|
Nature Spirits Elementals
Ancient Cultures Japanese
Ancient Shinto folk beliefs and
rituals were deeply rooted in a distant past. Remains with magical significance
have been discovered that were from the Jomon period around 200 BCE. The Kami Way, the indigenous faith of the Japanese people
(also known as Shintoism) had neither a founder nor sacred written scriptures
like the Bible or the Sutras.
Instead, as old as the people
themselves, Shinto was deeply rooted in Japanese traditions. Shintoism was an
optimistic faith that believed all humans were intrinsically good and that all
evil was caused by evil spirits.
Today over four million
Japanese visit Shinto shrines to pray for good fortune; to keep away evil
spirits before special events; and, to procure talismans. The architecture of the
shrines, Noh theatre, calligraphy and the court dance music (Gagaku) were all
important features of Shintoism.
Most Shinto rituals focused
on prayers, purification and offerings to keep away evil spirits. In Shintoism
everything was spiritual with no separation between the material and spiritual. There
was no written code of ethics and morals, but over the centuries Confucian ethics (the teachings of Kong Zi)
were instilled into Shinto, especially during the Edo period.
Return to Top
Worship of the Kami usually took
places in shrines located in the beauty of nature, but they could be revered
anywhere. Local shrines where festivals took place were the focal point
of the community. Followers of Shintoism perceived the sacred in nature and the
presence of the Kami in trees, rivers, thunder, stones,
waterfalls, mountains and valleys.
The numinous Kami were worshiped; as well as,
the ancestral guardian spirits and the spirits of national heroes. The customs of Shinto
practiced by the common people gradually grew into a complex form of festivals
and rites that sometimes included elements of Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism
called Minzoku Shinto or Folk Shinto.
Every Shinto home had a Kamidana which
was the focus of daily offerings and reverence. A Kamidana (kami shelf) was a
small shrine that was either placed or hung high on the wall of Japanese homes.
The traditional martial arts dojo also had Kamidana.
A hand cleansing ritual was followed before worshiping at the
Kamidana. Worship usually consisted of offerings of flowers and food (rice,
water) and prayers. The Kamidana held a broad array of Shinto ceremonial
objects. In the picture above of a personal Kamidana, offering were made to
personally revered Kami.
Next
Back
Return to Top
 Read
Nature Spirits Elementals Fairies Beliefs Traditions Articles
Aboriginal Nature Spirits,
Air Sylphs,
Air Sylphs Assist Aurora Depiction,
Alchemical Elements,
Alchemical Elements Depiction,
Alchemical Four Grades of Fire,
Alchemy Nature Spirits,
Älvorna Elves Depiction,
Bækhesten Brook Horse,
Batukamma Festival Flower Arrangement Depiction,
Brownies
Celtic Nature Spirits,
Children of the Moon Goddess,
Chinese Nature Spirits,
Chinese Poetic Garden,
Chinese Poetic Garden Depiction,
Chinese Tea Scholar Statue,
Dandelion Depiction,
Dandelion Flower Deva,
Daoism Nature Spirits,
Daoist Nature,
Deva Flora,
Deva Flora Depiction,
Devas Shining Ones,
Deva Wind God Aeolus Depiction,
Di Penates,
Divine Alchemy,
Divine Farmer,
Divine Forest,
Druidic Otherworld,
Druidry Nature Spirits,
Dwarfs
Earth Gnomes,
Elves,
Elves Circle Dance Depiction,
Fair Fairy Face Depiction,
Fairies,
Fairies Circle Dance Depiction,
Fairies Looking Through Gothic Arch Depiction,
Fairies Prepare Magical Gateway Depiction,
Fairies Spring Equinox Gathering Depiction,
Fairies Toadstools Circle Dance,
Fairy Dance Depiction,
Fairy Hosts Celebrate Midsummer's Eve Depiction,
Fairyland Depiction,
Fairy Wood Depiction,
Feriae Festivals,
Fire Salamanders,
Five Elements,
Flower Fairies,
Flower Fairies Pixies Wood Elves Banquet,
Four Kinds Elemental Beings,
Four Kinds Nature Spirit Tribes
Futarasan Jinja Depiction,
Futarasan Jinja Kami,
Garden Gnomes Statues,
Gate Pines New Year Kadomatsu Depiction,
Germanic Gnome Hall Depiction,
Germanic Gnomes,
Germanic Nature Spirits,
Germanic Treelore,
Goshintai Kami Body,
Grass Elves,
Hamadryad Wood Elf Depiction,
Heathen Hallowed Traditions,
Heathenry Nature Spirits,
Herb Root Classic,
Hibiscus Depiction,
Hibiscus Flower Deva,
Hinduism Nature Spirits,
Holly Depiction,
Holly Flower Deva,
Iwasaka Stones,
Japanese Divine Forest,
Japanese Garden Designs,
Japanese Nature Spirits,
Jinja Shrines Sacred Groves,
Kami,
Kami Kamidana,
Kami Kamidana Depiction,
Kami Way Guji Kannushi Depiction,
Kami Way Sacred Grove Depiction,
Kumano Shinto Shrine Depiction,
Kumano Shinto Shrine Mountains,
Landscape Ancestral Spirits,
Landvaettir,
Lararium Shrine,
Lares and Penates,
Lars,
Leprechauns,
Lily Fairy Depiction,
Mahadevas,
Magician's Winter Garden Depiction,
Matsuri Kami Festivals,
Metal Element,
Morning Glory Depiction,
Morning Glory Flower Deva,
Natural World,
Natural World Celtic Locket,
Natural World Eucalypti Forest Depiction,
Nature Reserve Giant Panda,
Nature Spirit Numen,
Nemeton,
Nisse Household Nature Spirit Depiction,
Nixe Rhinemaidens,
Nymphs,
Oread Oenone,
Paganism Nature Spirits,
Penate Patron Goddess Oenone Depiction,
Pixies,
Pongal Harvest Festival Depiction,
Roman Nature Spirits,
Roman Numina,
Sacred Grove Depiction,
Sacred Groves,
Scandinavian Tomte,
Seaside Elves,
Shichi-Go-San Kami Passage Rites,
Shintoism Nature Spirits,
Shinto Spirituality of the Forest,
Silver Birch Treelore Depiction,
Sól Sun Goddess,
Sunflower Depiction,
Sunflower Flower Deva,
Tomte Brownie Depiction,
Tomte Forest Children Depiction,
Tree Spirits,
Undine Mermaid Depiction,
Undine Nature Spirit Depiction,
Undine Water Nymphs Depiction,
Water Undines,
Way of the Dao,
Way of the Kami,
Wood Element,
Wood Elves,
Wood Nymphs Depiction,
Yellow River Mother Huang He Statue,
Yggdrasil World Tree,
Yorishiro Cedar Tree Depiction,
Yorishiro Hallowed Trees
Return to Top
|
