The items used during rituals or dances performed by miko are called toributsu, and include nine distinct elements: sakaki (sacred evergreen boughs), nusa (staff with plaited paper streamers), tsue (a wand or staff), sasa (a type of bamboo), yumi (bow - with or without arrows), ken (a sword or saber), hisago (a bottle gourd), and kazura (a type of creeping plant). The flowers, tree branches, and floral motifs used in these pieces are representative of the many different types of plants in Japan, which are said to increase the spiritual power of the wearer. Their long, black hair must be tied back in a simple low ponytail, held with either a takenaga, a ribbon made from Japanese washi paper, or a mizuhiki, a cord made from twisted washi under which a sheet of white washi paper is wrapped around the hair.ĭuring rites and certain events, miko may also wear special floral hairpieces known as hanakanzashi or a special diadem (crown) called kanmuri. When performing dances or kagura, miko wear a white chihaya, a loose jacket with long kimono-like sleeves, over their regular uniform. Miko wear a white robe known as a hakui with a pair of red hakama known as hibakama. 大御巫, " o-mikanko" is another word for miko, essentially meaning "sacred child." The Miko’s Appearance - Traditional Clothing and Hairstyles However, miko may also be referred as 神子, written with the characters for "god" and "child." 舞姫, or " maihime" is also another word to describe miko (it refers to the miko's role of performing sacred dances). In Japanese, miko is usually written with the characters for "medium" and "woman" as 巫女. You will often see miko selling omamori, or good luck charms, or omikuji paper fortunes, at the shrine office windows. Today, however, miko are tasked with performing kagura and other ritual dances during special occasions and aid the priests of the shrine in their functions. Believed to posses magical powers, they also worked as spirit mediums, channeling spirits, and carried out various other functions as required of them at their given shrine.
A miko typically refers to as young female priests.įor centuries, miko have performed kagura (sacred dances for entertaining and satisfying the Shinto deities), conducted exorcisms, practiced divinations, acted oracles.
Miko, or shrine maiden, is the name of a type of priest working at a Japanese Shinto shrine.
0 kommentar(er)
