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Tomoe (巴, also written鞆絵),[a] commonly translated as "comma",[2][3] is a comma-like swirl symbol used in Japanesemon (roughly equivalent to aheraldic badge orcharge in European heraldry). It closely resembles the usual form of amagatama.
Thetomoe appears in many designs with various uses. The simplest, most common patterns of thedevice contain from one to fourtomoe, and are reminiscent of similar designs that have been found in wide distribution around the world. When circumscribed in a circle, it often appears in a set of three, with this design known as themitsudomoe (三ツ巴).[4]
Originally, the Chinese character 巴, a hieroglyphic character that represents a person lying on their stomach was applied, because of the similarity in shape. But it is likely not directly related to the Japanese word "Tomoe" itself. The character巴 (Chinese pronunciationbā) has several meanings, ranging from aSichuantoponym to a crust formed by dryness, parts of the body such as hands or cheeks, and, as a verb, bearing the sense of "to hope", "expect" or "be anxious over". TheChinese character used to depict, according toBernhard Karlgren's interpretation of thesmall seal script graph, apython.[5]
The most common view is that the word refers to a picturee (絵) of atomo (鞆), or drawings on the latter, thetomo in question, inarchaic Japanesetömö,[b] being a round leather arm protector, like thebracer or gauntlet tab of European archery.[8]Roy Andrew Miller describes it as "a small hollow sack or bulb of sewn leather with leather tie straps, sometimes embossed with a comma like decorative device (tomoe) of continental origin".[6] It was worn on the left elbow or wrist of an archer either to prevent chafing from the bowstring (tsuru: 弦) twanging back to position on the release of an arrow, or to strike fear into the enemy from the sharp sound caused by the bowstring hitting the wrist guard.[9][10][6] The 'tomo picture' (tomoe) can therefore be interpreted either as a visual pun on the tomo represented, or, otherwise, as taking its name from that object. Several such examples are conserved in Nara at theShōsōin.[6]
Another view is The Japanese word itself may be ofMongolic origin, since it bears comparison withMiddle Mongoltomuüa "twisted horse headdress", from the verbtomu (plait, twist), andOrdos Mongoliant'omok ('a little bag hung on a horse's head'). In this latter connectionTang ceramic figures of horses show small sacks tethered to the lower neck, perhaps to stop the horse from throwing its head back.[11]
The origin of thetomoe design is uncertain. The most common view is that tomoe patterns originated inmagatama jewelry fromlate Jōmon period approximately 1,000 BCE of Japan which was used for the shinto rituals. A pattern resembling the two-commatomoe (futatsudomoe) has been found in ancient cultures on all inhabited continents.[12] A stylized design on aYangshao bowl dates back to 2,000 BCE.[13] The motif of two encircling dolphins biting each other's tails has been found onCretan ceramics dating from theMinoan period (1700–1400 BCE), and the two fish biting each other in circular fashion recurs in both Chinese and Central Mexican ware.[14] It is frequently seen on prehistoric Celtic remains, and one mirror fromBalmaclellan is almost identical to themitsudomoe.[15] In China, the double comma form came to be assimilated to theYin-Yang philosophy of opposing male/female principles, formalized in theTàijítú design of thelate Song dynasty period.[c] This in turn recurs in the seventh century inUnified Silla (now Korea), where it was known astaegeuk.[17] and also in the Japanesefutatsudomoe andmitsudomoe patterns, the former in association withdivinatory rites, the latter frequently linked to temple drums withapotropaic functions.[3] According toJean Herbert in these contexts, themitsudomoe embodied three spirits, theyin-yang dyad being represented by anaramitama (roughkami) and anigimitama (gentle kami), while the third comma denoted thesakimitama, or lucky spirit.[d] However, there is no clear evidence tomoe, taijitu and yin-yang is directly related.
Neil Gordon Munro argued that the basis for themitsudomoe pattern, a motif found also among theAinu, was the eastern European and western Asian figure of thetriskelion, which he believed lay behind the Chinesethree-legged crow design, and, in his view, its reflex in the mythical Japanese crow, theYatagarasu (八咫烏).[18][19]
As a leather[e] wrist protectortomo appear to have been employed at least as early as theKofun period, where they are frequently attested onhaniwaterracotta figurines depicting archers,[21] and may even have had, aside from their military function, a ritual or fetish value, perhaps related to theirphallic shape.[11] The pattern was also interpreted as water swirling, and because it is a water-related pattern, the Tomoe pattern was applied to roof tiles on buildings at the end of the Heian period as a fire protection.
The tomoe emblem established itself as a common emblem during theFujiwara ascendency of the lateHeian period, around the 10th–11th centuries, and proliferated through toKamakura times. It is thought that a resemblance between the tomoe and theEmperor Ōjin found in theNihongi may also account for its rising popularity among samurai, since Ōjin wasapotheosized as a god in Hachiman shrines.[9][22]
In the Nihongi account, when Ōjin was born, inspection of his body revealed a fleshy growth on his arm similar to a warrior's wrist or elbow pad, and for this reason he was calledhomuta (誉田: lit.(Lord) Armguard)[23] (OJ:pomuda),[f] an old word for atomo.[g]
Fragmentary sources suggest that theFirst Shō dynasty, who founded theRyukyu Kingdom, used the symbol if not as their family crest. American historian George H. Kerr claims that KingShō Toku adopted the mitsudomoe as the crest of the royal house after his successful invasion ofKikai Island in 1465.(Kerr 2011, p. 101) TheSecond Shō dynasty, who ruled the Ryukyu Kingdom from 1470 to 1879, adopted the mitsudomoe as its family crest. Since it was the royal family crest, its usage was once severely restricted. Okinawans who visited Japan shortly after thekingdom's annexation in 1879 were surprised that mitsudomoe banners were flown everywhere.[27] During the American military occupation ofOkinawa Prefecture, theUnited States Civil Administration of the Ryukyu Islands (USCAR) made a failed attempt to recreate aRyukyuan national flag with a mitsudomoe, only to find that Okinawans were apathetic towards, or did not recognize, the former royal family's symbol. Today the symbol is still regarded as a symbol for Ryukyu and, to a lesser extent, Okinawa.
Themitsudomoe is closely associated withShinto shrines, in particularthose dedicated to Hachiman, the god of war and archery.Hachiman in Shinto cosmology and ritual, as for example atHakozaki Shrine, is repeatedly connected with the number three.[28] In Shintoist thinking, this number is taken to represent the three aspects of the four mitama or 'souls' (the other, thekushimitama being considered far rarer).[29]
It is also commonly displayed on banners and lanterns used in festivals and rituals related to Amaterasu-ōmikami,[30] who in theKojiki confronts her brotherSusanoo when he usurps her terrain on earth by dressing as an archer, adorned with magatama beads and 'an awesome high arm-guard' (itu nö takatömö).[h]
A third element of its symbolic panorama concerns water, an association engendered by its swirling pattern. For this reason, it is said to be located on roofs and gables as a charm against fire.[32]
Since Hachiman was worshipped as the guardian of warriors, it was adopted as a common design element in Japanese family emblems (家紋,kamon) by varioussamurai clans[33] such as theNagao,Kobayakawa andUtsunomiya. Among aristocrats, theSaionji family used it as its family emblem. TheKoyasanShingon sect of Buddhism uses the mitsudomoe as a visual representation of the cycle of life.
Tomoe also is a personal name, dating at least back toTomoe Gozen (巴御前), a famousfemale warrior celebrated inThe Tale of the Heike account of theGenpei War. In Kyoto'sJidai Matsuri festival, she appears in the Heian period section of the procession in samurai costume, and parades as a symbol of feminine gallantry.[34]
The mitsudomoe is also the symbol of the Electro element in the video gameGenshin Impact, due to the fact that the element's associated domain, Inazuma, is based on ancient or medieval Japan. Eneru, the antagonist of the Skypiea arc ofOne Piece – whose body is made of lightning – has a shoulder accessory consisting of four drums withmitsudomoe designs, which he can tap with his staff to amplify his power. This is, itself, a reference to the Japanese lightning godRaijin, further solidifying the symbol's association with lightning and electricity.
The tomoe has also been adopted as acorporatelogo in Japan.[35]
The mitsudomoe is also the logo of theOBS Studio application since it released in 2012.[36]
The two-foldtomoe is almost identical in its design elements to the Chinese symbol known as ataijitu, while the three-foldtomoe is similar to the Koreantricolored taegeuk which is originated in taijitsu. However, there is no clear evidence tomoe and taijitu is directly related. Also note that the negative space in between the swirls of a fourfoldtomoe forms aswastika-like shape, which is fairly prominent in many Indian religions such asHinduism andJainism andBuddhism. A similar design can also be found in the some forms of theCeltic spiraltriskele as well as with theBasquelauburu and the SicilianTrinacria.
