japanese superstition
the subject of japanese superstition is of special importance, because it serves to indicate the channel by which many myths and legends, but more particularly folk-lore, have evolved. superstition is, as it were, the raw material out of which innumerable strange beliefs are gradually fashioned into stories, and an inquiry into the subject will show us the peasant mind striving to counteract certain supernatural forces, or to turn them to advantage in every-day life. many superstitions have already been recorded in these pages, and in the present chapter we shall deal with those that have not been treated elsewhere. it is scarcely necessary to point out that these superstitions, selected from a vast store of quaint beliefs, are necessarily of a primitive kind and must be regarded, excluding, perhaps, those associated with the classic art of divination, as peculiar to the more ignorant classes in japan.
human sacrifice
in prehistoric times the bow was believed to possess supernatural power. it would miraculously appear on the roof of a man's house as a sign that the eldest unmarried daughter must be sacrificed. she was accordingly buried alive in order that her flesh might be consumed by the deity of wild beasts. later on, however, the bow was no longer the message of a cruel divinity, for it gradually lost its horrible significance, and has now become a symbol of security. to this day it may be seen fixed to the ridge-pole of a roof, and is regarded as a lucky charm.
we have another example of human sacrifice in the old repulsive custom of burying a man alive with the[pg 343] idea of giving stability to a bridge or castle. in the early days, when forced labour existed, there was unfortunately scant regard for the sacredness of human life. those who laboured without reward were under the control of a merciless superintendent, who emphasised his orders by means of a spear. he was ready to kill all those who were idle or in any way rebellious, and many corpses were flung into the masonry. when a river had to be dammed, or a fortification constructed with the utmost despatch, this deplorable deed was not unusual.
when a new bridge was built its utility and long life were assured, not always by human sacrifice or sorrow, but sometimes by happiness. the first persons allowed to walk over a new bridge were those of a particularly happy disposition. we are told, that two genial old men, who each had a family of twelve children, first crossed the matsue bridge, accompanied by their wives, children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. this joyous procession took place amid much rejoicing and a display of fireworks. the idea of happiness contributing to the success of a japanese bridge is a pretty conception, but, unfortunately, the old bridge of matsue, now replaced by one far less picturesque, is associated with a very unpleasant tradition.
when horio yoshiharu became daimyo of izumo he arranged to build a bridge over the turbulent river at matsue. many laboured to carry out his wishes, but the work did not prosper. countless great stones were flung into the rushing water with the idea of making a solid base on which to construct the pillars, but many of the stones were washed away, and as soon as the bridge took tangible form it was wrecked by the fierce torrent. it was believed that the spirits of the[pg 344] flood were angry, and in order to appease them it was deemed necessary to offer a human sacrifice. a man was accordingly buried alive below the central pillar where the water was most turbulent. when this had been done the work prospered, and the bridge remained intact for three hundred years. gensuke was the unfortunate victim, and this was the name given to the central pillar. it is said that on moonless nights a mysterious red fire shines from this pillar—the ghostly emanations of poor gensuke.
classical divination
one of the most popular forms of japanese superstition is associated with divination, and confucianism has no doubt contributed much to its popularity. the yih-king, or "book of changes," is the main source of the art, and confucius devoted so much time to the study of this mysterious work that it is said that the leathern thongs used to hold the leaves together were replaced three times during his lifetime. the yih-king was commenced by fu hsi two thousand years before the birth of christ, and confucius added much fresh material. a more complicated method of reading the future than by means of eight trigrams and sixty-four diagrams cannot be imagined. so involved a system of divination naturally became the art of the learned few, but in course of time it underwent various modifications. it lost, to a certain extent, its most classic aspect, and many japanese diviners sprang up in the country professing to read the future for a small fee, and without the qualification of having deeply pondered over the instruction to be found in the yih-king. a comparatively simple form of divination is with fifty divining rods, shuffled in a particular way, and the final position of the rods is supposed to answer the various[pg 345] questions of the inquirer. many diviners in japan to-day are mere charlatans working upon the credulity of their patrons, without fully understanding the art they practise. but in ancient times divination was associated with a sacred ritual. it was necessary for the diviner, like the old swordsmith, to prepare and fit himself for his task. it was required of him that he should thoroughly cleanse his body, seat himself in a private apartment, and go through the elaborate process of holding the rods in the spirit of reverence. at a certain moment he was instructed to close his eyes, suspend breathing for a time, and concentrate his thoughts on his work of divination, for the old diviner, like the old shinto priest, believed that he was calling the supernatural to his aid.
other forms of divination
in other forms of divination, requiring no expert interpretation, we find that the future is supposed to be revealed in the cracks and lines of a slightly burnt shoulder-bone of a deer, a method which closely resembles the old english custom of "reading the speal-bone." it was not always easy to secure a deer's shoulder-bone, and as the markings were of more importance than the bone itself, in course of time burnt tortoise-shell took its place. as hair-combs were usually made of this material, a woman, by charring it, was able to read the lines and ascertain the constancy or otherwise of her lover, &c. girls used to read the riddle of the future and see what it had in store for them by going out at night and stringing together the fragmentary remarks of passers-by. this method is known as tsuji-ura, but it is by no means peculiar to japan, for it is still frequently practised by superstitious people in our own country. a love-sick[pg 346] maiden tried to discover whether or not her love would be requited by placing a rod in the ground, surrounding it with various offerings, and listening to the conversation of wayfarers who chanced to come that way.[1] a later and more elaborate development of this form of divination required three maidens, and the method employed is as follows. the young women went to where roads crossed each other, and thrice repeated an invocation to the god of roads. when they had supplicated this deity, they flung rice on the ground, for rice has the power of driving away evil spirits. the maidens then rubbed their fingers against the teeth of a boxwood comb, because tsuge, the japanese name for this wood, also means "to tell." after these preparations they each stood in a different position and pieced together the remarks of passers-by. occasionally some message from the future was received while the inquirer stood under a bridge and listened to the clatter of feet, and sometimes a priest whistling by inhalation was supposed to reveal an omen of some kind.
unlucky years and days
it is believed that certain periods of life are extremely unlucky. the twenty-fifth, forty-second, and sixty-first years of a man's life are considered unfortunate, while the unlucky years of a woman's life are the nineteenth, thirty-third, and thirty-seventh. in order to prevent calamity during these periods, it is necessary to devote much time to religious exercises. men and women are advised not to take a journey during the[pg 347] sixteenth, twenty-fifth, thirty-fourth, forty-third, fifty-second, and sixty-first year. when superstitious women wish to make a new garment, they utter an invocation, and later on sprinkle three pinches of salt on the shoulder gusset. no woman should use her needle on a "monkey" day, but rather on a "bird" day. if the work is undertaken on the former day, the garment is in danger of being burnt or rent; but if the apparel is made on the latter day, it will have the beauty and durability of the feathers of a bird.
children
when a child's tooth falls out, it is thrown away under the eaves, with the wish that it may be replaced by the tooth of a demon. sometimes the tooth of a little boy or girl is thrown on the floor with the request that it may be replaced by the tooth of a rat. children may be immune from nightmare if the word "puppy" is written on their foreheads; and if to this precaution is added a sketch of the baku, eater of dreams, the little one's slumber will be sure to be of a peaceful kind. the word "dog" inscribed on a child's forehead is a protection against the magic of foxes and badgers.
some of the nostrums that are supposed to cure children's ailments are very curious. blood extracted from a cock's comb cures indigestion, while an eruption on the head may be driven away by repeating these words: "in the long days of spring weeds may be removed, but those in the garden must be cut down at once." even a japanese baby cries occasionally, but if a red bag containing dog's hair is fastened on its back, it will immediately cease to cry, and the plaintive wailing will give place to smiles. blindness is frequently[pg 348] the result of smallpox, but this calamity may be prevented by throwing seven peas into a well, reciting seven prayers, and then drawing off all the water from the well.
charms
many japanese charms are pieces of paper bearing an inscription designed to avert evil. another variety is inscribed with the name of a god. it takes the form of a long strip which the poor fasten on the outside of their houses, while those who have not to contend with poverty regard it as a part of their domestic altar. the imprint of a child's hand, "obtained," writes professor chamberlain, "by first wetting the hand with ink and then applying it to a sheet of paper, is believed to avert malign influences." fragments of temples, rice-grains carved to represent the gods of luck, minute sutras, copies of buddha's footprint, and many other quaint conceits are among the multitudinous charms of japan.
the beckoning leaf
there is a certain japanese tree, called tegashiwa, and its leaves in shape are not unlike a hand. in ancient days, when it was necessary for a samurai to leave his home, he received just before his departure a tai (perch), which was served on the leaf of a tegashiwa tree. this was his farewell repast, and when the samurai had eaten the fish the leaf was hung over the door, in the belief that it would guard him on his journey, and bring him safely back to his home again. it was not the shape, but the movement of the tegashiwa leaf that gave rise to this pleasing fancy, for the leaf, when blown by the wind, appeared to beckon after the graceful japanese manner.
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bimbogami
dry peas are usually found to be efficacious in driving away evil spirits, but bimbogami, the god of poverty, is not so easily overcome. there is something pathetic in the idea that poverty should be regarded as an obstinate and most unwelcome fellow, for at this point we touch reality. however, though bimbogami takes no notice of dry peas, he may be vanquished by other means.
the charcoal fire in a japanese kitchen is blown into a cheerful glow by means of a utensil called hifukidake, a bamboo tube—a more artistic and simple form of bellows, where the inflated cheeks take the place of our hand-moved leather bag. before long the bamboo tube cracks with the intense heat. when this takes place a copper coin is put inside the tube, an incantation is uttered, and then the "fire-blow-tube" is thrown either into the street or into a stream. this throwing away of the useless bamboo of the kitchen is always supposed to signify the forced departure of bimbogami. most of us are familiar with what is known as the death-spider that ticks like a watch in our walls. in japan it is called bimbomushi, "poverty-insect." its ticking does not foretell the coming of death, as is the belief in our own country, but it denotes the unwelcome presence of the god of poverty in the japanese home.
[1] this variety of divination is of particular interest, for the rod symbolises the god of roads, the deity created from izanagi's staff, which, it will be remembered, he flung behind him when pursued in the under-world by the eight ugly females.
