I’m posting a lot of stuff because I tend to attend to my blogs in a sporadic manner, so enjoy these for now before I disappear and appear again.
That totally didn’t sound dumb.
More kitsunes!!!
The pictures concerning the kitsune statues are traditional statues that protect Inari, among other Shinto gods, shrines.
If this sounds like mumbo jumbo, let me explain—and these are my words with research—Shinto is a Japanese belief, or religion, with roots in animism and the eighty million gods. Shinto believers believe that in every item, thought, and whatnot, therein lies a god. So, like a god for rocks, trees, plastic bottles, bad horror movies, etc. Inari is one of the main and foremost gods that resides in heaven along with the other ones. Like Susano of the Wind or Amaterasu of the Sun.
Inari is god of the rice, among other things. The root of how foxes came to be his steed and protector is still debatable, but today they adorn, on the right and left entrances of his shrines, as protective guardians. Some of them clutch keys or scrolls in their mouth, and the sword-looking thing is actually a key to the granary—hence the foxes’ role in guarding Inari and his rice. Usually they are placated by said rice, or get angry and take it out on poor villagers.
Foxes are said to ward off kimon, meaning “taboo direction”, which is a very important factor in its guardianship. Kimon is the northeast location of the demon-gate, which demons use to enter and exit from our world to theirs, establishing the northeast as an unlucky and even evil direction. That, or:
According to Kasama Inari Shrine
www.kasama.or.jp/english/top/no6.html
In ancient Shinto, the “mountain kami” was believed to descend from its winter residence in the mountain to become the “paddy field kami” (ta no kami) in the spring, residing there during the subsequent agricultural season. Following the fall harvest, the deity would return once again to its winter home in the mountains in its role as the “mountain kami.” All this probably took place at the same time that foxes appeared each season. As such, the fox naturally became known as the messenger of Inari.Also, the kitsune is a great character (or trickster) in most Japanese Noh plays. Noh plays are performed by actors in mask and perform a variety of plays mainly for entertainment, combing music, dance, and exaggerated movement. The performers wear masks, the “Noh Mask” being expressive in order to compensate for the lack of clear emotion on the actor’s face. In history, most of Noh Theater consisted of folk entertainment, such as Sarugaku, concerning Shinto rituals, Dengaku, acrobatics with juggling, Chinese inspired, along with chants and ballads.
Nowadays they are more refined and elegant, but still retain the raunchy comedy and melodrama of the past. The role of the Kistune in Noh plays is one of high-standing and respect: in fact, all of the other performers must take off their masks in the presence of an performer wearing a kitsune mask. There are many plays out there that cast or show the kitsune as the main character. Such as Sesshouseki, “The Killing Stone”, based on Tamana-no-mae, a VERY famous kitsune (we’ll get to her later, okay?) known for her beauty, nine tails, and bloodthirsty tendencies.
The last picture is a kitsune on her way to her wedding. It is said in Japan, on a sunny day where it rains but the sun still shines, a kitsune wedding is taking place.
Of course this is just a picture snapped hastily by a foreigner that spied something interesting. What they witnessed was a peculiar Japanese ceremony: the Fox Marriage Parade Ceremony.
KITSUNE NO YOMEIRI DOCHU (Fox Marriage Parade Ceremony)
It takes place at either the Miyamado Inari Shrine, Miyamado-cho, or in Yokkaichi-shi. Joyful and humorous “Fox Wedding Parade” led by a red devil and a green devil is held on Setsubun, the eve of the first day of New Year as marked by the ancient luner calendar. A man and a woman born under this year’s zodiac sign are the fox bride and groom, wearing masks and throwing soy beans and good fortune bags to onlookers.
Well, thats the end of my spiel, I hoped you enjoyed it and got some knowledge!~
Happy Tennant Tuesday! - Adorable Edition
Don’t you just wanna give him a squeeze??
When I was a kid I had an imaginary friend. The Raggedy Doctor. My Raggedy Doctor. But he wasn’t imaginary. He was real. I remember you. I remember! I brought the others back, I can bring you home too. Raggedy Man, I remember you and you are late for my wedding! I found you. I found you with words like you knew I would. That’s why you told me the story. The brand new ancient blue box. Oh clever. Very clever. Something old. Something new. Something borrowed. Something blue.
