karasu crow legends

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. Japanese legends and tales 伝説　民話 昔話 - Introduction .
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karasu　鴉 / 烏と伝説　legends about the crow, raven


source : taishi6764

. karasu カラス / 烏 crow, raven　.
- Introduction -
Raven in Mythology

The Shinto Goddess, Amaterasu is sometimes represented as a giant raven
. yatagarasu, yata-garasu 八咫烏 three-legged raven - crow .

. Crow Letters 烏文字 karasu moji
and the special seals of the Kumano shrines, Wakayama

. Deity Kumano Gongen 熊野権現 and messenger, a crow .

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karasuza 烏座 constellation : Corvus the Crow; the Raven;

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君のふろはからすの行水だね　　－　karasu no gyoosui 烏の行水
Your bath is just a quick dip in the tub.

彼女の髪はからすのぬれ羽色だ　－ karasu no nureba iro 烏の濡れ羽色
She has jet-black hair.

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karasunaki ga warui カラス泣きが悪い the call of the crow sounds bad
カラスナキ / からす鳴き / 烏鳴き



烏鳴きが悪いと 人が死ぬ　karasu-naki ga warui to hito ga shinu.

This is a proverb in Japan.
If it sounds bad, someone in the neighbourhood will die or get very ill or some other misfortune is going to happen.

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新潟県 Niigata

If the crow sounds bad, there will be death or severe natural disaster soon.
Also called
mura shirase 「村知らせ」news for the village
shinigarasu 「シニガラス」 Karasu of the Dead
soogigarasu 「サワギガラス」Karasu for a funeral

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埼玉県 Saitama

The sound of the Karasu changes about one week before someone dies. Sometimes people also see a 火の玉 ball of fire with a long tail.
If the Karasu bows in a certain direction, this indicates the place of the funeral.
The direction of the tail of the Karasu indicates the home of the dead person.

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山梨県 Yamanashi

In the home of protected people they will never hear the sound as "bad".
The crows usually call out from the mountains. But when they come near the home and sit in the persimmon tree, their sound might feel as "bad".

If the crow sounds bad, there will also be strange sounds in the village temple and the bell sounds all by itself. (in 早川町 Hayakawa)
If a man is going to die, the temple will shake and sound ガタガタ gatagata.
If a woman is going to die, there will be noise in the kitchen.
If someone is going to die soon, there will also be a sound in the Buddhist House Altar 仏壇. A relative might appear with his soul on the way toward the temple.

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shirogarasu 白烏 / hakuwa ハクウ a white crow
indicating something impossible



There is also a book by an author named "White Crow":
Nishimura Hakuwa 西村白烏 『烟霞綺談』 Enka Kidan.

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hakuwa ハクウ white craw

In the 12th lunar month of the year 1786, a hunter caught a strange bird. The owner of a speciality show 見世物師 wanted to have it. But when the story came to the ears of the pries 妙法院殿 Myoho-In he confiscated it for himself.

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京都府 Kyoto

In the year 1763 後桜町天皇 Gosakuramachi Tenno became emperor.
It is recorded that 下平儀重 Shimodaira Norishige saw a white crow at that time.

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新潟県　Niigata

In the year 1832 at the home of 鍵屋治左衛門 Kagiya Jizaemon in Echigo they found a nest with a white crow chick. In the beginning its bill and legs where pink, but as it grew, they became snow white.


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- - - - - ABC List of the prefectures :


.................................................................. Aomori 青森県 .........................................................


. Crow as messenger of Yamanokami 山の神 .




.................................................................. Niigata 新潟県 .........................................................

. Sado Densetsu 佐渡伝説 legends about Sado Island .
Karasu from 常念寺 temple Jonen-Ji

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tokibi トキ日 Day of the Year

In Niigata on the 15th day of the New Year people prepare special vegetarian food (shoojin ryoori 精進料理) and serve one portion to the crows.
If they eat it, the year will be a lucky one.
If they do not eat it, the year will be unlucky.

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torikotoba 鳥言葉 the language of birds

A farmer once helped a serpent who was wounded during the spring fires on the fields. That night the serpent appeared in his dream and taught him the language of the crows. He understood the language now, heard them talk about a treasure, which he found and became a rich and happy man ever after.

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魚沼郡 Uonuma

烏鳴きが悪いと人が死ぬ、葬儀場に烏が来ないとまた人が死ぬ、という。




.................................................................. Saitama 埼玉県 .........................................................
大宮市 Omiya city

. Karasu crawing about future events .


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- source : nichibun yokai database 妖怪データベース -
karasu 烏 206 (00)
カラス 175 (00)
crow 鴉 17

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(Toyota Hokkei) 魚屋北渓 Totoya Hokkei (1780 - 1850)


. Karasu Tengu Legends 烏天狗 Tengu with a beak .


. Japanese legends and tales 伝説　民話　昔話 - Introduction .

- Yookai 妖怪 Yokai Monsters of Japan -
- Introduction -

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- #karasu #raven #crow -
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