. Japanese legends and tales 伝説 民話 昔話 - Introduction .
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butsudan 仏壇と伝説 legends about the Buddhist family altar
. butsudan 仏壇 / 佛壇 Buddhist Family Altar .
- Introduction -
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. Kappa the Water Goblin 河童 and Butsudan .
Garappa ガラッパ Garappa Don, the Kappa from Kagoshima
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- - - - - ABC List of the prefectures :
.................................................................. Aomori 青森県 ....................................................................
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nuno no kamisama ヌノの神様 Deity of a cloth
The 風張家 Kazahari family of Shingo village keeps a statue in the Butsudan. The statue is wrapped in a special hemp cloth. Nothing more is known about this statue.
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"O-Shirasama" オシラ様 the White Deity
Some families keep オシラ様 "O-Shirasama" on each side of the Butsudan. Every month on the 15th they bring offerings and chant
センネンセイダ、センジュウロウ、カエシタクナイ.
For the New Year and O-Bon ancester rituals O-Shirasama is taken down.
. O-Shirasama おしらさま、オシラサマ "White Deity" .
Memyo Bosatsu 馬鳴菩薩 and the Silk Farmers
.................................................................. Fukui 福井県 ....................................................................
When someone has died in 敦賀市 Tsuruga and some other towns his soul will stay at the roof of the home for 49 days. During that time nobody should climb on the roof or touch the roof. And one member of the family has always to be at home. The kitchen door and the door of the Butsudan have to be left open.
After 49 days, ritual offerings are made to see the soul off to its proper destination in the Other World.
.................................................................. Fukushima 福島県 ....................................................................
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oshikeshijizoo ホシケシジゾウ Oshikeshi Jizo
The family of 渡部節子 Watanabe Setsuko keeps a treasure called Oshikeshi Jizo in the Butsudan. It is wrapped tightly in cloth and nobody is allowed to look at it.
If someone looks at it he will get ill with a swelling.
But it helps heal illness of the eyes and sometimes neighbours come with an offering to pray for healing.
.................................................................. Gunma 群馬県 ....................................................................
A very ill person came to his family home. His relatives saw him hover over the Butsudan, just in the moment when he died.
.................................................................. Ibaraki, Ibaragi 茨城県 ..........................................................
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okamasama, O-Kama Sama オカマ様 Hearth Deity
In the district of 那珂郡 Naka the 28th of September is the day of O-Kama Sama. On this day special uruchi rice is made into flour and 36 round dumplings made as offerings. O-Kama Sama takes them to Izumo to eat while all the deities gathered there make marriage proposals (enmusubi).
They people also make smaller dumplings as offerings for the Butsudan and the Kamidana (Shelf for the Shinto deities). O-Kama sama can use these dumplings on his way back in the region of 諏訪の峠 the Pass of Suwa.
On the 28th of October he is back to the family home.
. kami no rusu 神の留守 the Gods are absent .
.................................................................. Nagano 長野県 ....................................................................
The dead soul appears as a ball of fire (hi no tama 火の玉). If a relative living far-away dies, the Butsudan is making a rattling noise.
.................................................................. Niigata 新潟県 ....................................................................
Butsudan no hanatate 仏壇の花立 flower vase of the Butsudan
To get rid of warts, the water of the Butsudan flower wase is put on them. (Sometimes the water from the flower vase of the family grave is used.)
If someone has burnt the skin, he goes to the local shrine to have a ritual performed:
himodoshi, hi modoshi 火もどし to give the fire back.
Then he pours the water from the flower vase of the Butsudan on the wound.
. himodoshi, hi modoshi 火もどし / 火戻し to give the fire back .
. . . . . yakedo no majinai, jumon 火傷の呪い / 呪文 incantation to heal a burn
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higan 彼岸 rituals for the equinox
On the middle day of the equinox in spring and autumn, the Soul comes back to the Butsudan, therefore people should not disturb them. On the departing day of the soul, a special feast is offered at the Butsudan, with some sweet dumplings as food on the way for the soul.
.................................................................. Okayama 岡山県 ....................................................................
Once an old farmer living in Kurashiki saved a woman from committing suicide. A few days later at night there was a severe thunderstorm and rain, so he sat in front of the Butsudan, praying to Amida Nyorai. Suddenly he heard someone knocking at the main gate and even could hear the voice of that woman. So he hurried to the front gate and just then a lightning hit the home and the Butsudan.
This was her way of giving a thank-you present to the old farmer.
.................................................................. Okinawa 沖縄県 ....................................................................
naajiki ナージキ / 命名 naming a baby ceremony
(seven days after the birth)
An old woman (the local shaman woman) takes the baby outside in the garden and takes a shot from a bow made of mulberry wood. Then she placed the baby in the Butsudan, with the head pillow facing East. Then she rubs some butter mixed with crab meat on the front of the baby and utters its new name. Thus the baby will be protected from the influence of evil spirits.
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munu shirashi ムヌシラシ（物知らせ）a sign of things to happen
If a grashopper begins to make its noise in the Butsudan, this is a message that someone will die.
If bees make a nest in the Butsudan or on a grave, this is a message that someone will die.
.................................................................. Osaka 大阪府 ....................................................................
In the district of 北河内郡 Kitakawachi if people make an offering of yellow flowers for the Butsudan, the gold foil decoration will start falling off.
.................................................................. Nagano 長野県 ....................................................................
If someone has died with a grudge or thoughts of revenge in the town of 駒ヶ根 Komagane, he will then appear in white robes of the dead near the Butsudan or in the dream of his victim.
.................................................................. Tochigi 栃木県 ....................................................................
If you make an offering of incense at the Butsudan, thunder and lightning will not strike the house.
.................................................................. Toyama 富山県 ....................................................................
Once a Buddha statue of Kannon 観音様 got caught in the net of a certain fisherman from 魚津市 Uotsu. He put the statue into his Butsudan. But night it told him in a dream:
"Place my statue at the temple Ogawadera 小川寺", so next day he brought it to the temple.
.................................................................. Wakayama 和歌山県 ..........................................................
Sometimes the flames of the candles in front of the Butsudan start flickering all of a sudden, indicating that a relative has died.
The Dead Souls in the Family Altar seem to celebrate the arrival of a new soul.
.................................................................. Yamanashi 山梨県 .............................................................
. karasunaki ga warui カラス泣きが悪い the call of the crow sounds bad .
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- reference : nichibun yokai database 妖怪データベース -
仏壇 90 (30)
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. Japanese legends and tales 伝説 民話 昔話 - Introduction .
- Yookai 妖怪 Yokai Monsters of Japan -
- Introduction -
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. Join the friends on Facebook ! .
- #butsudan #familyaltar -
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