Yamabushi
Japanese mountain ascetic hermits
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Yamabushi (山伏, one who prostrates oneself on the mountain) are Japanese mountain ascetic hermits.[1] They are generally part of the syncretic shugendō religion, which includes Tantric Buddhism and Shinto.[2]
Their origins can be traced back to the solitary yamabito (wild hill people) and some hijiri (聖) (wandering Buddhist renunciants) of the eighth and ninth centuries.[3]
According to American writer Frederik L. Schodt:
These positively medieval-looking nature worshipers carry metal staves and conch shells and wear straw sandals and sometimes a hemp cloth over-robe with the Heart Sutra written on it. They follow a mixture of esoteric or tantric Buddhism mixed with Shinto, the native animistic religion of Japan.[4]
Clothing and items
The Yamabushi usually wear and bring the following clothes and items with them:[5][6][7]
- Yuigesa (結袈裟), a harness or sash adorned with pom-poms
- Kyahan (脚絆), sandals made from straw
- Tokin (頭巾) which is a small hat-like adornment worn at the front of the head
- Shakujō (錫杖), a metal rod, held in their hands
- Oi (笈), backpack
- Horagai (法螺貝), a conch shell, which they blow like a horn to bind evil spirits
See also
Further reading
- Ratti, Oscar; Westbrook, Adele (1999). Secrets of the Samurai: A Survey of the Martial Arts of Feudal Japan. Edison, New Jersey: Castle Books. ISBN 0785810730.
- Powell, Steve John; Cabello, Angeles Marin (May 12, 2021). "Japan's Mountain Ascetic Hermits". British Broadcasting Corporation.
