Folks, Samurais and Oni in Japanese legends

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Oni, not a demon but  a kind of  God in Hanamatsuri, Tsuki, Toei-chou town Aichi pref

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Oni at Hanamatsuri in Toei-chou town, Aichi pref. 2015

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Watanabe-no Tsuna to fighit with Oni(5)

The foster mother seemed to be glad and talked to him about their past days and future to come. And she asked Tsuna, 'By the way, you said that you have a seven day's religious abstinence(*1). What on earth is the matter with you?' Tsuna thought the matter was not to be kept secret, so he told her what he had experienced. She said ' How heavy trouble and abstinence you have!  If I had known it, I would not have had a grudge against you. I'd like to see Oni's arm because I'm your parent , a person to protect you from any danger. It would be no problem. ' Tsuna said ' Maybe no problem. But it's sealed very strictly. Until the7th day, I would not be allowed to open it.  Tomorrow evening, I can show it.' The foster mother said reproachfully ' Well well,  I don't insist on seeing it.  I shall go home before dawn'. Inevitably  Tsuna opened the seal and put the Oni's arm in front of her. Many times she watched it and said ' How disgusting !  What I see now is Oni's arm!' She pretend to put it,  but stood up grasping it. No sooner had she said 'This is of my own . I shall take it'   than she transformed herself into an agree Oni. Then it flew and kicked the gable to break . Giving off  errie  light, it had gone and disappeared.

(The end of the story. This story is translated by Shige. from Japanese ancient writing to English)

*1 religious abstinence

In the case of being touched by evil split, we had a religious abstinence. Or even now, someone needed to have more pure and clean split will perform this religious abstinence. You can see such a ritual before long.

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Watanabe-no Tsuna to fighit with Oni(4)

Hearing his words the foster mother cried very contritely and said 'It is the matter beyond the reach of my  power. But how deeply do you think I have loved and nourished you since I've got you from your parents ?  At many nights I did not sleep soundly because of putting you on dry place in my house and laying myself down at wet. Until you got 4 or 5 years old I took care of you not to be exposed to wild wind so that you may grow up, so that you may become superior to others. Every days and nights I prayed. In reward for it, now no follower at Yorimitsu's is finer than you. I'm glad that everyone admire you. But I live too far away to come up to see you.  A desire to see my son leaded me wrongly. Recently I had bad dreams about you.  That anxiety made me come up to Kyoto but I'm not allowed to enter. You do not treat me as a parent. I love you in vain. To Tsuna what she said sounded very reasonable. So he opened the door.

To be continued

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Oni in Hanamatsuri , Toei-cho Town in Aichi pref. 2015

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Watanabe-no Tsuna to fighit with Oni(3)

On 6th day's evening, someone knocked on the Tuna's gate. 'Who?' His retainer asked. There was a reply. 'I'm a Tuna's foster mother. I came up to Kyoto from our home villege Watanabe in order to see him'. She was a Tuna's aunt. She had brought Tsuna up instead of his parents. Tsuna afraid that she would get angry if he only let his retainer deal with her. So he went to the inside of the gate in person and said 'It happened that you came up to Kyoto when I've been in 7 days' religious abstinence. Today is the 6th day. Whatever may betide I must not go out or see anyone until tomorrow. Would you put up at an inn? Day after tomorrow I'm going to receive you'

To be continued

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A statue of Abe-no Seimei at Seimei Shrine in Kyoto

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Watanabe-no Tsuna to fighit with Oni(2)

Tsuna draw the sword 'Higekiri' very calmly and cut Oni's arm away with it. He fell hard on the roof of cloister at Kitano Shrine. Oni flew toward Atagoyama mountain without its arm. Oni's hand had still grasped his hair. He took it off and saw it. Just while ago it had been snow white skin color, but then it was extremely dark with white bristle like wire or pins. He returned to his master Yorimitsu's house and showed it. Yorimitsu was surprised to see it and felt that the matter was amazing and mysterious. So he told summon Seimei'(a famous augur). Yorimitsu asked Abeno Seimei 'How should we cope with this situation'. Seimei answered 'For seven days, Tsuna is to keep a religious abstinence by himself. You must conceal Oni's arm from view strictly. And read on Niou-kyou prayer book '. Then everything was held as Seimei said.

To be continued

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‘Ichizyou-modoribashi 一条戻り橋’  today in Kyoto

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Watanabe-no Tsuna to fighit with Oni(1)

There was a legend about a samurai who fought with oni.

His name was Watanabeno Tsuna(渡辺　綱).　He was a strong and brave samurai lived about middle of Heian period(A.D.794- 1192). ( In this period The Capital was Kyoto, the aristocracy dominated the whole nation).

The place where they had a fight was 'Ichizyou Modoribashi' 「一条戻り橋」,that is, 'The bridge of going back(do not pass over)' 　Through long ages, this bridge was rebuilt many times. And even now you can see it at the same place in Kyoto

In one text of 'Heike Mnogatari' 『平家物語』(written in 13th century), we can find the story....

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　A samurai leader Minamotono Yorimitsu had four famous retainers. Among them, Watanabeno Tsuna was a strongest one.

One day Yorimitsu sent Tsuna on errand to Ichizyou-Oomiya.　It would get late to finish that business, so Tsuna rode on horse with Higekiri(a fabulous sward). On his way back he reached at west foot of Ichizyou-Modoribashi bridge. Then he found a woman at opposite side of the bridge. A graceful woman having snow white skin, wearing a beautiful kimono, with no follower. She was heading south. When Tsuna made his horse go onto the bridge, she clapped her hands saying familiarly ' Where are you going ? I live in Gozyou. It became late at night. I feel fear. Would you take me home? '

Tsuna jumped off his horse and said ' Please ride on my horse'.  Tsuna held her in his arms to have her ride on his horse. Then he let his horse head south along the east river side of Horikawa.

Soon she turned back to him and said 'In fact I need not go to Gozyou. My house is out of Kyoto. Would you take me there?' Tsuna said' No problem. I'll go wherever you want'

And then the woman took on the shape of another stern being, that is Oni. It said ' Where I shall go is Atagoyama Mountain' . It grasped Tuna's hair and flew to northwest with him.

To be continued

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A girl dancing around the fire, at Hanamatsuri in 1980′s

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vs Oni. at Hanamatsuri in 1980′s

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Children dancing around the fire in ‘Maido’(dancing place) , in Hanamatsuri 1980′s

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What is the Oni ?

Oni have one or two horns on their heads. have red or blue skin,very tall and strong, sometimes wear underpants made of tiger's fur which they got at hunting.

And they have some weapons in their hands like broadaxes or metal bats.

Buddhists in Japan say that Oni are living in the hell and work to punish the dead people who made sins when they were alive.

To this human world the Oni come. They stay in the darkness and eat human beings!  And Sometimes they fight with samurai. We can find a lot of such stories in Japanese old literature.

So even today we have a ceremony early in February to oust them from our houses. Called 'Mamemaki'. Commonly father wears a mask of Oni, and at him his wife and children throw beens saying 'ONIWA SOTO'(Hey Oni. go out from our house) .

* Oh poor father!

On the other hands some people feel Oni to be  God.

Please look at the picture above. I took this photo at 'Hanamatsuri' (Flower Festival) being held from late in November to early January in some villages of interior provinces of Aichi Prefecture.

In this festival people are looking forward to Oni's appearance.And then , human being  and Oni get together to dance all night through, more than 24 hours!

That is Japan, unknown.