Altars, Votive Offerings and Talismans
In addition to public shrines, families may have altars in their own homes. A kami dana
or shelf for the kami usually occupies a central place in the home. In more elaborate family altars,
a Shinto altar would consist of the sacred rope (shime-nawa) which is hung above the altar, a pair of vases containing sprigs of the sakaki tree,
a mirror symbolizing the kami and offerings of rice wine (sake). Unlike Buddhists who make no offerings of fish, sake, fowl or products of the harvest,
Shinto adherents do in fact offer these items to the kami.
To preserve good health and well-being, Shinto adherents may wear talismans known as mamori.
Talismans that can be obtained from shrines, known as fuda to protect homes.
These are usually placed on the kami dana.
Votive offerings or messages to the kami are known as ema. These are wood
locks with paintings of a particular kami on one side. Shinto worshippers usually inscribe a message on the back
of these blocks and they are hung up until such they are collected together and burned as a symbol of the liberation of these petitions.
Students desiring success in their exams may inscribe a petition, for example, on an ema
dedicated to Michizane the patron of scholars. Children who have their petitions to make, may inscribe their hopes on
ema dedicated to Jizo, the patron kami of children.
Origami
Although most Americans are now familiar with origami or paper folded into shapes of birds and animals, it is not widely known that
the art is associated with Shinto.
Origami literally means "spirit of paper" and is thought to
have originally been used as votive offerings. Origami figures are still seen shrines and associated with
ones hopes and wishes. There is still, for instance, the tradition of folding a thousand cranes, since its is believed that the completion of such a task
guarantees the fulfillment of one's wishes. Traditionally, origami paper is never cut out of respect for
the tree kami.
Kagura
Kagurais the ritual dance form that re-enacts
the stories of the ancient kami. One such performance enacts the meeting of Susanoo and the Princess.
Shinto Texts
There are several texts that serve as the bases of Shinto. The majority date
back to the eighth century CE. These texts include the Kojiki or Record of Ancient Matters; (712 CE);
the Rokkokushi or Six National Histories;the Shoku Nihongi or the Continuing Chronicles of Japan;
the Jinno Shotiki a 14th century document.
Shinto Beliefs, Cultural and Life Practices
Shinto Home Page
Web Sites on Shinto
