 |
| Votive talismans designed for the home |
|---|
| Ofuda, andJingū taima when fromIse Jingu |
| Votive paper slips applied to the gates of shrines |
| Senjafuda |
| Amulets sold at shrines for luck and protection |
| Omamori |
| Wooden plaques representing prayers and wishes |
| Ema |
| Paper fortunes received by making a small offering |
| O-mikuji |
| Stamps collected at shrines |
| Shuin |
Ema (絵馬,lit. 'picture-horse') are smallwooden plaques, common to Japan, in whichShinto andBuddhist worshippers write prayers or wishes.Ema are left hanging up at theshrine, where thekami (spirits or gods) are believed to receive them.[1]: 25 This is particularly evident at shrines such as the atIkoma Shrine, whereema more often than usual indicate great despair or tragedy in one's life and show a heavy dependence on divine intervention.[2] However,ema have been hung up for many other purposes, such as advertisements for certain Kabuki groups at shrines such asNaritasan Shinshôji in theChiba prefecture.[3] Typically 15 cm (5.9 in) wide and 9 cm (3.5 in) tall, they often carry images or are shaped like animals, or symbols from thezodiac, Shinto, or the particular shrine or temple.[1]: 26 In ancient times,[when?] people would donatehorses to the shrines for good favor; over time this was transferred to a wooden plaque with a picture of a horse, and later still to the various wooden plaques sold today for the same purpose.[4]: 154 Once inscribed with a wish,ema are hung at the shrine[5]: 49 until they are ritually burned at special events, symbolic of the liberation of the wish from the writer.[1]: 35 Ema can be hung up either for one's personal benefit, or the benefit of another.[6] There is no specified format for creatingema. Typically, one side has the wishes inscribed in text, and the other is left for imagery should it be desired.[7]
In some early Shinto and folk traditions of Japan, horses were seen as carrying messages from thekami, and were usually used to transmit requests during droughts or famines.[1]: 27 Horses were extremely expensive, and figures made of clay or wood have been found dating to theNara period.[1]: 27 The earliest text record of a substitution is from theHoncho Bunsui from 1013, in which an offering of three paper horses is made at the Kitano Tenjin shrine.[1]: 27 During theKamakura period, the practice entered into Buddhist practice, as evidenced in painted scrolls ofema at Buddhist temples.[1]: 30
The depictions of objects aside from horses can be traced to either theMuromachi orTokugawa periods, beginning with larger sizedema (namedōema, literally 'largeema') but also representing new forms, such as ships. Artists of this period, such asHokusai, began to createema in distinct styles, and creating the objects became a professionalized craft.[1]: 30
Today, they are mostly produced at or by the shrine or temple in which they are found.[1]: 31 Some shrines have faced criticism for profiting from the sale ofema. In 1979, two shrines dedicated to education soldema for examination success, transforming the funds into a scholarship in 1980 after public outcry.[5]: 50
Following a rise in popularity ofpop-culture tourism in Japan, or more specificallySeichi Junrei (聖地巡礼,lit. 'pilgrimage to sacred places'),[8] severalotaku started a practice of hangingita-ema (痛絵馬,lit. 'painful ema')[9] (same first kanji as initasha) featuring drawings of characters from popular manga and video game series.[10] Oftentimes these are placed at shrines closely tied to a particular series either by set location or an official collaboration.[11] Another hotspot forita-ema isKanda Shrine, due both to its proximity toAkihabara and its relationship with theLove Live! franchise.[12] Some series rights-holders and collaborating shrines began selling brandedita-ema as officialmerchandise.[13][14]
Historically, groups of farmers or small merchants could organize to hire a local artisan to create anema to be donated to a shrine for a specific purpose, such as a good harvest.[15]: 257 Archeological records suggest this could have been used to send political signals, as in the case of aFukuoka Prefecture shrine that saw an increase in commissioned portraits depicting peaceful relations with Korea amidst tensions between the nations during the late 19th century.[15]: 260
Ema can represent deities, such asKannon andJizō, but also more specific iconography depending on their intended purpose. These include depictions of a phallus or breasts for fertility prayers, or an octopus representing the desire to be cured of warts.[1]: 31 Another example are sandals depicted on plaques for foot remedies.[4]: 158 Another form ofema wish is for "tie-cutting";[5]: 56 whereas a man and woman standing beside a palm tree is interpreted as a wish for a long relationship, another plaque depicts nettles between the couple, wishing for divorce.[4]: 158 Common symbolism also includes nettles placed beside an object one wishes to sever ties with. During wartime,ema depicting the same man, one in military uniform and one in civilian clothing, suggested a desire for a soldier to sever from his civilian life.[5]: 56 For some, the same image may have been used to express a wish to avoid military service altogether.[5]: 57
Another form ofema found particularly in the northeastern region of Japan, such as the Yamagata Prefecture, is the mukasari (ムカサリ)ema. Mukasari means "marriage" in the Yamagata dialect. This form ofema is typically in a larger format than other kinds and symbolizes marriage, typically after one of the parties has died. For example, there is one hanging in the Wakamatsu Kannon temple in Tendō City where a mother depicted her two sons who died in World War II with their brides in ceremonial dress.[16]
The use of text has gradually replaced the overt use of symbolism in contemporaryema.[1]: 33 The rise of literacy has encouraged guests to write their own messages, which has dramatically decreased the use of distinctema as a way to transmit a specific wish.[1]: 34
As a ritual, theema is a means to communicate wishes to both priests and thekami. The public nature of theema, which are displayed at shrines before their ritual burning, also serves a social function for communicating to the community that an individual has made the wish. Burning the wishes helps to "symbolically liberate" the spirit of the wish into the world. In some cases, however, wishes are taken from the shrine to be hung at home, though still ritually burned in special ceremonies.[5]: 53
Media related toEma (Shinto) at Wikimedia CommonsAuthority control databases: National |
|---|