|
Japanese Culture and Social Customs Part 11 |
Did you know that the bow and arrow have been symbols of good luck
against evil in Japan since time immemorial? Originally, bows and arrows
were used for hunting from around 10,000 years ag o. In modern times, they
have been used in sports such as western-style archery and Japanese "kyudo".
It has often been felt that the bow and arrow have the power toward off
evil and so they often form part of various "Shinto" rituals. This is
because they could bring down an enemy during battle or one's quarry
during the hunt from a distance with no need to come to grips with either.
So, in the past, they were believed to possess a sacred power even in the
spiritual world. They often made appearances in myths and legends as
weapons to fight against demons. Even now there is an event called the "Yabusame" in which riders dressed as samurai of the Kamakura Period
( 1185-1333) shoot arrows at targets from horseback in order to pray for
good health and a rich harvest."Hama-ya" or Sacred Arrows are sold at shrines during New Year's as good luck charms. "Hama" means to destroy demons and thus to renounce worldly desires in Buddhist terminology. In the Edo Period (1600-1867), when a boy was born into a samurai family, he was presented with a bow and arrow during his first "Shogatsu" (New Year's Season) as a mark of his parents' wishes for him to become a great samurai. This custom has been handed down to the general public over the years but in the simplified form of an arrow being sold at shrines at New Year's as a good luck charm. Apart from this, maybe some of you have seen a ceremonial bow and arrow being placed on the roof of a newly erected house, pointing in the direction of the devil's gate. This act is believed to ward off the evil that enters through the devil's gate (situated in the north east corner of a building). These are just some of the many interesting references relating to the symbolic significance of the bow and arrow. |