![]() ![]() ![]() Tsukuyomi has many temples and shrines across Japan to this day. At the same time, however, many still worship and revere him. Many view him as an “evil” kami which is what his ex-wife Amaretasu also dubbed him. Like most Shinto kami, Tsukuyomi is viewed as a morally-ambiguous character. Strict followers of the rules of etiquette, Japan’s lords and ladies would also often adhere to the rule of etiquette with a deadly resolution while moon-reading at night. Most importantly, however, Tsukuyomi symbolizes the aristocratic etiquette of Japan’s noble courts. He runs across the sky chaotically, both during the night and day, chasing the sun, never able to catch it. Tsukuyomi is also cold and strict, however, which fits very well with the moon’s pale-blueish light. For one, he’s described as being beautiful and fair, just like most moon goddesses in other religions. Tsukuyomi symbolizes the moon in many ways. As proper etiquette was always viewed as highly important at these gatherings, Tsukuyomi was a very revered deity. In Japan’s aristocrat courts, the noble lords and ladies would often gather in the evening and read poetry while gazing at the moon. His hieroglyphic Kanji symbol can also be pronounced as Tsukuyo which means moon-light and Mi which is watching.Īll this refers to the popular practice of moon-reading. The kami is also sometimes referred to as Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto or The Great God Tsukuyomi. Tsukuyomi’s name literally translates as M oon-reading or Reading the Moon. Even solar eclipses where the sun and moon seem joined are still viewed as a near-miss – Tsukuyomi almost manages to catch up to his wife but she slips away and runs from him again. ![]() The divorce between Amaterasu and Tsukuyomi is the Shinto explanation for why the sun and the moon are always “chasing” each other across the sky – Tsukuyomi is trying to return to his wife in Heaven but she won’t have him back. When his wife, Amaterasu, found out about the murder, however, she was so horrified with her husband that she divorced him and banned him from returning to her in Heaven. This enraged Tsukuyomi so much that he killed the food kami on the spot. On the contrary, the way she served food to her guests was positively repulsive – she spat rice, deer, and fish from her mouth into her guests’ plates, and pulled even more dishes from her other orifices. Once at the feast, Tsukuyomi was horrified to see that Uke Mochi didn’t adhere to any of the traditional food-serving etiquette. The sun goddess was indisposed, however, so her husband went alone. The incident happened at one of her traditional feasts to which she had invited Tsukuyomi and his wife, Amaterasu. The unfortunate victim of Tsukuyomi’s wrath was Uke Mochi, the female kami of food and feasts. Apparently, the fact that killing someone is a “breach of etiquette” didn’t bother the moon kami. As the King of Heaven, Tsukuyomi took this very seriously and even went so far as to kill a fellow kami for not adhering to good etiquette. The moon kami is viewed as the traditional Japanese conservative male who always looks to maintain and enforce order. Tsukuyomi is best-known as a stickler for the rules of etiquette. Little did Izanagi know, however, that his children’s marriage wouldn’t last long. He set up Amaterasu and Tsukuyomi as the ruling couple after they married, and he appointed Susanoo as Heaven’s guardian. The sun goddess Amaterasu was born from Izanagi’s left eye, the moon god Tsukuyomi was born from his father’s right eye, and the sea and storm god Susanoo was born from Izanagi’s nose.Īfter his first childbirth, Izanagi decided that his three first-born children would rule the Shinto Heaven. After Izanagi left his dead wife Izanami locked in the Shinto Underworld Yomi, he purified himself in a spring and accidentally gave birth to three children. Tsukuyomi is one of the three first children of the male creator kami Izanagi. Who is Tsukuyomi? Shinto moon god Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto What truly sets Tsukuyomi apart, however, is that he’s the only male moon god to also be a prominent figure in his religion’s pantheon, as he was the former consort-king of Heaven in Shintoism. Some of the other male moon gods include the Hindu god Chandra, the Norse god Mani, and the Egyptian god Khonsu, but the vast majority of moon deities in the world’s religions are female. The Shinto kami god Tsukuyomi, also called Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto, is one of the very few male moon deities in the world. Importance of Tsukuyomi in Modern Culture. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |