The Shift of Kotodama

The Shift of Kotodama The quality of kotodama in pre-modern Japanese poetry and prose, whether sacred or secular, is tenuously held by modern scholars as having logical implication over readers interpretations. Skeptics such as Roy moth moth miller claim the kotodama cult is a modern fetishization that amalgamates a aboveboard range of core beliefs in order to form a coherent narrative (140). While this analysis is valid to a point, it fails to consider the wide range of inherent kotodama usage in pre-modern Japanese texts, whether by name or not. Kotodama is not, however, a placid and sustained term throughout the occupation of Japanese history. lengthwise the Asuka, Nara and Heian periods, kotodama as the power of words, was influenced by the continuous religious mould between Kami worship or Shint?ism and styles of Buddhism, in shape Vajrayana and Mahayana influenced Shingon and Tendai Buddhism. These religious clashes, owing to the syncretical nature of relig ion in Japan, shifted the concept of kotodama from an extroverted, supernatural and deity focused term to an introverted, man-to-manised betterment oriented usage. This shift is shown and exemplified through the examination of texts ranging from special(prenominal) proposition episodes from the Kojiki and Many?sh?, especially the k?roshinin no genus Uta and spirit pacification texts, to Buddhist didactic and syncretic setsuwa. The origins of kotodama deposit in the primary Shint? text of the Kojiki. In the course of the humans myths laid out in the Kojiki, Susano-o swears an oath to Amaterasu that they shall contribute children unitedly (Shirane 27). This oath, an ukei, is a pledge that deigns to show the character of the individual. If it is broken, the individuals character is marred forever. If it is kept, he/she can be trusted. As an element of truth or destiny, this oath emerges as the forerunner to kotodama. The power of these words, like that of the kotodama poetr y in the Kana preface, moves paradise and ! earthly concern [] and [makes] gods feel pity (Shirane...If you want to string a panoptic essay, order it on our website: OrderEssay.net

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