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Post by Lady Anastasia on Jan 19, 2007 6:30:02 GMT -5
Konohanasakuya-hime Konohanasakuya-hime (–؉ԔVŠJ–ë•P) commonly known as Konohana, in Japanese mythology, is the blossom-princess and symbol of delicate earthly life. She is the daughter of the mountain god Ohoyamatsumi. She is often considered an avatar of Japanese life, especially since her symbol is the sakura, or cherry blossom. She is the wife of Ninigi. She met the god on the seashore, and they fell in love; Ninigi asked Oho-Yama for her hand in marriage. Oho-Yama proposed his older daughter, Iha-Naga, instead, but Ninigi had his heart set on Ko-no-hana. Oho-Yama agreed and Ninigi and Ko-no-hana married. Ko-no-hana became pregnant in just one night, causing suspician in Ninigi. He wondered if this was the child of another kami. Ko-no-hana was enraged at Ninigi's accusation and entered a doorless hut where she then set fire to it. She vowed that the child would not be hurt if it were truly the offspring of the heavenly kami Ninigi. In the hut, Ko-no-hana had three sons, Hoderi, Hosuseri, and Hoori. She is the goddess of Mount Fuji.
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Post by Lady Anastasia on Jan 19, 2007 6:45:20 GMT -5
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Post by Lady Anastasia on Jan 19, 2007 6:54:28 GMT -5
The Goddess of Mt. Fuji
"Konohansakuyahime no Mikoto" Fuji Sengen Shrine's Venerable Goddess---by Sylvia Zemke
Within the cedar forest at the foot of Mt. Fuji is a sacred Shinto shrine named Fuji Sengen Jinja. This shrine has been a place of purification and ritual since the 9th century and continues to be the center of myth and tradition for the people of Fujiyoshida.
Konohanasakuyahime is the goddess who resides in the inner depths of the main shrine building. There are many legends about Konohanasakuyahime, including the famous story of how she gained her title as goddess of fire and childbirth.
Konohanasakuyahime was a stunning goddess. Her beauty was so pure and lovely that it made everyone a bit crazy with jealousy. When she became pregnant with her husband's child, he began to doubt the legitimacy of his role in the matter. Something had to be done a. To test her devotion and fidelity (his line of thinking) b. To prove the truth of her love for him (her line of thinking) So, it was decided that the baby would be born amidst a raging fire. If the child were truly the offspring of the two immortals then it would emerge unscathed. If, however, the child were of another, it would shrivel in the fire and thus, reveal her betrayal. As the story goes, the child survived its parent's seemingly cruel test and gave its mother her notoriety as a protector of 'those who might be threatened by fire'.
Actually, Konohanasakuyahime had little or no connection with the Fuji Sengen shrine in the early days of its existence. The shrine's original god wasn't replaced until the 14-16th centuries. (Her adoption and his dismissal may have been due to his inability to keep Fuji subdued!) These days, Konohanasakuyahime is allowed to leave her home once a year and is jostled about in a portable shrine at Fujiyoshida's Fire Festival*. While she is the honored guest at the annual event, catching a glimpse of her is forbidden. It is rumored that the maddening effects her beauty has made her vain and jealous. If she were allowed to see and be seen, she might catch the eye of a woman more beautiful than she. And if this were to happen, one can easily guess what disaster her wrath could invoke!
It seems that Konohanasakuyahime's vanity extended even beyond her beauty. Another famous legend tells of her quest to be the goddess of the tallest mountain in Japan.
Long, long ago Mt. Fuji and Mt. Yatsugatake were the highest mountains in Japan. The goddess of Mt. Fuji, Konohanasakuyahime, and the goddess of Mt. Yatsugatake, Oyamazumi began to argue and bicker. "I'm the tallest mountain in Japan!" "Oh no, I can see straight into your crater! I'm much higher than you!" This fighting didn't seem to have an end until finally, an idea struck them: "Let's use water!" Taking advantage of gravity, they placed a pipe full of water on the peaks of their respective mountains. When they opened both ends of the pipe, the water began to flow rapidly in the direction of Mt.Fuji! Oyamazumi squealed in delight, but Konohanasakuyahime was so enraged that she swept up a stick the size of Yamanashi prefecture and bashed Mt. Yatsugatake on the head over and over again. She hit it so many times, and with such force, that it broke into the eight peaks that it is named after today.
While Konohanasakuyahime is given credit through legend for Mt. Fuji's stature, she is not the only goddess who has been said to affect Fuji's behavior. In the 5th century AD there began the story of the beautiful and mysterious Kaguyahime. These days, the legend of Kaguyahime is well known in Japan. The following version may sound familiar, but it has a distinctively different twist at the end. Once upon a time there was an old couple that had no children. One day while in a bamboo grove near Mt. Fuji, the old man saw a bright light shining among the tall green stalks. "What could that be?" he wondered to himself. He moved closer towards the light and discovered a tiny baby girl! The couple named her Kaguyahime: "she who shines brightly". As Kaguyahime grew, she became the most beautiful woman that anyone had ever seen. She was sought after by many and finally accepted the hand of a local governor. They lived together blissfully for many years until one day she told him that she was not a human and was actually the Immortal Lady of Mt. Fuji, and that she must return to the sacred mountain. Her husband was devastated. He wept bitterly, so to sooth him, Kaguyahime gave him a magic mirror in which he could see her image anytime his heart grew heavy. With a final kiss, she vanished. Although he had been warned not to seek her out, his heart ached for her and he climbed to the top of Mt. Fuji. When he got to the summit, she was nowhere to be seen. Feeling that his life had no meaning, he clutched the mirror to his heart and jumped into the center of the crater. His desire for Kaguyahime was so great, that when he died, his love burst from his heart and the mirror caught fire. The smoke that rose from the crater on that day, and from that day forward, was the swirling reminder of his passions. In the 12th century a poem was written about this legend:
Trailing down the wind the smoke of Fuji vanishes into space till nothing lingers of my love's deep fires.
Walking down the cool tree-lined path that leads up to Fuji Sengen Jinja, one is reminded of the length of Japan's history and the richness of its legends and culture. If you have the chance to visit on a quiet day, take your time. Absorb the details: the birds overhead, the sound of the gravel underfoot, the cool taste of water from the dragon's mouth. Trace your fingers across the characters carved in the enormous slabs of stone. Imagine what the shrine is like in the snows of winter, in the dead of night, or with scores of summer dragonflies dancing through the air. Or, of equally awe-inspiring proportions, go to Fuji Sengen Jinja on a festival day. Be prepared to become part of an enduring history that is reborn year after year. Let yourself be swept up. Participate fully and take part in the continuing traditions that keep legends and goddesses alive!
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