get her to come out and she became so curious as to what was going on that she came out to investigate. She fought with him and afterwards, fled to a cave where she hid, resulting in the whole world being plunged into darkness. There are many stories surrounding Amaterasu but one of the most well known involves her brother, named Susano-O. I mentioned earlier, Izanami and Izanagi were the mother and father of all the Gods.Īnd it’s thought that Amaterasu came from Izanagi’s left eye which he took out and washed away after finding his beloved wife in the Land of Death. ![]() There is a legend that the Imperial Family of Japan is directly descended from Amaraterasu. In the Shinto religion, Amaterasu is known as one of the most important deities. Known also as Amaterasu Omikami, this is the Goddess of the Sun. Instead of Saving Her – Iznami had no other choice but to leave her where he found her so he sealed up the door and left her.īut this enraged her spirit and she swore that she would kill 1000 souls every day as a way of punishing the world for the humiliation of being deserted.īut Izanagi was one step ahead and pledged that 1500 births would happen every day. ![]() However, upon arriving at the Land of Death, he discovered her corpse, rotten and infested with maggots. ![]() Izanagi became so deeply grief stricken that he attempted to bring her back from Death. Izanami the Mother of Gods, had a baby called Kagutsuchi but she died during childbirth. This spear was used to stir up the sea and any drops that fell from the spear turned into the land. It is said that these two Gods inserted a spear, encrusted with jewels into the space between earth and heaven.
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