myths of japan

[Jack]

could anyone enlighten me on what are some of the myths of japan,
like scotland has the loch ness, then theres the yeti and big foot.
(is godzilla a myth of japan?)
Does japan have something like this?

[lexico]

Kojiki has a wealth of mythologies.
Kojiki 古事紀, Basil Hall Chamberlain's translation 1919 (http://www.sacred-texts.com/shi/kj/index.htm)
Thanks Pachipro for sharing the link ! :wave:

[Jack]

quite interesting, does anyone believe in myths and legends?

[Pachipro]

Personally, I feel that, after reading numerous books by credible authors, ALL myths and legends are based on actual happenings.

[lexico]

Personally, I feel that, after reading numerous books by credible authors, ALL myths and legends are based on actual happenings.:-) That is a great statement, Pachipro. While I basically agree with you in spirit, I could also mention that Sigmund Freud, Karl Jung, and certain structuralists share your ideas. Very much like the legend of the Illiad lead to the excavation of Troy, and the tale of Minos, Minotauros, and the Labyrinth lead to the discovery of Minoan Crete culture. The House of Cadmos Trilogy by Sophocles (Oedipus the King, Oedipus at Colonus, and Antigone) and by Aeschylos (The Seven against Thebes,..,..) record dramatised, polished up versions of Theban legends that provide clues to ancient Theban history, and also into Egyptian history, acc. to Immanuel Velikovsky (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Velikovsky)'s Oedipus and Akhnaton (1960).

I know; mythologies are different from legends and old wives' tales; but the distinction is more incidental than primary.

[den4]

There is a myth spread around that while Den4 was in Japan, he believed he knew what he was talking about, only to learn that this was, in fact, false. There is another myth that says that there are rabbits on the moon making mochi, pounding away with their mochi maker, since there is a rabbit shaped series of dark areas on the moon, according to Japanese myth...then there is another myth that Tsuyoiko's rabbit is descendant from the rabbit on the moon, but Lexico does not agree because a sea cucumber ate the rest of his brain left over by the sea squirt...
One of the greatest resources you can find on Japanese myths is the mukashi banashi folk tales, that range from Momotaro to scarier tales about kitsunes taking on human forms to trick travelers, or even ghastly tales about devilish oni and things found in the manga/animated tales of GeGeGe no Kitaro....

One creepy myth I once saw on one of them animated mukashi banashi tales told the story of a traveler that seeks shelter in a house in the mountainous woods, far off the beaten path, when he was trying to get out of rough weather. He is greeted by an old lady and her grandson, invited to stay, and eat dinner with them. The grandson crawls all over the traveler in playful fashion as the traveler eats dinner, then he retires for the night...
late that night, the door to his room opens by itself, and he finds himself being dragged towards another portion of the house. At first he panics, but calms down and slashes the binding cords with his blade, and lights up a lantern.
The entire house now looks old and dilapidated with ancient cobwebs everywhere.
He finds where the cords were dragging him towards a large pit in the center of the house. There, he finds the skeletons of other travelers, bound in spiderwebs.
He discovers the two people were in fact spiders in human form to lure unsuspecting travelers into the abandoned house, with illusionary powers to make it look like a house that's actually being lived in. The traveler sets fire to the house, slaying the spiders, and he escapes into the early dawn...and later tells his tale when he arrives back in civilization...

Lots of myths of travelers coming across strange and wonderous things when they are lost in the woods in Japan.

But that's what myths are for.....

[Keoland]

One creepy myth I once saw on one of them animated mukashi banashi tales told the story of a traveler that seeks shelter in a house in the mountainous woods, far off the beaten path, when he was trying to get out of rough weather.

After careful analysis, it seems to me that, if one is a traveler and bad weather starts, one should avoid looking for shelter at all costs, as all cultures agree that horrid things happen to travelers who seek shelter from the weather. :okashii:

Regards,
Keoland

[lexico]

After careful analysis, it seems to me that, if one is a traveler and bad weather starts, one should avoid looking for shelter at all costs, as all cultures agree that horrid things happen to travelers who seek shelter from the weather. :okashii: Excellent observation, Keoland. I was also reminded, by your mentioning, when "bad weather starts, one should avoid looking for shelter at all costs," that the creatures would also need shelter form the storm, which would drive both traveller and creature to a common ground, the haunted house. And both kinds are hungry. You eat them, or they eat you. Just a minor point of biological need. :blush:

[Numark]

While not really a "myth" but something that REALLY annoys me is when i'm talking about Japan, and they go, OH ISNT EVERYTHING REALLY CHEAP THERE?!? like they are lumping everything in asia with Japan.

[Maciamo]

Can anime and manga count as myths ? (many children may actually believe in them as much as in traditional myths)

[Jack]

i guess so,
It's possible that pokemon is as real as big foot, just that big foot does not have his own cartoon series. (maybe he has, im not sure)

[Foxtrot Uniform]

The only main one I can think of is "槌の子" ot tsucho no ko which means "child of the dirt." It supposedly looks like a short snake that dwells in the dirt and it lives in the Kii Mountain Range (http://www.kippo.or.jp/isan_e/kii.html).

Here is an artists rendition of the Tsuchi no Ko (http://moura.jp/clickjapan/interviews/041208/photo05.html) (because it looks fake to me).

Theres even a 1,000,000 yen reward for capturing a live Tsuchi-no-Ko.

[Jack]

on metal gear solid 3:snake eater, you get a secret prize for catching that snake and keeping it till the end.

[Hiroyuki Nagashima]

old stories of Japanese
http://www.geocities.co.jp/HeartLand-Gaien/7211/

http://www.e-mama.ne.jp/edut/english/

[Jack]

reading up on the myths of japan only adds to the glorious mystery of Japan,
does anyone not agree.

[Dekamaster]

old stories of Japanese
http://www.geocities.co.jp/HeartLand-Gaien/7211/

http://www.e-mama.ne.jp/edut/english/

ii link desu ne! :cool:

[Jack]

я согласиться, но пожалуйста вставляю к говоря английской языку когда тема начатая на английском языке.

how about it eh?