Как пишется шинигами на английском

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Shinigami (Japanese: 死神, lit. ‘kami of death’) are kami that invite humans toward death in certain aspects of Japanese religion and culture. Shinigami have been described as monsters, helpers, and creatures of darkness. Shinigami are used for tales and religions in Japanese culture.^[1][2]

Japanese religion[edit]

In Buddhism, there is the Mara that is concerned with death, the Mrtyu-mara.^[3] It is a demon that makes humans want to die, and it is said that upon being possessed by it, in a shock, one should suddenly want to die by suicide, so it is sometimes explained to be a «shinigami».^[4] Also, in the Yogacarabhumi-sastra, a writing on Yogacara, a demon decided the time of people’s deaths.^[5] Yama, the king of the Underworld, as well as oni such as the Ox-Head and Horse-Face are also considered a type of shinigami.^[1]

In Shinto and Japanese mythology, Izanami gave humans death, so Izanami is sometimes seen as a shinigami.^[1][2] However, Izanami and Yama are also thought to be different from the death gods in Western mythology.^[5][6] Some forms of Buddhism do not involve believing in any deities, so it is sometimes thought that the concept of a death god does not exist to begin with.^[5] Even though the kijin and onryō of Japanese Buddhist faith have taken humans’ lives, there is the opinion that there is no «death god» that merely leads people into the world of the dead.^[6] After the war, however, the Western notion of a death god entered Japan, and shinigami started to become mentioned as an existence with a human nature.^[5]

Ningyō jōruri[edit]

Generally, the word «shinigami» does not appear to be used in Japanese classical literature, and there are not many writings about them;^[7] however, going into the Edo period, the word ‘shinigami’ can be seen in Chikamatsu Monzaemon’s works of ningyō jōruri and classical literature that had themes on double suicides.

In Hōei 3 (1706), in a performance of «Shinchuu Nimai Soushi», concerning men and women who were invited towards death, it was written «the road the god of death leads towards»,^[8] and in Hōei 6 (1709), in «Shinchuuha ha Koori no Sakujitsu», a woman who was about to commit double suicide with a man said, «the fleetingness of a life lured by a god of death».^[9] It never became clear whether the man and woman came to commit double suicide due to the existence of a shinigami, or if a shinigami was given as an example for their situation of double suicide,^[1] and there are also interpretations that the word «shinigami» is an expression for the fleetingness of life.^[10]

Other than that, in Kyōhō 5 (1720), in a performance of The Love Suicides at Amijima, there was the expression, «of one possessed by a god of death». Since the character was seller of paper, the character who confronted death wrote «paper» (紙, kami) as «god» (神, kami),^[11][12] but there are also interpretations that Chikamatsu himself did not think about the existence of a shinigami.^[1]

Classical literature[edit]

In the classical literature of the Edo period, shinigami that would possess humans are mentioned. In the Ehon Hyaku Monogatari from Tenpō 12 (1841), there was a story titled «Shinigami». In this one, however, the shinigami was the spirit of a deceased person and had bad intent. Acting jointly with the malicious intent already within people who were living, those people were led on bad paths, which caused repeat incidents to occur at places where there was previously a murder incident (for example by causing the same suicide at places where people have hanged themselves before),^[13] and thus these shinigami are somewhat like a possession that would cause people to want to die.^{[7][14][clarification needed]} Similar to this, according to the essay of the Bakumatsu period titled «Hogo no Uragaki», there were the itsuki that made people want to commit suicide through various means, namely hanging, as well as things told through folk religion such as gaki-tsuki and shichinin misaki.^[5]

In the later Edo Period, the essay «Shōzan Chomon Kishū» in Kaei 3 (1850) by the essayist Miyoshi Shōzan, the one titled «upon possession by a shinigami, it becomes difficult to speak, or easier to tell lies» was a story where a prostitute possessed by a shinigami invites a man to commit double suicide,^[15][16] and in the kabuki Mekuranagaya Umega Kagatobi by Kawatake Mokuami in Meiji 19 (1886), a shinigami enters into people’s thoughts, making them think about bad things they have done and want to die.^[17] These are, rather than gods, more like yūki (meaning ghosts and yūrei),^[18] or evil spirits.^[1]

In the San-yūtei Enchō of classical rakugo, there was a programme titled «Shinigami», but this was something that was not thought of independently in Japan, but rather from adaptions of the Italian opera the Crispino e la comare^[19] and the Grimm Fairy Tale «Godfather Death».^[20]

Folk religion[edit]

Shinigami are also spoken about in folk religion after the war. According to the mores of Miyajima, Kumamoto Prefecture, those who go out and return to attend to someone through the night must drink tea or eat a bowl of rice before sleeping, and it is said that a shinigami would visit if this was ignored.^[21]

In the Hamamatsu area, Shizuoka Prefecture, a shinigami would possess people and lead them to mountains, seas, and railroads where people have died. In those places, the dead would have a «death turn» (shiniban), and as long as there is nobody to die there next, they shall never ascend even if they were given a service, and it was said that people who were alive would be invited by the dead to come next.^[15] Also, it is ordinary to visit graves for the sake of Higan during noon or when the sun sets, but in the Okayama Prefecture, visiting the grave for Higan during sunrise without a previous time would result in being possessed by a shinigami. However, once one has visited the grave in sunset, then it would become necessary to visit the grave again during sunrise, to avoid a shinigami possessing one’s body.^[15] With this background of folk belief, it is also thought that sometimes people would consider the ghosts of the deceased, who have nobody to deify them, to be seeking companions and inviting people to join them.^[15]

See also[edit]

Notes[edit]

References[edit]

• 大藤時彦 他 (1986). 相賀徹夫 編 (ed.). 日本大百科全書. Vol. 第11巻. 小学館. ISBN 978-4-09-526011-2.
• 木村文輝 (2007). 生死の仏教学. 法藏館. ISBN 978-4-8318-2418-9.
• 多田克己 (1997). «『絵本百物語』の妖怪たち». 絵本百物語 桃山人夜話. 国書刊行会. ISBN 978-4-336-03948-4.
• 近松門左衛門 (1998). 近松門左衛門集. 新編日本古典文学全集. Vol. 2. 鳥越文蔵 他校中・訳. 小学館. ISBN 978-4-09-658075-2.
• 七会静 (2009). よくわかる「世界の死神」事典. 廣済堂文庫. 廣済堂. ISBN 978-4-331-65459-0.
• 村上健司 他編著 (2000). 百鬼夜行解体新書. コーエー. ISBN 978-4-87719-827-5.
• 村上健司編著 (2005). 日本妖怪大事典. Kwai books. 角川書店. ISBN 978-4-04-883926-6.

Shinigami (死神, death god(s); Viz «Soul Reaper(s)«) are guardians of the souls who are going through the circle of transmigration. In ancient times, they were known as Balancers (調整者 (バランサー), Baransā; Japanese for «Regulators«).^[1][2] They purify Hollows who do evil in the World of the Living and ensure the safe crossing of souls — the Pluses who have lost their way after death — by giving them a soul burial.^[3] Shinigami are the opposite of the Quincy.^[4]

Overview

Shinigami are unearthly beings living in a world ruled by a different logic than the World of the Living. They possess high Reiryoku and a body of Reishi. They are invisible to those without spiritual powers.^[5]

When Souls with exceptional spiritual energy train their bodies, they reach the level of Shinigami. The most talented of them become affiliated with various organizations like the Gotei 13 and the Onmitsukidō. The majority of potential Shinigami are born among the residents of the Seireitei, but in some rare cases are born in the Rukongai.^[6]

Shinigami receive salaries, like workers in the Human World^[7][8] and also earn bounties for defeating Hollows.^[9] Retirement from further military duties can occur, though this is rare.^[10][11]

All Shinigami have vents at their wrists which release their Reiatsu. If they are blocked off, the Shinigami in question would be incinerated by their own Reiatsu from the inside out.^[12] If a Shinigami’s Saketsu (鎖結, Chain Binding; Viz «Chain«) and Hakusui (魄睡, Soul Sleep) are pierced, their spiritual powers are sealed up and they most likely can never regain their lost powers again.^[13][14]

Shinigami have a number of supernatural abilities:

• Longevity: Shinigami can live for far longer and age much slower than Humans. Byakuya Kuchiki, one of the youngest current Gotei 13 captains, appeared to be a teenager 110 years before the White Invasion.^[15] In Rukia Kuchiki’s first encounter with Ichigo Kurosaki, she stated to have lived nearly ten times longer than he has.^[16] Shunsui Kyōraku and Jūshirō Ukitake are hundreds of years old,^[17] Retsu Unohana and Kenpachi Zaraki are at least 1,000 years old,^[18][19] and Chōjirō Sasakibe, Ōetsu Nimaiya, and Ichibē Hyōsube have lived for at least 2,000 years;^[20] all of them still appear to be in their prime.^[21][22][23] Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto, the oldest known Shinigami, was middle-aged when he was still an instructor at the Shin’ō Academy 2,100 years before the White Invasion^[24] and hundreds of years before the Quincy Blood War.^[17] In rare cases, such as with Sōsuke Aizen, a Shinigami can achieve immortality and live past their millennia long sentences in Muken.^[25]

• Enhanced Durability and Endurance: While Shinigami can be injured and killed like regular Humans, it takes considerably more attack power and greater injuries to kill a Shinigami than it would to kill Humans.^[26][27] Some Shinigami have sustained multiple slash and stab wounds,^[28] completely ignored dismemberment,^[29] and even survived horizontal bifurcation with treatment.^[30] Decapitation is the only guaranteed method of outright killing a Shinigami.^[31]

• Reiryoku: Shinigami naturally possess high levels of Spiritual Power,^[6] which varies greatly in magnitude with the strength of a Shinigami. The more power a Shinigami has, the sharper their movements will be.^[32] A consequence of having Spiritual Power is that unlike powerless spirits, Shinigami need to eat.^[33]

• Reiatsu: Reiatsu is the pressure exerted from a Shinigami’s Reiryoku, and is used for their various techniques. The Reiatsu of a Shinigami will continue to flow for as long as the heart is still beating; if the heart beats, it is impossible for the Reiatsu to cease. Due to this, prisoners, such as Aizen, who cannot have their heart stopped by any executioner in Soul Society are kept in Muken.^[34]

• Zanpakutō: A Shinigami weapon, its shape is typically similar to a Japanese katana. Low ranking officers are issued an Asauchi sword, but high-ranking officers arm themselves with unique swords generated from their own souls.^[35] A Zanpakutō is a physical manifestation of this force concentrated into a blade.^[36] All Shinigami have a Zanpakutō, but not all of them carry one with them. Its shape differs depending on its owner.^[5]

Exiled Shinigami

There are some Shinigami who exist in exile, namely Yoruichi Shihōin, Tessai Tsukabishi, and Kisuke Urahara.^[37] They will work with the Shinigami at times but still remain in exile.^[38]

Appearance

Most Shinigami appear like average Humans. There are, however, a few Shinigami who are less Human-like in appearance. For example, there are much greater variations in body-sizes between Shinigami than between Humans, with small childlike Shinigami such as the 109 cm tall Yachiru Kusajishi^[39] and giant Shinigami such as Sajin Komamura, who is 288 cm tall.^[40] Variations do not just occur in size but in overall appearance, too, the most notable example being Captain Komamura, who is an anthropomorphic wolf.^[40]

Shihakushō (死覇装, Death-Conquering Garb): The black kimono worn by Shinigami. It is customary to wear a white undergarment underneath. Some wear bright colored scarves with it or shorten the sleeves.^[5] They commonly carry their Zanpakutō, which is in most cases tied to their obi sash.^[41]

Duties

World of the Living

• Konsō (魂葬, Soul Burial): the process by which a Shinigami sends wandering Pluses in the Human World to Soul Society if they are good in life or Hell if their life was full of evil acts (such as murders, theft, etc.). Konsō is performed by using the hilt of the Shinigami’s Zanpakutō, tapping the soul on their forehead and transporting them to the afterlife.^[42]

• Hollow Cleansing: When a Shinigami slays a Hollow with their Zanpakutō, they cleanse their sins. Once this takes place, a Hollow will return to its former state as a Plus and is led into Soul Society. This is called sublimation. Souls that live in Soul Society are reborn again into the Human World. Not all Hollows are sent to the Soul Society. Since Zanpakutō are only capable of cleansing sins committed after becoming a Hollow, Hollows that committed serious crimes when they were still Human are sent to Hell when they are slain.^[43]

• Soul Governance: Shinigami are responsible for governing the flow of spirits between the Human World and Soul Society. This is commonly carried out by balancing the total number of souls by moving and managing them in the Human world. All of the soul-related jobs are under their authority.^[44]

Training

Shinōreijutsuin (真央霊術院, Spiritual Arts Academy): An educational organization with a 2,000-year-old history, founded by Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto. It was once called the Shinigami Academy. It changed to Spiritual Arts Academy when it developed into an institute for the next generation of the Kidō Corps and Onmitsukidō as well the Gotei 13. In the Rukongai, it is still referred to as the Shinigami Academy. The Shinigami Academy is one of two groups that is not under the jurisdiction of the Central 46 Chambers.^[45]

Combat

Zankensoki (「斬」「拳」「走」「鬼」, Cut-Fist-Run-Spirit): Basic Shinigami fighting techniques. Zan refers to sword fighting techniques. Ken refers to unarmed fighting techniques. So refers to moving techniques. Ki refers to Kidō.^[46] According to Sōsuke Aizen, each technique requires a certain level of power, and mastery is determined by one’s own potential.^[47]

• Zanjutsu: Sword fighting techniques for the Zanpakutō. The most basic fighting technique.^[6]

• Hakuda: An unarmed fighting technique that makes use of one’s own body in a fight.^[6]

• Hohō: The name for all high-speed fighting movements based on the art of Shunpo.^[6]

• Kidō: Advanced spells that require strong spiritual power: Hadō and Bakudō.^[6]

Mission Aids

To aid in their missions, particularly when said missions involve more than simply dispatching a Hollow, Shinigami have a number of unique items to assist them in their duties.

• Gigai: The temporary bodies that Shinigami use in the World of the Living. They were created by the Shinigami Research and Development Institute.^[48]

• Jigokuchō: The butterflies that Shinigami use to lead them to the World of the Living. They are also used as messengers in Soul Society.^[48]

• Spiritual Limiter: All Shinigami captains and lieutenants have their spiritual energy reduced by about 80% when they enter the Human World by use of a spiritual limit, represented by a seal called the Gentei Reīn (限定霊印, Soul-Limiting Symbol; Viz «Spirit Restriction Seal«), which resembles the symbol unique to their Division, in order not to cause unnecessarily high damage while there. In extreme cases, where their full power is needed, they can request a limit release. The command to release the seal is Gentei Kaijo (限定解除, Limiter Release; Viz «Restriction Removal«).^[49][50]

• Denreishinki: A vital tool for any Shinigami stationed in the Real World, this variation on a cell phone functions both as a regular phone and as a communication line with the Soul Society. It receives information about the time and exact location of a Hollow’s emergence via GPS. A Shinigami’s kills are also recorded in the phone and can be used as currency (according to the bounty placed on each Hollow).^[51]

• Zajiku (座軸, Set Axis; Viz «Target Axis«): Similar in function to a Denreishinki, this scroll-like object lists a Shinigami’s targets and instructions for their mission.^[52]

• Gokon Tekkō: A glove which has a skull symbol on it, which can be used to force the soul out of a body.^[53] Kisuke Urahara also has a skull symbol on the end of his cane, which can be used in the same manner.^[54]

• Artificial Souls: Souls designed by Shinigami scientists to separate a Shinigami’s spirit from a Gigai, should they be inhabiting one, or to evict stubborn spirits from their corpses if necessary. It is commonly called Soul Candy, as the Shinigami Women’s Association complained that the name «Artificial Soul» was not cute and had it changed.^[55]

• Modified Souls: Artificial souls designed to enhance regular Human physiology, making them capable of battling Hollows equally. The Mod-Souls are condensed into tiny, candy-like orbs and placed into corpses to achieve their function as soldiers to combat Hollows. The Mod-Souls were exterminated after the experiment was halted due to ethical reasons since they were intended to be used to reanimate Human corpses to use as weapons against the Hollows. But there are still a small amount left; namely Kon, Ririn, Kurōdo, and Noba.^[56]

• Kikanshinki (記換神機, Account-Replacing Spirit Device; Viz «Celestial Text Messenger«): A memory substitution device used on humans who have seen Shinigami or Hollows. Also called Kiokuchikan (記憶置換, Memory Replacement).^[57] When used, a bird’s head pops from the top of the device and produces a puff of smoke. The Human it is used on is knocked unconscious and wakes up a while later with a new memory. However, the new memory that the Human acquires is random and often based on the limits of what they will believe. For example, Ichigo’s family merely believed they slept through a truck crashing into their house when it was used on them. Conversely, Orihime Inoue, who has a much more active imagination, believed that her house was attacked by a yakuza gunman.^[58]

Substitute Shinigami

A Substitute Shinigami (死神代行, Shinigami Daikō) is a human who became Shinigami by obtaining another Shinigami’s power, or by going through a much harder and riskier process to transform him/herself into one. Obtaining another Shinigami’s power is done by thrusting his/her Zanpakutō into the person’s chest who wants to obtain the power. However, the percentage of success is low.^[59] In the case of success, the person normally obtains around half of the Shinigami’s power^[60], and only temporarily at that.^[59] The transferral of a Shinigami’s powers to a Human is forbidden by the Soul Society^[61]

In the case of the individual borrowing the power being a Human, several difficulties arise, illustrated by the example of Ichigo. In order to be able to fight as a Shinigami, he has to leave his body and get into soul state, which can only be by use of a Gokon Tekkō or Soul Candy. In the former case, his body needs to be taken care of until he finishes his job and re-enters it.^[62][63]

If a Substitute Shinigami appears, Soul Society gives that Shinigami a special badge which they use to monitor and restrict the Substitute. However, the Substitute is told that it is a license which is given to Substitutes that prove beneficial to Soul Society to allow them to do their work and identify them as a Substitute.^[64][65] The badge alerts the user if Hollows are nearby via an alarm sound which can only be heard by the owner and the item itself is only visible to other spiritually aware beings.^[66] The Badge can also allow the soul to leave the body.^[67]

Visored

Main article: Visored
Shinigami who have gained Hollow abilities, through Hollowfication, and use those abilities to gain power far exceeding and beyond that of a normal Shinigami or Hollow.

Trivia

• In Ryōgo Narita’s novel Bleach: Spirits Are Forever With You, Shinigami lifespans are implied to be even longer, as Sōya Azashiro, who had not achieved immortality, was sentenced to 19,250 years in Muken.^[68]
• In Narita’s novel Bleach: Can’t Fear Your Own World, the Royal Guard are revealed to have eternal life granted by their Ōken, as Ichibē has defended the Soul King for over a million years without growing older.^[69] Nimaiya had also been alive since before Yamamoto even had a Zanpakutō,^[70] yet by the time of the Quincy Blood War, has not aged in the same way as the now elderly Shinigami.^[23]

See also

• List of Shinigami
• Soul Society
• Gotei 13
• Onmitsukidō
• Kidō Corps

References

Navigation

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Shinigami (Japanese: 死神, lit. ‘kami of death’) are kami that invite humans toward death in certain aspects of Japanese religion and culture. Shinigami have been described as monsters, helpers, and creatures of darkness. Shinigami are used for tales and religions in Japanese culture.^[1][2]

Japanese religion[edit]

In Buddhism, there is the Mara that is concerned with death, the Mrtyu-mara.^[3] It is a demon that makes humans want to die, and it is said that upon being possessed by it, in a shock, one should suddenly want to die by suicide, so it is sometimes explained to be a «shinigami».^[4] Also, in the Yogacarabhumi-sastra, a writing on Yogacara, a demon decided the time of people’s deaths.^[5] Yama, the king of the Underworld, as well as oni such as the Ox-Head and Horse-Face are also considered a type of shinigami.^[1]

In Shinto and Japanese mythology, Izanami gave humans death, so Izanami is sometimes seen as a shinigami.^[1][2] However, Izanami and Yama are also thought to be different from the death gods in Western mythology.^[5][6] Some forms of Buddhism do not involve believing in any deities, so it is sometimes thought that the concept of a death god does not exist to begin with.^[5] Even though the kijin and onryō of Japanese Buddhist faith have taken humans’ lives, there is the opinion that there is no «death god» that merely leads people into the world of the dead.^[6] After the war, however, the Western notion of a death god entered Japan, and shinigami started to become mentioned as an existence with a human nature.^[5]

Ningyō jōruri[edit]

Generally, the word «shinigami» does not appear to be used in Japanese classical literature, and there are not many writings about them;^[7] however, going into the Edo period, the word ‘shinigami’ can be seen in Chikamatsu Monzaemon’s works of ningyō jōruri and classical literature that had themes on double suicides.

In Hōei 3 (1706), in a performance of «Shinchuu Nimai Soushi», concerning men and women who were invited towards death, it was written «the road the god of death leads towards»,^[8] and in Hōei 6 (1709), in «Shinchuuha ha Koori no Sakujitsu», a woman who was about to commit double suicide with a man said, «the fleetingness of a life lured by a god of death».^[9] It never became clear whether the man and woman came to commit double suicide due to the existence of a shinigami, or if a shinigami was given as an example for their situation of double suicide,^[1] and there are also interpretations that the word «shinigami» is an expression for the fleetingness of life.^[10]

Other than that, in Kyōhō 5 (1720), in a performance of The Love Suicides at Amijima, there was the expression, «of one possessed by a god of death». Since the character was seller of paper, the character who confronted death wrote «paper» (紙, kami) as «god» (神, kami),^[11][12] but there are also interpretations that Chikamatsu himself did not think about the existence of a shinigami.^[1]

Classical literature[edit]

In the classical literature of the Edo period, shinigami that would possess humans are mentioned. In the Ehon Hyaku Monogatari from Tenpō 12 (1841), there was a story titled «Shinigami». In this one, however, the shinigami was the spirit of a deceased person and had bad intent. Acting jointly with the malicious intent already within people who were living, those people were led on bad paths, which caused repeat incidents to occur at places where there was previously a murder incident (for example by causing the same suicide at places where people have hanged themselves before),^[13] and thus these shinigami are somewhat like a possession that would cause people to want to die.^{[7][14][clarification needed]} Similar to this, according to the essay of the Bakumatsu period titled «Hogo no Uragaki», there were the itsuki that made people want to commit suicide through various means, namely hanging, as well as things told through folk religion such as gaki-tsuki and shichinin misaki.^[5]

In the later Edo Period, the essay «Shōzan Chomon Kishū» in Kaei 3 (1850) by the essayist Miyoshi Shōzan, the one titled «upon possession by a shinigami, it becomes difficult to speak, or easier to tell lies» was a story where a prostitute possessed by a shinigami invites a man to commit double suicide,^[15][16] and in the kabuki Mekuranagaya Umega Kagatobi by Kawatake Mokuami in Meiji 19 (1886), a shinigami enters into people’s thoughts, making them think about bad things they have done and want to die.^[17] These are, rather than gods, more like yūki (meaning ghosts and yūrei),^[18] or evil spirits.^[1]

In the San-yūtei Enchō of classical rakugo, there was a programme titled «Shinigami», but this was something that was not thought of independently in Japan, but rather from adaptions of the Italian opera the Crispino e la comare^[19] and the Grimm Fairy Tale «Godfather Death».^[20]

Folk religion[edit]

Shinigami are also spoken about in folk religion after the war. According to the mores of Miyajima, Kumamoto Prefecture, those who go out and return to attend to someone through the night must drink tea or eat a bowl of rice before sleeping, and it is said that a shinigami would visit if this was ignored.^[21]

In the Hamamatsu area, Shizuoka Prefecture, a shinigami would possess people and lead them to mountains, seas, and railroads where people have died. In those places, the dead would have a «death turn» (shiniban), and as long as there is nobody to die there next, they shall never ascend even if they were given a service, and it was said that people who were alive would be invited by the dead to come next.^[15] Also, it is ordinary to visit graves for the sake of Higan during noon or when the sun sets, but in the Okayama Prefecture, visiting the grave for Higan during sunrise without a previous time would result in being possessed by a shinigami. However, once one has visited the grave in sunset, then it would become necessary to visit the grave again during sunrise, to avoid a shinigami possessing one’s body.^[15] With this background of folk belief, it is also thought that sometimes people would consider the ghosts of the deceased, who have nobody to deify them, to be seeking companions and inviting people to join them.^[15]

See also[edit]

Notes[edit]

References[edit]

• 大藤時彦 他 (1986). 相賀徹夫 編 (ed.). 日本大百科全書. Vol. 第11巻. 小学館. ISBN 978-4-09-526011-2.
• 木村文輝 (2007). 生死の仏教学. 法藏館. ISBN 978-4-8318-2418-9.
• 多田克己 (1997). «『絵本百物語』の妖怪たち». 絵本百物語 桃山人夜話. 国書刊行会. ISBN 978-4-336-03948-4.
• 近松門左衛門 (1998). 近松門左衛門集. 新編日本古典文学全集. Vol. 2. 鳥越文蔵 他校中・訳. 小学館. ISBN 978-4-09-658075-2.
• 七会静 (2009). よくわかる「世界の死神」事典. 廣済堂文庫. 廣済堂. ISBN 978-4-331-65459-0.
• 村上健司 他編著 (2000). 百鬼夜行解体新書. コーエー. ISBN 978-4-87719-827-5.
• 村上健司編著 (2005). 日本妖怪大事典. Kwai books. 角川書店. ISBN 978-4-04-883926-6.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Shinigami (Japanese: 死神, lit. ‘kami of death’) are kami that invite humans toward death in certain aspects of Japanese religion and culture. Shinigami have been described as monsters, helpers, and creatures of darkness. Shinigami are used for tales and religions in Japanese culture.^[1][2]

Japanese religion[edit]

In Buddhism, there is the Mara that is concerned with death, the Mrtyu-mara.^[3] It is a demon that makes humans want to die, and it is said that upon being possessed by it, in a shock, one should suddenly want to die by suicide, so it is sometimes explained to be a «shinigami».^[4] Also, in the Yogacarabhumi-sastra, a writing on Yogacara, a demon decided the time of people’s deaths.^[5] Yama, the king of the Underworld, as well as oni such as the Ox-Head and Horse-Face are also considered a type of shinigami.^[1]

In Shinto and Japanese mythology, Izanami gave humans death, so Izanami is sometimes seen as a shinigami.^[1][2] However, Izanami and Yama are also thought to be different from the death gods in Western mythology.^[5][6] Some forms of Buddhism do not involve believing in any deities, so it is sometimes thought that the concept of a death god does not exist to begin with.^[5] Even though the kijin and onryō of Japanese Buddhist faith have taken humans’ lives, there is the opinion that there is no «death god» that merely leads people into the world of the dead.^[6] After the war, however, the Western notion of a death god entered Japan, and shinigami started to become mentioned as an existence with a human nature.^[5]

Ningyō jōruri[edit]

Generally, the word «shinigami» does not appear to be used in Japanese classical literature, and there are not many writings about them;^[7] however, going into the Edo period, the word ‘shinigami’ can be seen in Chikamatsu Monzaemon’s works of ningyō jōruri and classical literature that had themes on double suicides.

In Hōei 3 (1706), in a performance of «Shinchuu Nimai Soushi», concerning men and women who were invited towards death, it was written «the road the god of death leads towards»,^[8] and in Hōei 6 (1709), in «Shinchuuha ha Koori no Sakujitsu», a woman who was about to commit double suicide with a man said, «the fleetingness of a life lured by a god of death».^[9] It never became clear whether the man and woman came to commit double suicide due to the existence of a shinigami, or if a shinigami was given as an example for their situation of double suicide,^[1] and there are also interpretations that the word «shinigami» is an expression for the fleetingness of life.^[10]

Other than that, in Kyōhō 5 (1720), in a performance of The Love Suicides at Amijima, there was the expression, «of one possessed by a god of death». Since the character was seller of paper, the character who confronted death wrote «paper» (紙, kami) as «god» (神, kami),^[11][12] but there are also interpretations that Chikamatsu himself did not think about the existence of a shinigami.^[1]

Classical literature[edit]

In the classical literature of the Edo period, shinigami that would possess humans are mentioned. In the Ehon Hyaku Monogatari from Tenpō 12 (1841), there was a story titled «Shinigami». In this one, however, the shinigami was the spirit of a deceased person and had bad intent. Acting jointly with the malicious intent already within people who were living, those people were led on bad paths, which caused repeat incidents to occur at places where there was previously a murder incident (for example by causing the same suicide at places where people have hanged themselves before),^[13] and thus these shinigami are somewhat like a possession that would cause people to want to die.^{[7][14][clarification needed]} Similar to this, according to the essay of the Bakumatsu period titled «Hogo no Uragaki», there were the itsuki that made people want to commit suicide through various means, namely hanging, as well as things told through folk religion such as gaki-tsuki and shichinin misaki.^[5]

In the later Edo Period, the essay «Shōzan Chomon Kishū» in Kaei 3 (1850) by the essayist Miyoshi Shōzan, the one titled «upon possession by a shinigami, it becomes difficult to speak, or easier to tell lies» was a story where a prostitute possessed by a shinigami invites a man to commit double suicide,^[15][16] and in the kabuki Mekuranagaya Umega Kagatobi by Kawatake Mokuami in Meiji 19 (1886), a shinigami enters into people’s thoughts, making them think about bad things they have done and want to die.^[17] These are, rather than gods, more like yūki (meaning ghosts and yūrei),^[18] or evil spirits.^[1]

In the San-yūtei Enchō of classical rakugo, there was a programme titled «Shinigami», but this was something that was not thought of independently in Japan, but rather from adaptions of the Italian opera the Crispino e la comare^[19] and the Grimm Fairy Tale «Godfather Death».^[20]

Folk religion[edit]

Shinigami are also spoken about in folk religion after the war. According to the mores of Miyajima, Kumamoto Prefecture, those who go out and return to attend to someone through the night must drink tea or eat a bowl of rice before sleeping, and it is said that a shinigami would visit if this was ignored.^[21]

In the Hamamatsu area, Shizuoka Prefecture, a shinigami would possess people and lead them to mountains, seas, and railroads where people have died. In those places, the dead would have a «death turn» (shiniban), and as long as there is nobody to die there next, they shall never ascend even if they were given a service, and it was said that people who were alive would be invited by the dead to come next.^[15] Also, it is ordinary to visit graves for the sake of Higan during noon or when the sun sets, but in the Okayama Prefecture, visiting the grave for Higan during sunrise without a previous time would result in being possessed by a shinigami. However, once one has visited the grave in sunset, then it would become necessary to visit the grave again during sunrise, to avoid a shinigami possessing one’s body.^[15] With this background of folk belief, it is also thought that sometimes people would consider the ghosts of the deceased, who have nobody to deify them, to be seeking companions and inviting people to join them.^[15]

See also[edit]

Notes[edit]

References[edit]

• 大藤時彦 他 (1986). 相賀徹夫 編 (ed.). 日本大百科全書. Vol. 第11巻. 小学館. ISBN 978-4-09-526011-2.
• 木村文輝 (2007). 生死の仏教学. 法藏館. ISBN 978-4-8318-2418-9.
• 多田克己 (1997). «『絵本百物語』の妖怪たち». 絵本百物語 桃山人夜話. 国書刊行会. ISBN 978-4-336-03948-4.
• 近松門左衛門 (1998). 近松門左衛門集. 新編日本古典文学全集. Vol. 2. 鳥越文蔵 他校中・訳. 小学館. ISBN 978-4-09-658075-2.
• 七会静 (2009). よくわかる「世界の死神」事典. 廣済堂文庫. 廣済堂. ISBN 978-4-331-65459-0.
• 村上健司 他編著 (2000). 百鬼夜行解体新書. コーエー. ISBN 978-4-87719-827-5.
• 村上健司編著 (2005). 日本妖怪大事典. Kwai books. 角川書店. ISBN 978-4-04-883926-6.

Shinigami: перевод, синонимы, произношение, примеры предложений, антонимы, транскрипция

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