As previously noted, the reverence of kami is essential to the practice of Shintoism, and as such has a rather notable place in most of the Miyazaki films that are focused on in this paper. Of the four films, the most notable is Spirited Away due to its setting being within the spirit realm. Due to this, we see many kami. There is Haku, whose true form is a white river dragon, and “kami of animals and vegetation, such as small baby chicks and a white sumo-like radish kami” (Boyd & Nishimura). One spirit character that is used in both Spirited Away and My Neighbor Totoro, is the Susuwatari, or soot sprites, that reside in old empty homes in My Neighbor Totoro, and help Kamaji keep the furnace going in Spirited Away. Another notable sprite This rattling seems to be connected to the Shinto kotodama which is the “vibratory connection to the divine and is literally translated as 'world soul'” (Shore 116). This connection explains Miyazaki's reason for including a group of sprites that might seem strange to the western viewer. Kami and other spirits like these may be kind and gracious within the films, but kami also have an opposite, known as yokai or demons. Any phenomenon can be considered either kami or yokai depending on the viewpoint, as “[a] lake can be viewed as one of kami – a sacred life source … [or] may be viewed as possessing yokai for the flooding can bring drowning and destruction” (Shore 54). In Princess Mononoke, we see this in the opening when the once kami boar Nago attacks Ashitaka's village taking on the role of yokai or demon. We also see the character of Calcifer from Howl's Moving Castle take on the role as both kami and yokai. He stole Howl's heart and even claims to be a fire demon, but in reality he is a star spirit and comes back to stay with the newly formed family because he cared for them. The title of the film Spirited Away, is also deeply connected to the kami. This is because the Japanese title is Sen to Chihiro
Akira Kurosaw’s Seven Samurai is a film that encompasses various ideologies in order to allow the audience to understand the lives of Japanese people during the 1600’s. The film delves deep in social issues of the roles of the people within the society, the expectations as well as the obligations within the respected castes and elements within groups of ; suffering, working together, protecting family and working for the better good of the community.
Image and Text.” Japanese Journal of Religious Studies 33.2 (2006): 297-317. Jstor. 12 Oct 2011.
The Hopi have a highly developed belief system which contains many gods and spirits. Ceremonies, rituals, dances, songs, and prayers are celebrated in year-round. The Hopi believed they were led to the arid southwestern region of America by their creator, because he knew they had the power to evoke rain with power and prayer. Consequently, the Hopi are connected to their land, its agricultural cycles and the constant quest for rainfall, in a religious way. The religious center of the community is the kiva, which is an underground room with a ladder protruding above the roof. The kiva is very important for several reasons. From the kiva, a connection is made with the center of the earth. Also, the kiva is symbolic for the emergence to this world. The room would represent the underworld and the ladder would represent the way to the upper world. In fact, a room is kept in the house to store ceremonial objects. A sacred ear of corn protects the room and symbolizes the ancestry of the family members. Kachinas are also a focal point of the religion. For a Hopi, they signify spirits of ancestors, dieties of the natural world, or intermediaries between man and gods. The Hopi believe that they are the earth's caretakers, and with the successful performance of their ceremonial cycle, the world will remain in balance, the gods will be happy and rain will come. Because they think of their crops as gifts, the Hopi Indians live in harmony with the environment.
Shinto followers believe that the waterfall is the home of the mountain kami spirits, or gods. Many also believe that the Nachi Waterfall is the central part of all supernatural power and kami in the Kumano Mountain. Near the base of the water, the Kumano Nachi Grand shrine was built in order to worship the local kami. Ancient legends of Shinto also describe how kami from all over Japan would come to the Nachi Waterfall to purify themsleves every year.
"Shinto in History."Shinto in History: Ways of the Kami. Ed. John Breween and Mark Teeuwen.
William Simmons stated, “A powerful spirit known as Hobbamock was said to enter certain persons and to remain in their bodies as a guardian and familiar.” Hobbamock was the Native American creator. The spirit Hobbamock was the “souls of the dead” that would take the shape of the human body and animals.
Author Unknown. Blessed Be. Online Wicca Resource Center, publisher unknown date of resource creation unknown. Publication unknown. Sept. 30th 2011.
...al. Our culture believes in ancestral spirits as well as deities, and it is something I am appreciative about. Outsiders find this strange and “Voodoo” like, but the nkisi nkondi is an important religious item to us Kongo people.
the one who murdered her, but instead seeks vengeance on people who enter the house and people who come into contact with someone who has entered the house. This vengeful spirit seems to act more like a deadly disease rather than how it is traditionally suppose to act. Another goes that goes against traditional Japanese folktales is Takeo’s ghost which appears near the end of the movie. In many Japanese folktales, the ghosts of a male are usually seen as nonthreatening and often are seen as guides. Many of the male ghosts are often from men who have fallen in battle and then later roam the earth grieving over their death. They have also been know to help out others who are on a journey and act as more of a warning than as a angered spirit.
Shintoism is a polytheistic religion that believes the world was created by “Kami” (deities or spirits). Although Kami are thought to be invisible presences, they are treated as persons and are given names. Kami are not believed to be living beings in a distant realm; rather their presence is felt as powers in or near this world. Two of these Kami, Izanami (“female who invites”) and Izanagi (“male who invites”) are said to be the creators of the Japanese Islands, as well as three major
Evidence suggests that the image of the Makara has been around since at least the 3rd century BC (Robbins and Bussabarger, 39). During the course of Hindu and Buddhist mythology, it has always been connected with deities associated with life-giving properties, such as fertility and sustenance. For example, in some of the early Buddhist sites of India, Makara is associated with the Yakshas—tree deities—who represent the life-giving sap of trees (Robbins and Bussabarger, 38). As Bussabarger and Robins, experts in the field of Indian Art, and authors of The Everyday Art of India eloquently summarize, the Yakshas are “playful deities that live in trees and assist in child-birth” (Robbins and Bussabarger, 42). Here, we can directly see how the Yakshas are associated with fertility and the sustenance of life. Therefore, the association of Makara with the deities responsible for birth is indicative of its association with the overall characteristics of fertility and
Shinto is a native religion of Japan and the people of Japan. It is defined as an action centered religion, focused on ceremonial practices to be carried out thoroughly, to establish a assembly between present-day Japan and its ancient past. Shinto practices were first recorded and organized in the written historical records of the Jokiki and Nihon Shoki in the 8th century (Nelson 7-8). Still, these early Japanese writings do not refer to a joined “Shinto religion”, but rather to a gathering of native beliefs and mythology.
An important part of Chinese mythology is the themes found in each story. Themes in Chinese mythology often coincide with religious values during the time. A common theme in Chinese mythology includes the respect for nature. This theme came to be as a result of Shinto and Daoist influence in parts of China. Shinto and Daoist people believe that spirits are embodied into everything, living or non-living. They also claim that angered spirits are the sole cause for natural disasters like storms, droughts, and floods. In a number of Chinese myths, the idea of spirits, their control over natural events, and the need to constantly appease them was evident (Collier 23). These myths ultimately led people to respect and preserve nature as much as possible. Another theme often found in Chinese mythology is the reverence for ancestors. Also a consequence of the Daoist religion, the veneration towards one’s ancestry is very significant in many Chinese myths. Daoists hold ceremonies and build shrines commemorating the dead ancestors of one’s lineage (Roberts 38). These tribute...
In “The Beach of Falesa,” the protagonist Wiltshire asserts that the native Kanakas have a natural predisposition for superstitious beliefs. As he explores Case’s “devil’s bush,” Wiltshire tells the reader, “Any poor Kanaka brought up here in the dark, with the harp...
The Japanese were strongly influenced by a belief in ghosts, demons and supernatural spirits. The roots of Japanese mythology come from their Shinto Religion, in Taoism and in Zen Buddhism. The main religion in Japan is Shinto, and the Shinto religion’s gods and spirits make up most of Japanese myt...