Tuesday, August 6, 2013

From Mythology Izanami and Izanagi – Japan

 

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  • Izanami and Izanagi were the primordial gods.
  • In the Japanese tradition, they are referred to either a husband or wife or as siblings.
  • They created the Japanese Islands, as well as many gods called kami: according to the Shinto religion there are 800 myriads of kami.
  • Most artistic depictions of this story show the couple standing on a bridge of heaven holding a spear.

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The wedded rocks known as Meoto-iwa are located in Japan near Ise jingu. They represent the two creator gods of the Shinto religion, Izanami and Izanagi. The rocks are joined by a sacred rope (shimenawa) of plaited rice stalks which symbolizes the marriage bond between the two gods. The white gate or torii can be seen on the larger rock (Izanagi) which marks the site as sacred.

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