"My Own Inari": Personalization of the Deity in Inari Worship
There is a great deal of personalization of the kami in the worship of Inari. On Inari Mountain in Fushimi, for example, Inari is worshipped under tens of thousands of names, a phenomenon seen in contemporary Buddhist forms of Inari worship as well. This article describes various aspects of this per...
| Published in: | Japanese journal of religious studies |
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| Main Author: | |
| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
Nanzan Institute
[1996]
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| In: |
Japanese journal of religious studies
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| Further subjects: | B
Shrine Shinto
B Buddhism B Home altars B Personalization B Deities B Religious Studies B Priests B Japanese culture |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (kostenfrei) |
| Summary: | There is a great deal of personalization of the kami in the worship of Inari. On Inari Mountain in Fushimi, for example, Inari is worshipped under tens of thousands of names, a phenomenon seen in contemporary Buddhist forms of Inari worship as well. This article describes various aspects of this personalization, sketches its historical background, and gives examples of how devotees understand their "own" Inari. It also explores the relation between cultural understandings of the fox in Japan and expressions of individuality within Inari worship, suggesting that the fox is, among other things, a powerful metaphor for the distinct, yet private, individuality that balances social personae in Japan. |
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| Contains: | Enthalten in: Japanese journal of religious studies
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