Razones franciscanas de la formación permanente -(continuacio'n)

The sun goodess and most revered of all kami. She is the daughter of Izanagi who, with her brothers Susano’o and Tsukuyomi, lived a harmonious existence. When Susano’o commited the Amatsu-Tsumi sins, Amaterasu locked herself away in a deep cave, sealing it with a large rock. Light was taken from the world and all began to whither and die. Eight million kami came to the cave where she had locked herself and devised a way to lure her from hiding. First, the kami set up a mirror opposite the cave’s entrance. Then, Ame-no-Uzume, the kami of merriment, performed a sensual dance on top of an upturned washtub, tapping the beat on the rim. The rest of the kami cheered and applauded the dance, making such a noise that Amaterasu’s curiosity was too much and she peeked out from the cave to see what the commotion was about. One of the kami explained to Amaterasu that they were welcoming a new goddess; Amaterasu asked who she was and the kami pointed to the mirror. Amaterasu had never seen her own refl ection and when she saw her own radiance refl ected back at her, she declared that the new goddess was indeed beautiful and fascinating. Slowly, Amaterasu emerged from the cave to gaze upon this new arrival and when she had emerged the kami Tajikara-O closed the cave with the rock behind her. Once out in the world again, Amaterasu was persuaded to return to the celestial plain and return light to the world, which she did. She resolved to face her willful brother’s actions in future and not to hide from them.

Hachiman

The god of war, Hachiman is revered as the Emperor Ōjin of the 4th _{Century and known as the God of Eight}

Banners, which marked the Emperor Ōjin’s birth. His symbol is the dove and as the Protector of Japan his worship is widespread with countless small shrines existing in addition to the larger shrine at Ise. A patron kami of samurai and peasants alike, he is also the patron kami of the Minamoto clan and all samurai in their employ hold reverence for him.

Religion and Faith

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Inari

Worshipped by Buddhists and Shinto, Inari is the sometimes mischievous kami of crops that takes either male or female form and is associated closely with the kitsune fox spirits. Foxes are considered Inari’s creatures and with their slyness and cunning, are seen as embodiments of Inari’s spirit.

Izanagi

One of the creator deities, Izanagi created the world through stirring the primordial essence with his spear and letting the droplets form the fi rst islands. After he lost Izanami to the underworld, Izanagi created the fi rst cleansing rituals, washing fi rst his left eye, which resulted in the birth of Amaterasu. Next he washed his right eye, creating Tsukuyomi, the god of the moon and fi nally, his nose, which created Susano’o, the storm god.

Izanami

One of the creator deities, Izanami is the wife and sister of Izanagi and the mother of all kami. Izanami died giving birth to Kagutsuchi, the kami of fi re and was sent to the underworld, where she chose to remain. When Izanagi went to bring her back, she refused and in a rage, Izanagi vowed to kill 1,000 of her subjects each day. Izanami countered this threat with a promise to create 1,500 to replace them.

Suitengu

A child-kami of the sea, worshipped by fi shermen and sailors.

Susano’o

Susano’o is the storm god and banished from Heaven for committing the fi rst sins against his sister, Amaterasu and causing her to hide, thus depriving the world of the sun. Susano’o descended from Heaven to the province of Izumo, where he met an elderly couple who had eight daughters. Seven had been eaten by the monster, Yamata no Orochi and the serpent was about to claim the eighth daughter. The parents promised Susano’o their daughter’s hand in marriage if he agreed to slay Yamata no Orochi. So, taking eight bowls of sake, one for each head of the monster, Susano’o used guile to get the monster to drink the sake and then decapitated each head once it had fallen asleep

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no-Tsurugi (“Heaven’s Cloud-Gathering Sword”). This

he presented to Amaterasu as a reconciliation gift and

it was later given to her descendant, Ninigi, along with the Yata-no-Kagami, the mirror and magatama the sacred jewels, as proof of his divine right to rule. These treaures became the Imperial Regalia, supposedly lost to the sea at the end of the Gempei wars.

Tsukuyomi

Leaving Heaven to reside in the sky with his sister, Amaterasu, Tsukuyomi was responsible for killing Uke Mochi, the goddess of food. This angered Amaterasu because she had sent Tsukuyomi to represent her at a feast arranged by Uke Mochi and it was thus a great insult, not to mention a sin. Uke Mochi incurred Tsukuyomi’s wrath in the way she prepared the food for the feast. First, she turned herself into the ocean and spat out a fi sh. Next, she made game animals came out of her mouth; fi nally, she turned herself into a rice paddy and created a bowl of rice by coughing it forth. Whilst the quality of the feast was good, Tsukuyomi was utterly disgusted by the way it had been made and killed the kami as a punishment.

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Religion and Faith