. Japanese legends and tales 伝説 民話 昔話 - Introduction .
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heso 臍と伝説 Legends about navel, belly button, Nabel
仏桑花六月晦日年の臍
bussooge rokugatsu misoka toshi no heso
hibiscus
last day of June
the navel of the year
Fuuten Tora
© おしゃべり日記俳句
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Bellybutton folklore from Japan and where they came from
Every child in Japan has at some point or other, when exposing his (or her) belly button, heard an adult tell (him or her) half-jokingly, that Kaminari-sama, the thunder god would get him (or her).
Thus, it seems likely that the Thundergod-will-eat-the-bellybutton-of-kids folktale may well have been been the result of a merging of superstitious folklore and traditional Taoist-based medicinal (known as TCM today) views of physiological conditions of stomach colds and cramps that East Asians appear to uniquely susceptible to(Chinese – see “Guard against stomach problems in the cold” and Japanese – The Haramaki: It’s a scarf for your midriff).
..... Etymology:
Yakusa no ikazuchi no kami: Yakusa (八, eight) and ikazuchi (雷, thunder) and kami (神, spirit or deity)
- Why is Raijin attracted to navels?
While it is said that Kaminari-sama would seek out little children’s bellybuttons or navels, in recorded folklore, it was actually Raiju, the thunder beast that accompanies Raijin, that actually seeks out human navels, and that likes to nestle there to sleep.
In the search for the provenance of the navel-eating or omphalophagic stories, we turn to look at the details of the stories of Raijin and Raiju and to examine their characteristics.
- The etymology of Raijin
Raijin’s name is derived from the Japanese words rai (rendered in Chinese character雷, “thunder”) and “god” or “kami“(神 shin).
According to the Encyclopedia of Shinto, “Ancient texts associate the raijin‘s appearance with serpents or a small child, but from around the Kamakura period, pictures and sculptures of raijin portrayed a demonic form holding a whip and surrounded by a ring of linked drum.”
As depicted below, thundergods evolved their identity over time, with Raijin later becoming typically depicted as a fiercesome-looking demon-spirit that beats on drums to create thunder. Popular iconography usually includes drums that have the tomoe symbol engraved or painted on them.
This appears to have been a combination of Central Asian steppeland and Silk Route influences as well as continental Chinese influence from the Tang dynasty onwards. According to Chinese sources, the Thundergod along with the wind deity are demons conquered by Buddha.
Raijū (雷獣,”thunder animal” or “thunder beast”)
- Read the most extensive explanation here :
- source : japanesemythology.wordpress.com... -
. the monster 雷獣 Raiju and its legends .
. Raijin 雷神と伝説 Legends about the God of Thunder and Lightning .
. heso no o へその緒と伝説 Legends about the umbilical cord .
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Tales of the Appearance of Thunder and the Thunderous Navel Thief
亡靈としての雷と雷の臍取物譚
- very extensive illustrated information :
- source : scribd.com/document... -
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Before climbing into a boat or ship, people take some sand from the land, wrap it in paper and place it on their navel.
This will prevent them from sea sickness.
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hesotori Gorobei へそとりとろべえ Gorobe takes away the navel
赤羽末吉 Akaba Suekichi (1910 - 1990)
- quote -
「おれは おへそが だいすきだ あまくて しょっぱくって こーりこり うふふ たべたいなー」かみなりのごろべえは、家宝のへそとりきを使って、生きものたちのおへそをとりまくります。「くりんくりんの シュー すっぽーん」と、軽快におへそをとっていく音が楽しい詩の絵本です。
- reference source : doshinsha.co.jp... -
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- - - - - ABC List of the prefectures :
......................................................................................... Hokkaido 北海道
A legend from アイヌ the Ainu:
Once 天の神 the Kami in heaven had come together and looked down at the human villages.
There were two homes side by side with two beautiful girls playing nearby.
雷神 Raijin was sitting in the front on the assembly and could see them well. The other Kami pushed him down in anger and as he fell on earth, lightning struck and the two homes burned down.
On the spot two trees begun to grow,
Chisakini チサキニ (Chikisani) and Ohyo (Atoni) おひょう（アトニ）の木.
The girls had been pregnant at that time and gave life to many male children. Thus the Ainu thrived.
akadamo あかだも（チサキニ chisaniki）
source : cikisani.com...
Princess Chikisani (spring elm red bark) and Princess Atoni (lobed elm white bark)
......................................................................................... Ibaragi 茨城県
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石岡市 Ishioka city
Raijin 雷神 lives in a hole in the mountains. The child of Kaminari sama, the Thunder God, played in the clouds above it. Its bentobako 弁当箱 lunchbox fell on the ground and it came back to get it. When he tried to look below the box, he was told "Do not look below your belly button."
If Raijin can not go back to his hole, there will be a strike of lightning.
......................................................................................... Kagawa 香川県
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高松市 Takamatsu city 圓座 Enza district
When it begins to thunder, people shout to the sky:
"Rai San go back to Enza, go back to Enza and take the heso 臍 navel (bellybutton) out of people there!"
雷さん圓座へ行け、圓座の婆々の臍をとれ
......................................................................................... Nara 奈良県
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At 大和秋篠寺 the temple Akishinodera
there is a memorial stone for the navel of Raijin.
Around 730 there was a strike of lightning at 金堂 the Golden Hall of the Temple and it begun to burn.
There came an old man, 善珠僧正 the priest Zenju Sojo, recited spells and caught the God of Thunder. He took out its navel and made him swear never to produce lightning and cause fire any more.
The navel is burried at the temple.
..... The Shoku Nihongi of 797 places the origins of the temple in Hōki 11 (780), while the Legends of Akishino-dera (秋篠寺縁起) of 1139 ascribes it to the vows of Emperor Kōnin and Emperor Kammu and names its founder as Zenjū Daitoku (善珠大徳), younger brother of Emperor Shōmu.
- more in the wikipedia -
Zenju lived from 723 - 797. He is one of the founders of Akishinodera.
......................................................................................... Shiga 滋賀県
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大津市 Otsu city
raifun 雷糞 "thunder medicine"
In the year 1717, a was rakurai 落雷 a stroke of lightning at the home of a family in Otsu.
It came with a fragrant smell of jakoo 麝香 musk and left a piece of string like a navel. Since the smell was so good, it was used to make raifun medicine 雷糞 "like the poop of the Thunder god".
......................................................................................... Wakayama 和歌山県
西牟婁郡 Nishi-Muro district
Once there was a heso 臍 belly button of Raijin on the ground in 紀州 Kishu.
It had the quality of a pottery piece and the form and size like the heart of a bora 鯔 mullet (Mugil cephalus).
When 雷神 Raijin came to get it back, the villagers asked him to show his body.
First he showed his eyes, then his nose and then the mouth.
They wanted to see what was below the bellybuttoo, but he refused and disappeared.
......................................................................................... Yamaguchi 山口県
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豊浦郡 Toyoura district 豊田町 Toyoda town
hyoo 雹 hail
In the year 1943, they performed amagoi 雨乞い a rain ritual. On the way home from heaven fell hail stones in the form of horns with a navel hanging to it.
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- reference : nichibun yokai database 妖怪データベース -
06 雷神 臍 belly button, done
31 臍 (04) collecting
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. 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 -
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