[1] At the festival of Nifu Miōjin in Kiī, when the procession bearing offerings arrives before the shrine, the village chief calls out in a loud voice, "According to our annual custom, let us all laugh." To which a hearty response is given. This is because this God does not go to Idzumo for an annual visit like the others.
[2] 'Sociology,' p. 153.
[3] Compare with this the following description of the huacas of the ancient Peruvians. "All those things which from their beauty and excellence are superior to other things of a like kind; things that are ugly and monstrous or that cause horror and fright; things out of the usual course of nature."
[4] In the spirit of Wordsworth's
[5] M. Goblet d'Alviella says: "I maintain that neither of these two forms of worship necessarily presupposes the other; but that man having been led by different roads to personify the souls of the dead on the one hand and natural objects and phenomena on the other, subsequently attributed to both alike the character of mysterious superhuman beings. Let us add that this must have taken place everywhere, for there is not a people on earth in which we do not come upon these forms of belief side by side and intermingled." Dr. Pfleiderer's view is substantially identical.
[6] Max Müller speaks of "that ancient stratum of thought which postulated an agent in the sky, the sun, &c." This is really a secondary conception.
[7] It was not unknown in ancient Greece and Rome. Zeus, Hercules, and other deities became divided up in this way.
[8] "Mr. Tyler has justly observed that the true lesson of the new science of Comparative Mythology is the barrenness in primitive times of the faculty which we most associate with mental fertility, the imagination.... Among these multitudes (the millions of men who fill what we vaguely call the East) Literature, Religion, and Art--or what correspond to them--move always within a distinctly drawn circle of unchanging notions.... This condition of thought is rather the infancy of the human mind prolonged than a different maturity from that most familiar to us."--Maine, 'Early History of Institutions,' pp. 225-6. This characteristic of the mental development of the races of the Far East is discussed in 'A Comparative Study of the Japanese and Korean Languages,' by W. G. Aston, in the Transactions of the Royal Asiatic Society, August, 1879, and more fully by Mr. Percival Lowell, in his 'Soul of the Far East,' 1888. See also Mr. B. H. Chamberlain's' Kojiki,' Introd., lxvi.
[9] Homer implicitly denies the spirituality of his Gods when he says that the Hercules which was summoned up by Ulysses was only his eidolon, or phantom, the real man being in Olympus among the happy Gods.
[10] See an instructive article on 'Shekinah' in Dr. Hastings's 'Dictionary of the Bible'.
[11] "And mine eternal jewel given to the common enemy of man."--'Macbeth,' Act III. scene i.
[12] The Shekinah was also associated with a divine radiance, or glory.
[13] Mi mi (august body) in the names of others involves a more material conception of deity.
[14] Corresponding to the mo acha, uncle of peace, and ski acha, rough uncle, of the Ainus.
[15] Homer's άντός
[16] Sakitake no Ben, 21.
[18] For deities of classes consult Dr. Tylor's 'Primitive Culture,' ii. 242.
[19] "Laotze finit par n'être plus que le principe vital universel existant avant le ciel et la terre et qui s'est plu à chaque époque a se montrer sous les traits d'un personnage quelconque souvent des plus obscurs."--'Religion de la Chine,' De Harlez.
[20] See a paper on the Hi no maru (sun-circle) in the T. A. S. J., Nov. 8th, 1893.
[21] Such as touching for scrofula or the assurance of fine weather.
[22] The statements of Kaempfer, in his 'History of Japan,' regarding the sacred character of the Mikado's person cannot be depended on. His account of Shinto generally is grossly erroneous, or rather imaginary.
[23] 'Japan,' edited by Capt. Brinkley.
[26] 'Evolution of Religion,' p. 239.
[27] Fuku means good fortune.
[29] In Teutonic mythology the will-of-the-wisps are souls which have not attained heavenly peace.
[30] See also Mr. Frazer's 'Golden Bough,' ii. 297.
[31] The Stoics held that the world was not only animated and immortal, but likewise happy and round, because Plato says that that is the most perfect form.
[32] Hirata denies this.
[33] For full details of the construction of the Japanese dolmen, the reader may consult two admirable papers by Mr. W. Gowland, in the Japan Society's Transactions, 1897-8, and the Journal of the Society of Antiquaries, 1897.
[34] "Blood, which is the life, is the food frequently offered to the dead.... By a substitution of similars, it is considered sufficient to colour the corpse, or some part thereof, with some red substance taking the place thereof."--Jevons, 'Introduction to the History of Religion,' p. 52. But see Index--'Red.'
[35] Some of these figures are still in existence, and one may be seen in the British Museum, where it constitutes the chief treasure of the Gowland Collection. The Uyeno Museum, in Tokio, also possesses specimens, both of men and horses.
[36] "Rites, performed at graves, becoming afterwards religious rites performed at altars in temples, were at first acts done for the benefit of the ghost."--Herbert Spencer's 'Sociology,' ii. 8.
[37] See an article by Mr. W. H. Lay in T. A. S. J., 1891.
[38] "Comte ramenait toutes les religions à l'adoration de l'homme par l'homme. Comte, il est vrai, ne faisait pas de l'homme individuel l'objet du culte normal: il proposait à nos adorations l'homme en tant qu' espèce en tant qu' humanité et parvenait à deployer une véritable mysticité sur cette étroite base."--Reville, 'Prolegomena,' p. 26.
[40] In 'Japan,' edited by Capt. Brinkley.
[41] Dr. Florenz, in his 'Japanische Mythologie,' says that Sui-tengū is a fusion of the Sumiyoshi Sea-Gods with the Indian Sea-God Sui-ten, that is, Varuna, subsequently identified with the youthful Emperor Antoku (who lost his life by drowning in 1185).
[42] "The different peoples conceived and developed this divine hierarchy pari passu with their own approximation to political unity" (Goblet d'Alviella, Hibbert Lectures). Aristotle recognized the same principle.
[43] "The symbol or permanent object, at and through which the worshipper came into direct contact with the God, was not lacking in any Semitic place of worship, but had not always the same form, and was sometimes a natural object, sometimes an artificial erection."--Robertson Smith, 'Religion of the Semites,' p. 160.
[47] In an official report by Mr. H. Risley he says that at the time of the spring equinox there is a festival (in India) called Sri Panchami, when it is incumbent on every religious-minded person to worship the implements or insignia of the vocation by which he lives.
[50] See Dr. Tylor's 'Primitive Culture,' second edition, i. 285.
[51] See 'Rig-veda,' x. 129, for a similar rationalistic dissertation on the origin of the universe. Here and below the italics indicate translations.
[52] In Chinese, Yin and Yang. The Yin is the dark, negative, passive, feminine, and terrene principle; the Yang is light, positive, active, male, and celestial.
[53] 'Philosophy of Religion,' i. 269.
[54] "Into human shape" is another version.
[55] I shall usually omit this purely honorific addition to the names of Japanese Gods and sovereigns.
[56] Hirata says that "the five generations of deities which in the Kojiki precede Izanagi and Izanami are only names descriptive of the successive stages of formation of these deities. Their functions are obscure, and they have no shrines or worship. They are unnecessary, as all that are required are two Gods for the creation of Heaven, two of Yomi and two of Earth."
[57] There is a close association in Hebrew between the ideas of creation and begetting. Bara, create, and jalad, beget, are often interchanged.
[60] It was deprived of this character soon after by order of the Mikado's Government, the only monument of the old cult left standing being Nantai (male form), a mountain which towers above Nikko to the height of 8,500 feet.
[61] 'Sociology,' ii. 177.
[62] See Index, 'Circumambulation.' Also Simpson's 'Praying Wheel,' p. 285, and Jevons's 'Introduction to Religion,' p. 210. The corresponding Highland ceremony, called Deasil, is described in Sir Walter Scott's 'Fair Maid of Perth.' See also Brand's 'British Antiquities.'
[63] I 324.
[64] A strong suspicion of Chinese origin attaches to these elemental gods.
[67] Deified as Chi-gaheshi no Oho-kami (road-send-back-great-deity).
[68] Muir's 'Sanskrit Texts,' v. 320.
[69] See Murray's 'Japan,' fifth edition, p. 408.
[71] See Dr. Tylor's 'Primitive Culture,' ii. 435.
[72] As Horus, in Egyptian myth, confronts the powers of darkness.
[73] The Milky Way: a Chinese expression.
[74] This is one of several miraculous births and pregnancies in Japanese myth. Mankind have a rooted propensity for imagining that it is possible to improve on the means ordained for this purpose by Divine Providence. See Mr. Hartland's 'Legend of Perseus' for numerous examples.
[75] The Kiujiki makes Masa-ya, &c., the son of the Sun-Goddess by Takamusubi.
[76] Represented at Ise by dancers called tonako (bird-cry).
[77] 'The Golden Bough,' second edition, i. 115.
[80] Another authority makes Uka no mitama a daughter of Izanagi and Izanami.
[83] Like Odin, who lends his spear Gungmir to heroes to win victories with.
[84] I.e., died.
[85] It was an Arab custom in certain places to build a hut outside the camp, where the parturient woman had to stay for a time.--Welhausen.
[86] There was no official recognition of the art of writing in Japan until a.d. 405, and no mention of calendars until a.d. 553. So much for the authenticity of the above date.
[87] Usa is not on the direct route from Hiuga to Yamato. It was no doubt introduced because this place was anciently a famous centre of Shinto worship.
[88] This is a specimen of the numerous derivations of the Jimmu narrative. The Idzumo Fudoki is also full of infantile etymologies, which have usually a scrap of legend attached to them.
[89] Blade-holder.
[90] Yata-garasu means eight-hand-crow. The guidance of conquerors or colonists to their destination by a supernatural bird or beast is a familiar feature of old-world story.
[91] Ame is the name of a sweet substance made from millet, of the same nature as our malt extract.
[92] The Mikado deputed most of his priestly functions to the Nakatomi.
[93] Idzu-hime means dread or sacred princess. Michi no Omi (minister of the way) seems therefore to have been given a feminine title for the occasion, no doubt because the office was usually held by women.
[94] It was at this season of the year that the harvest festival, or rather the festival of tasting the new rice, was celebrated. See Index--Nihiname.
[95] Japanese history is said to begin from this date. In reality nothing deserving the name existed for nearly one thousand years more.
[96] Deuteronomy iv. 19; xvii. 3.
[97] The Vice-Royalty of Kiushiu.
[98] In Korea.
[100] "The mirror is kept in a box of chamaecyparis wood, which rests on a low stand covered with a piece of white silk. It is wrapped in a bag of brocade, which is never opened or renewed, but when it begins to fall to pieces from age another bag is put on, so that the actual covering consists of many layers. Over the whole is placed a sort of wooden cage, with ornaments said to be of pure gold, over which again is thrown a cloth of coarse silk falling to the floor on all sides."--Murray's 'Japan,' fifth edition, p. 308.
[102] A kind of hawk. 'Odyssey,' xv. 525.
[103] Vide 'The Hinomaru' in the T. A. S. J., vol. xxii. p. 27.
[105] 'In the Shinto Pantheon,' in the New World, December, 1896.
[106] Japan is annually visited by destructive typhoons, accompanied by great darkness and a terrific downpour of rain.
[108] Egyptian is one.
[110] 'Religions of Primitive Peoples,' p. 80.
[111] I offer, for consideration only, two conjectures: first, that Tsuki-yomi was the Ise Moon-God, and Susa no wo the Idzumo lunar deity; and second, that Susa may possibly be an allotropic form of sasura, banish.
[112] "The large, deep love of living sea and land."--Swinburne, 'Kynance Cove.'
[113] Graphically described in Lafcadio Hearn's 'Glimpses of Unfamiliar Japan.'
[116] Nihongi, ii. 366.
[117] I. 198.
[118] See 'Ch. K.,' p. 33.
[123] Nihongi, i. 22.
[125] In Yucatan there were four Wind-Gods, who upheld the four corners of Heaven.
[127] Nihongi, i. 115.
[128] Nihongi, i. 44.
[129] Is it possible that Fuji no yama is really for Futsu no yama, the mountain of fire?
[130] The sword was deified in Teutonic myth.
[131] "So called," says Hirata, "because heat makes things grow."
[133] As a source of food?