Thehama yumi (破魔弓; lit. 'evil-destroying bow') is asacred bow (yumi) used in 1103 A.D. inJapan.[1] This bow is said to be one of the oldest and most sacred Japanese weapons; the first EmperorJimmu is always depicted carrying a bow.
According to legend; at that time, the Imperial Palace was taken over by anevil demon, which caused theEmperor to fall ill with great anxiety and suffering. When the Imperial High Priests tried and failed in their efforts to destroy the demon and dispel the Imperial household of its influence, they were at a loss. Finally, anarcher,Minamoto no Yorimasa, was summoned to the Imperial Palace in the hopes of slaying the demon with hisbow and arrow, ridding the palace of this plague.[2] With a steady hand and avirtuous heart, Yorimasa vanquished the demon with the first arrow, and his bow was declared to be ahama yumi, an "Evil-Destroying Bow" (and the first arrow ahama ya an "Evil-Destroying Arrow").
Since then,hama yumi have been used inBuddhist andShintorituals ofpurification (i.e.,Shihōbarai, 四方払い, the Purification/Sweep of theFour Directions). In Japan, it is believed that merely the twanging of itsbowstring will frighten away ghosts, evil spirits and negative influences from the house. Amiko will carry ahama yumi and a set ofhama ya as part of their religiousregalia, while back inFeudal Japan, they were used quite literally in defence of the shrine or temple.
As a result, hamaya (破魔矢; lit. 'evil-destroying arrows'), decorative arrows, are sold even today at shrines asEngimono (good-luck charms); smaller replicas have been placed in shrines and people's homes. It is believed that even just oneHama-Ya which has been blessed by a Shinto Priest carries great spiritual power, will bring protection against the forces of evil, and for purification, and they are also believed to have the ability to attract vast good fortune.Hama ya andhama yumi are often given as gifts to celebrate the first New Year of a male baby's life.
Hama-yumi replicas are scale versions of the sacred Japanese bow, coated withurushi, wrapped in finerattan and accented ingold leaf. They are displayed in a stand, along with two arrows tipped withyanone (traditional warrior tips); one representingmale and the otherfemale,yin and yang (vermilion signifying male energy (yang), and black representing female energy (yin)).
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| Japanese creation myth | ||
| Takamagahara mythology | ||
| Izumo mythology | ||
| Hyūga mythology | ||
| Human age | ||
| Mythological locations | ||
| Mythological weapons | ||
| Major Buddhist figures | ||
| Seven Lucky Gods | ||
| Legendary creatures | ||
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