two nearby springs, "Ukinju" and "Hainju", became important sites for religious pilgrimages.
As a site of worship, Seefa Utaki has traditionally been considered a kind of Okinawa Jamestown, linking the present Okinawan to his ancestral heritage; it is also the prototype for local Community Utaki (sacred groves) all over the island.
SISTER KAMI
Prior to 1429 Okinawa was divided into many principalities, each headed by a hereditary chief or lord (aji/anji). Each aji was assisted by a sibling priestess (chimi) who sustained his position and power by exerting an influence with the spirits that he, a male, did not have. This arrangement has been associated with the oral tradition of the two creator sibling deities. One authority2 reports that the widespread belief throughout the island that the spirit of the sister, living or dead, has both the power to protect her brother from evil and the power to curse him. He reports instances of old men who as boys were instructed by parents not to misbehave toward their sisters lest her spirit bring misfortune to them. Girls, on the other hand, were counselled to maintain friendly relations with their brothers on whom they must rely as adults.
Belief in the spiritual predominance of the sister is not held uniformly throughout Okinawa. It is reported3 that a folk song on the Miyako main island tells of a sister giving a textile to her departing brother; but the people are reported as not knowing what the song implies.
On the other hand, some writers4 strongly believe that this concept of sister kami has served as the origin of the noro/nuru as a force in Okinawan religious life. This conviction is based upon the logic that if a man, as head of a household, would rely upon his sister's kami, how much more likely would a village chief or lord, for his responsibility was even greater. The direct relation of the concept of sister kami to the noro is not accepted by all students of Okinawa.
Конец ознакомительного фрагмента.
Текст предоставлен ООО «ЛитРес».
Прочитайте эту книгу целиком, купив полную легальную версию на ЛитРес.
Безопасно оплатить книгу можно банковской картой Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, со счета мобильного телефона, с платежного терминала, в салоне МТС или Связной, через PayPal, WebMoney, Яндекс.Деньги, QIWI Кошелек, бонусными картами или другим удобным Вам способом.
