2018-09-04

mochi rice cake legends

- BACK to the Daruma Museum -
. Japanese legends and tales 伝説 民話 昔話 - Introduction .
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

mochi 餅と伝説 Legends about rice cakes
botamochi ボタ餅 "peony rice cakes"

. mochi 餅 all kinds of rice cakes .
- Introduction -
Special rice cakes are eaten in all seasons and at many rituals and festivals.



. mochitsuki 餅つき pounding rice for Mochi .
with usu to kinu 臼と杵 a stone mortar and mallet / pestle

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
- - - - - ABC List of the prefectures :


............................................................................... Akita 秋田県

. konamochi 粉餅 rice cakes powdered with walnut powder .
for Yamanokami

. The Deity 三吉大明神 Miyoshi Daimyojin .

. tengumochi 天狗餅 Tengu mochi rice cakes .
fukumochi 福餅 fuku mochi for good luck // 天狗の福もちつき Tengu pounding Fukumochi




............................................................................... Fukui 福井県

. botamochi ぼたもち for the deity Sarutahiko .




............................................................................... Fukuoka 福岡県

. Tengu and botamochi 牡丹餅 "Peony Cakes" .




............................................................................... Gifu 岐阜県

. guhin kuhin gubin 狗賓 / 狗嬪 / グヒン Guhin Tengu Yokai monster .
加茂郡 Kamo district
Guhin mochi 狗賓餅 rice cakes for the Guhin and many more

.......................................................................
Gifu 恵那郡 Ena district 山岡町 Yamaoka town

. okuri ookami 送り狼 Legends about "a wolf following someone" .

.......................................................................

Making Ricecakes in the Twelfth Month (Shiwasu mochitsuki)
from the series The Twelve Months (Jûni tsuki no uchi)「十二月之内 師走 餅つき」
Utagawa Kunisada I (Toyokuni III) (1786–1864)




............................................................................... Ibaraki
茨城町 Ibaraki city

hebi 蛇 serpent - kaapa かあぱ Kappa
Once upon a time a vicious serpent (or maybe a Kappa) lived in the river and many children lost their lives.
The villagers asked a Rokubu what to do about this.
The Rokubu told them to make mochi 餅 rice cakes on the last day of the year, give them to children and have them throw into the river. This would protect the children.
And indeed, from that time on, no more water accidents happened at the river.

. Rokubu pilgrims .




............................................................................... Kyoto 京都府
.......................................................................
鈴鹿市 Suzuka

. Yama no Kami 山の神 God of the Mountain .
On the 7th day of the first lunar month villagers go to the local shrine, collect branches of 松 pine trees and wild bamboo and make a fire.
They bring ritual kirimochi 切り餅 cut rice cakes, one for each member of the family and roast them on the fire. This will help them to avoid illness and bring good luck.
Yamanokami is also very fond of children and protects them.


............................................................................... Miyagi 宮城県


okasane mochi オカサネ餅 / お重ね餅 piled-up rice cakes
A decoration for the New Year. After offering them to Yamanokami, they are eaten by the family members.
If they have cracks, the weather in the coming year will be fine.
If they have no cracks, there will be a lot of rain in the coming year.




............................................................................... Nara 奈良県

奈良市 Nara city

. Kokūzō Bosatsu 虚空蔵菩薩 Kokuzo Bosatsu .
and the karasu 烏 crows




............................................................................... Tokyo

. A 煎餅屋 Mochi rice cake store in front of Enman-Ji, Yushima .
湯島円満寺




............................................................................... Wakayama 和歌山県
日高郡 Hidaka district

. Mochi offerings for Yamanokami 山の神 God of the Mountain .



............................................................................... Yamagata 山形県

. botamochi for Tanokami 田の神 God of the Fields .


..............................................................................................................................................


- reference : nichibun yokai database 妖怪データベース -
574 餅 to collect
餅つき / 餅花粉 / 索餅 and more

.......................................................................



kagamimochi 鏡餅 "mirror Mochi" for the New Year
16 to collect

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

. animals and their legends 動物と伝説 - - ABC list .

. plants and their legends  植物と伝説 - - ABC list .

. trees and their legends  樹木, 木と伝説 - - ABC list .

. Persons, People, Personen and their legends - - ABC list .

. Legends about Kobo Daishi Kukai - 弘法大師 空海 - 伝説 .

. Japanese legends and tales 伝説 民話 昔話 - Introduction .

- Yookai 妖怪 Yokai Monsters of Japan -
- Introduction -

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::



. Join the friends on Facebook ! .

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

[ . BACK to DARUMA MUSEUM TOP . ]
[ . BACK to WORLDKIGO . TOP . ]
- - - - - #mochi, #kirimochi #ricecakes -
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

9 comments:

Gabi Greve said...

Kanagawa 神奈川県

足柄上郡 Ashigara-Kami district 山北町 Yamakita town

Toshigami 年神 / 歳神
Toshigami comes every year on the first day of January and leaves on the 14th day.
In other villages he leaves on u no hi ウの日 / 卯の日 the first day of the rabbit.
On this day people make offerings of azuki mochi 小豆餅 rice cakes with auspicious red beans.
.
https://japanshrinestemples.blogspot.com/2019/07/toshitokujin-legends.html
.

Gabi Greve said...

Legend from Tokushima 徳島県
New Year
January 15th is called okuri-shogatsu 送り正月 "seeing off the New Year".
All the decorations made for the New Year are being taken to the local Shinto shrine and burned in a special ritual.
After that special kagamimochi 鏡餅 rice cakes for the New Year are offered, they are fried in this fire, taken home and eaten with the family.
.
https://japanshrinestemples.blogspot.com/2019/07/toshitokujin-legends.html
.

Gabi Greve said...

Legend from Fukushima
Sai no Kami 幸神 / さいの神 Deity of Fortune and Good Luck

檜枝岐村 Hinoemata village

The deity is also called
Sei no Kami せいの神.

Sai no Kami さいの神 / 賽の神 can prevent illness if properly venerated in the village.
After the first calligraphy of the year the paper must be burned and the ashes of the Dondoyaki fire for 賽の神 Sai no Kami thrown in the air to improve one's writing.
If this is not done, there will be no improvement.
Eating mochi 餅 rice cakes prepared in the ashes of the Dondoyaki fire will keep the teeth strong and prevent stomach illness.
.
https://japanshrinestemples.blogspot.com/2020/01/sai-no-kami-legends.html
.

Gabi Greve said...

Legend from Fukushima
.
At the beach they prepare a small hut, 鳥小屋 Torigoya, for a ritual on January 14 (the end of the New Year period), make offerings on a small alter and then burn the hut.
In the fire of the hut they roast mochi 餅 rice cakes and lite the pipes to use the smoke to make 悪病・悪神 the bad deities of Illness and Evil leave.
The rest of the ashes they take home and spread it at the entrance as mayoke 魔よけ an amulet.

.
https://japanshrinestemples.blogspot.com/2020/03/majin-akushin-devil-legends.html
.

Gabi Greve said...

Legend from Saitama 埼玉県 豊野村 Toyono village

momen boozu 木綿坊主 the cotton monk
The cotton monk comes in the fourth lunar month. This is the time for sowing cotton seeds, when people pray for a good harvest. Farmers prepare special mochi 餅 rice cakes and call out: "Please come to stay here!"
The number of the rice cakes must be 21 or 23.
.
https://edoflourishing.blogspot.com/2020/08/cotton-momen.html
.

Gabi Greve said...

Legend from Shizuoka 静岡県
浜松市 Hamamatsu city 龍山町 Tatsuyama town

.
o-hataki オハタキ / o-hataki mochi オハタキ餅 / おはたき餅 very hard rice cakes
On the second day of the New Year, people pound rice at 諏訪神社 Suwa Shrine in a stone mortar. They use the powder to make rice cakes, called o-hataki mochi.
If people eat them, they will not become ill all year long.
.
https://japanshrinestemples.blogspot.com/2020/03/suwa-jinja-legends.html
.

Gabi Greve said...

A Kyogen 狂言 legend

kamanari 釜鳴 the kettle makes auspicious noises
A 刀鍛冶 sword smith named 国員 Kunikazu wanted to make mochi 餅 rice cakes for the New Year at the end of December, when suddenly his kama 釜 kettle begun to make auspicious noises. Since then Kunikazu became famous.
If a kettle makes noises the family will become prosperous. Kunikazu changed his name store name to
Kamanariya 釜鳴屋.
If a kettle begins to make noise in the kitchen, the womenfolk use new underwear and place it on the kettle to make it quiet.
.
https://edoflourishing.blogspot.com/2020/04/kyogen-theater.html
.

Gabi Greve said...

Legend from Tokushima, 海部郡 Ama district 日和佐町 Hiwasa town
.
On the 15th day of the New Year people burn the New Year decorations on the beaches and along the rivers. The mochi 餅 rice cakes grilled in the flames are eaten, because they bring riches, make you young again and prevent illness in summer.
.
https://gokurakuparadies.blogspot.com/2020/12/wakagaeri-deities-legends.html
.

Gabi Greve said...

Legend from Fukushima, 南会津郡 Minami-Aizu district 南会津町 Minami-Aizu town
.
On day 16 of January and July the hunters hold a special festival, otoki matsuri おときまつり/ オトキ祭」 .
They put a shimenawa しめなわ sacred rope in the living room
and make offerings of mochi 餅 rice cakes to 天照大神 the Deity Amaterasu Omikami.
The rice cake offerings are then brought to the mountain and can prevent avalanches.
.
https://japanshrinestemples.blogspot.com/2021/04/amaterasu-omikami-legends.html
.