Most cultures have "ghosts" - but in Japan, a ghost isn't only the spirit of a dearly (or not so dearly) departed relative. In Japan, the word is yokai, and it refers to a group of supernatural beings which include not only "human" ghosts but other odd phantoms and apparitions also. Their diversity is as great, and as weird, as the human imagination can muster...and the Japanese imagination can muster quite a lot.
One of my favorite types of yokai is the tsukumogami, or "tool kami." Kami is the Japanese word for "god" or "spiritual being" -- but tsukumogami are not necessarily benevolent spirits.
In Western culture, a household object which survives for a century is considered an "antique." Japanese folklore takes a different view. According to legend, many common objects which survive to be 100 years old receive a soul and become self-aware.
Not all of them are happy about it.
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| The possessed umbrella. Something to watch out for in Japan. |
Other ones simply like to play tricks on people.
At one time, many shinto shrines held ceremonies to pacify and appease broken household goods, or those which were being discarded, to prevent them from becoming angry spirits out to sabotage the household which abandoned them.
Tsukumogami took many forms, including...
The abumi-guchi, the sentient stirrup of a military commander:
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| The possessed stirrup hides under bushes and waits for you to ride by... |
Ungaikyo - a hand mirror that curses any child foolish enough to look into it--and which sucks the child into the yokai's realm when the child reaches the age of 13.
And my personal favorite, chochin-obake, a possessed (and often malevolent) lantern:
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| If you strike this lantern, it strikes you back. |
It's said that you can't throw a rock in Japan without striking a sacred object -- and since some of those objects might strike you back...I'm going to suggest not throwing rocks at all.
Oh...and Happy Mother's Day. If you're giving Mom a present, please make sure it's not possessed.
--Susan, who clearly has NO idea what's appropriate to discuss on Mother's Day.
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Fascinating! What a truly unique culture. And speaking of unique, I admire your courage, Susan, at risking the segue from possessed household objects to Mothers' Day wishes.
ReplyDeleteHappy MD, Moms.
Thanks Jeffrey! Here's hoping the moms all have a good day unblemished by possessed teapots.
DeleteMy two step sons obviously looked in a ungaikyo when they were both 13. They immediately became tall gangly creatures, moody and bad tempered with voracious appetites that didn't speak for a couple of years - apart to complain that the fridge was empty.
ReplyDeleteSome kind of possession going on there!
LOL! That theory actually explains a lot of my son's behavior during those years too, come to think of it...
DeleteSusan, what a wonderful glimpse into Japanese culture, and coincidental consider the book recommendation I sent you yesterday. The continent that lies between us does not diminish our connection, I am happy to say.
ReplyDeleteWe definitely operate on the same wavelength! I thought the book choice particularly appropriate, considering my ghostly choice for today's post!
DeleteHappy Mother's Day - and I'm glad you enjoyed the ghostly visitors to MIE!
Yes! Tsukumogami are a particularly fun set of youkai (an obvious interest of mine). If I had to pick a favorite, it might be the seto taisho, a tiny angry soldier made of broken dishes. Thanks for blogging on them, and Happy Mother's Day to you and others.
ReplyDeleteI suspected, given your writing (and mine) that we shared this particular interest. Seto taisho is a fun one too - the creativity and diversity of Japanese spirits never ceases to amaze, delight, and entertain me.
DeleteAnd stay tuned...I've got a post on kitsune coming up in the next few months too!
I really enjoyed your post. It reminded me of talking to dishes that we break, or plants that die, etc. is definitely a
ReplyDeleteform of "mindfulness."
Thank you - and I agree. I often talk to inanimate objects (not because I expect them to answer, however). It's an odd habit, but sometimes it just seems to happen...
DeleteOoooh, eeek! How am I supposed to reduce clutter when I now have to fear inanimate objects coming back to haunt me???
ReplyDeleteI feel your pain. I'm actually doing an organized clutter-reduction at present, and there have been more than a few moments when I wondered what the objects thought of the process...
DeleteOn the positive side, if you're recycling them, or sending them to a place where they can get new owners, Japanese legend says you're "probably" ok.
... Probably...