Lafcadio Hearn: Japan's Great Interpreter by Louis Allen Jean Wilson

Author:Louis Allen, Jean Wilson [Louis Allen, Jean Wilson]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Social Science, Ethnic Studies, General
ISBN: 9781134238866
Google: P2HwDwAAQBAJ
Barnesnoble:
Goodreads: 56202098
Publisher: Routledge
Published: 2020-07-09T00:00:00+00:00

Footnotes:

1. The white fox is a favourite subject with Japanese artists. Some very beautiful kakemono representing white foxes were on display at the Tokyo exhibition of 1890. Phosphorescent foxes often appear in the old coloured prints, now so rare and precious, made by artists whose names have become world-famous. Occasionally foxes are represented wandering about at night, with lambent tongues of dim fire - kitsune-bi - above their heads. The end of the fox's tail, both in sculpture and drawing, is ordinarily decorated with the symbolic jewel (tama) of old Buddhist art. I have in my possession one kakemono representing a white fox with a luminous jewel in its tail. I purchased it at the Matsue temple of Inari, 'O-Shiroyama-no-Inari-Sama'. The art of the kakemono is clumsy; but the conception possesses curious interest,

2. The Japanese candle has a large hollow paper wick. It is usually placed upon an iron point which enters into the orifice of the wick at the flat end.

3. See Professor Chamberlain's Things Japanese, under the title 'Demoniacal Possession'.

4. Translated by Walter Dening.

5. The word shizoku is simply the Chinese for samurai. But the term now means little more than 'gentleman' in England.

6. The fox-messenger travels unseen. But if caught in a trap, or injured, his magic fails him, and he becomes visible.

7. The Will-o'-the-Wisp is called Kitsune-bi, or 'fox-fire'.

8. Aburage is a name given to fried bean-curds or tofu. Azukimeshi is a preparation of red beans boiled with rice.

9. The hōin or yamabushi was a Buddhist exorciser, usually a priest. Strictly speaking, the hdin was a yamabushi of higher rank. The yamabushi used to practise divination as well as exorcism. They were forbidden to exercise these professions by the present government; and most of the little temples formerly occupied by them have disappeared or fallen into ruin. But among the peasantry Buddhist exorcisers are still called to attend cases of fox-possession, and while acting as exorcisers are still spoken of as yamabushi.

10. A most curious paper on the subject of Ten-gan, or Infinite Vision - being the translation of a Buddhist sermon by the priest, Sata Kaiseki - appeared in vol. vii of the Transactions of the Asiatic Society of Japan, from the pen of Mr J. M. James. It contains an interesting consideration of the supernatural powers of the Fox.

11. All the portable lanterns used to light the way upon dark nights bear a mon or crest of the owner.

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