Mirrors in Shinto
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A divine mirror (神鏡, Shinkyou) is a mirror used in shinto shrines and rituals. Some mirrors are worshiped in the main building of a shrine as a sacred object of the divine spirit, or are placed before the deity in a hall of worship. [1]
Spirits are enshrined in divine mirrors as Shintai. [2] Mirrors are believed to have been used to reflect sunlight during sun worship, creating optical effects [3]
In the Nihon Shoki, Amaterasu gave her grandson, Ninigi-no-Mikoto, the mirror Yata no Kagami and told him : “Take this and worship it as if it were myself.” [4] That mirror is one of the Three Sacred Treasures of the Japanese Imperial family. [5]
Shinto followers believe that by worshiping a mirror, they recognize and honor the divine within themselves.[6] [4]
Related pages
[change | change source]References
[change | change source]- ↑ "Shinto Shrine Yushoku Kokusitsu", p. 129, 7, July 1, 1951. Published by the Jinja Main Office on July 1, 1951
- ↑ 日本国語大辞典,デジタル大辞泉,世界大百科事典内言及, 精選版. "神鏡とは". コトバンク (in Japanese). Retrieved 2022-05-09.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ↑ "Mirrors may have worked magic in ancient Japanese rituals". www.kaogu.cn. Retrieved 2022-05-09.
- 1 2 "The circular mirror: Shinto symbol". Green Shinto. 2012-02-17. Retrieved 2022-05-15.
- ↑ Denney, John W. (2011). Respect and Consideration. Lulu.com. pp. 321, 318–326. ISBN 978-0-9568798-0-6.
- ↑ "The Magic Mirror Maker". Kyoto Journal. 2014-02-04. Retrieved 2022-05-15.