1400 Week 15 Flashcards
(20 cards)
What does Shinto mean?
The way of the Gods
What are Kami?
Gods, deities, spirits, etc. which evoke affection, awe, mystery
Where do Kami live?
Heavens, rocks, air, human and animal form, etc.
What is the legend of Izanagi and Izanami?
Izanami died giving birth to the Fire God and Izanagi was polluted by touching her, he purified himself in a stream. They also gave birth to the Sun Goddess Amaterasu
Who is the Sun Goddess Amaterasu?
The deity of peace and order and agriculture, she is dignified and honest
List of yearly festivals which celebrate Kami (5):
- 1-7 Day of Man
- 3-3 Girls’ Doll Festival
- 5-5 Boys’ Festival
- 7-7 Weaver Girl Festival
- 9-9 Chrysanthemum Festival
How do people become impure?
Various things are pollutants and they don’t necessarily require sin or guilt
What is kamidama?
An unpainted household shrine
Beliefs in the pre-6th century:
Non-systemic
Beliefs in the medieval period:
Co-existence of Confucianism and Buddhism
Beliefs of the 17th and 18th centuries:
Restoration of Shinto
Why is Shinto admired over Confucianism and Buddhism?
They are not inherently Japanese
What is the attitude of Shinto towards the imperial family?
They directly descended from the Sun Goddess
How did Tokugawa Japan view sex?
It was natural and not as taboo as it is in the west
What are Love Suicides about?
They feature irreversible conflicts which result in suicide
Three Components of Shinto:
- political identifies the imperial family with Kami
- philosophy views a reality involving both good and evil
- ethical views of purification and to eliminate all pollution
What is Love Suicides of Amijima about?
A paper merchant falls in love with a courtesan but he is already married. His wife sends her a letter telling her to stay away from Jihei, but this finds the courtesan engaged to an unlikeable man. Osan feels bad and plots alongside Jihei to rescue Koharu, but their family stops them. Jihei then runs away with Koharu and they commit suicide because they cannot be together.
What is A Chrysanthemum Vow about?
Two men take a vow to become brothers and Akana leaves to fight for his home. When he doesn’t return Samon is worried and goes to look for him, only to find that his cousin essentially sold him out the shogun. As revenge for the death of Akana, Samon kills the cousin.
What is the Reed-Choked House about?
A man leaves his wife and home to make some money but when he attempts to return he finds that the town was destroyed in battle and they are turning visitors away. Assuming his wife had died, the man continues to work for many years until the guilt builds up and her returns. He finds his wife when he gets home but learns the next day that she had actually died.
What is A Serpent’s Lust about?
A man meets a nice woman who wants to be with him and he cannot oblige. When he meets with the woman many bad things happen and people believe he had killed the man who lived in her house. After finding out that the woman is actually a monster, she decides that she will never leave him and every effort to extract the serpent leave priests and monks dead. This story focuses on purification as a major point of Shinto.
