Oshira-sama
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Oshirasama (Japanese: おしら様, おしらさま, お白様, オシラ様, or オシラサマ, Hepburn: oshira-sama) is a tutelary deity of the home in Japanese folklore.[1] It is believed that when Oshirasama is in a person's home, one cannot eat meat and only women are allowed to touch it.[2] Born from a stallion and human woman, "images of this god [Oshira] are usually composed of the faces of a horse and a maiden."[3]
The festival day for Oshirasama is called meinichi (命日, or a death anniversary). It is held on the 16th day of the first, third, and ninth month of the Japanese lunar calendar.[1]
According to myth, Oshira-sama was born from a stallion and a maiden falling in love. Angered by the affair, the maiden's father killed the stallion and stripped it of its skin. "The skin then wrapped itself around the daughter and took her up to heaven. Later, they descended from heaven, incarnated as silkworms. After this they became the guardian gods of families and were called Jūrokuzen no kami." [4]" The original story can be read in the Sōshinki, a Chinese classic written in the fourth century."[5] Variations of this myth exist, however, the core significance of providing household protection through purification and foretelling fortunes remains generally constant.
