Myths & Legends of Japan

About this eBook

Author

Davis, F. Hadland (Frederick Hadland), 1882-1956

Credits

E-text prepared by Madelaine Kilsby and Marc D'Hooghe ( www.freeliterature.org) from page images generously made available by Internet Archive ( archive.org)

Language

English

LoC Class

GR: Geography, Anthropology, Recreation: Folklore

Subject

Mythology, Japanese

Category

Text

eBook-No.

45723

Project Gutenberg

https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/45723

Release Date

May 23, 2014

Copyright

Public domain in the USA.

Contents

1. 1.MYTHS & LEGENDS OF JAPAN — BY
2. 2.F. HADLAND DAVIS — AUTHOR OF "THE LAND OF THE YELLOW SPRING AND OTHER — JAPANESE STORIES" "THE PERSIAN MYSTICS" ETC. — WITH THIRTY-TWO FULL-PAGE ILLUSTRATIONS — BY — EVELYN PAUL — PREFACE — CONTENTS — INTRODUCTION — CHAPTER I: THE PERIOD OF THE GODS — In the Beginning — Izanagi and Izanami — Ama-terasu and Susa-no-o — Susa-no-o and the Serpent — The Divine Messengers — The Coming of the August Grandchild — In the Palace of the Sea God — Hoderi and Hoori Reconciled — CHAPTER II: HEROES AND WARRIORS — Yorimasa — Yoshitsune and Benkei — Yoshitsune and the Taira — Yoshitsune and Benkei Fight — The Goblin of Oyeyama — Raiko Slays the Goblin — The Goblin Spider — Another Version — The Adventures of Prince Yamato Take — The Wooden Sword — The "Grass-Cleaving-Sword" — The Sacrifice of Ototachibana — The Slaying of the Serpent — The Adventures of Momotaro — The Triumph of Momotaro — "My Lord Bag of Rice" — CHAPTER III: THE BAMBOO-CUTTER AND THE MOON-MAIDEN — The Coming of the Lady Kaguya — The Wooing of the "Precious-Slender-Bamboo-of-the-Field-of-Autumn" — The Begging-bowl of the Lord Buddha — The Jewel-bearing Branch of Mount Horai — The Flameproof Fur-Robe — The Jewel in the Dragon's Head — The Royal Hunt [1] — The Celestial Robe of Feathers — CHAPTER IV: BUDDHA LEGENDS — The Legend of the Golden Lotus — CHAPTER V: FOX LEGENDS — Inari, the Fox God — Demoniacal Possession — The Death-Stone [4] — How Tokutaro was Deluded by Foxes — A Fox's Gratitude — Inari Answers a Woman's Prayer — The Meanness of Raiko — CHAPTER VI: JIZŌ, THE GOD OF CHILDREN — The Significance of Jizō — At Jizō's Shrine — Jizō and Lafcadio Hearn — "The Dry Bed of the River of Souls" — The Legend of the Humming of the Sai-no-Kawara — The Cave of the Children's Ghosts — The Fountain of Jizō — How Jizō Remembered — CHAPTER VII: LEGEND IN JAPANESE ART — The Significance of Japanese Art — The Gods of Good Fortune — The Treasure Ship — The Miraculous in Japanese Art — Hokusai — Ghosts and Goblins — A Garden of Skulls — The Dream of Rose [2] — A Kakemono Ghost [3] — Kimi Finds Peace — CHAPTER VIII: THE STAR LOVERS AND THE ROBE OF FEATHERS — The Star Lovers — The Robe of Feathers [1] — The Moon-Lady's Song — CHAPTER IX: LEGENDS OF MOUNT FUJI — The Mountain of the Lotus and the Fan — The Deities of Fuji — Fuji, the Abode of the Elixir of Life — Sentaro's Visit to the Land of Perpetual Youth — The Goddess of Fuji — The Rip van Winkle of Old Japan — The Adventures of Visu — Visu's Return — CHAPTER X: BELLS — The Bell of Enkakuji — The Return of Ono-no-Kimi — The Giant Priest — A Woman and the Bell of Miidera — Benkei and the Bell — Karma — A Bell and the Power of Karma — CHAPTER XI: YUKI-ONNA, THE LADY OF THE SNOW — Yuki'Onna — The Snow-Bride — Kyuzaemon's Ghostly Visitor — CHAPTER XII: FLOWERS AND GARDENS — Japanese and English Gardens — The Love of Flowers, its Growth and Symbolism — Japanese Gardens — Nature in Miniature — The Pine-tree — A Great Nature-lover — The Festival of the Dead — The Japanese Flag and the Chrysanthemum — Lady White and Lady Yellow — "Chrysanthemum-Old-Man" [4] — The Violet Well — The Ghost of the Lotus Lily — The Spirit of the Peony — CHAPTER XIII: TREES — Cherry and Plum — The Camellia — The Cryptomeria — A Pine-tree and the God of Roads — A Tree Spirit — The Miraculous Chestnut — The Silent Pine — Willow Wife [3] — The Tree of the One-eyed Priest — The Burning of Three Dwarf Trees — The Pine-tree Lovers — CHAPTER XIV: MIRRORS — The Significance of Japanese Mirrors — Hidari Jingorō — The Divine Mirror — The Soul of a Mirror — A Mirror and a Bell — The Mirror of Matsuyama — CHAPTER XV: KWANNON AND BENTEN. DAIKOKU, EBISU, AND HOTEI — Kwannon — Kwannon in Chinese Myth — An Incarnation of Kwannon — Kwannon the Mother — The "Thirty-three Places" Sacred to Kwannon — The "Hall of the Second Moon" — Kwannon and the Deer — Benten — Benten and the Dragon — Benten-of-the-Birth-Water — Daikoku — Daikoku's Rat — The Six Daikoku — Ebisu — Hotei — CHAPTER XVI: DOLLS AND BUTTERFLIES — The English and Japanese Doll — Live Dolls — A Doll's Last Resting-place — Butterflies — Butterflies of Good and Evil Omen — "The Flying Hairpin of Kochō" — The White Butterfly — CHAPTER XVII: FESTIVALS — The New Year — The Boys' Festival — The Festival of the Dead — The Laughing Festival of Wasa — The Torii — "The Footstool of the King" — CHAPTER XVIII: THE PEONY LANTERN [1] — "Morning-Dew" — The Dead Return — A Spy — Yusai's Advice — The Mystery is Revealed — Holy Charms — The Betrayal — CHAPTER XIX: KŌBŌ DAISHI, NICHIREN, AND SHŌDŌ SHONIN — The "Namudaishi" — "A Divine Prodigy" — Gohitsu-Oshō — Writing on Sky and Water — How Kōbō Daishi Painted the Ten — Kino Momoye and Onomo Toku — Kōbō Daishi's Return — The Death of Kōbō Daishi — A Miraculous Image — Nichiren — Shōdō Shonin — CHAPTER XX: FANS — The Significance of the Japanese Fan — The Love of Asagao — CHAPTER XXI: THUNDER — Raiden — The Thunder Animal — The Thunder Bird and Thunder Woman — A Strange Belief — The Child of the Thunder God — Shokuro and the Thunder God — CHAPTER XXII: ANIMAL LEGENDS — Magical Animals — The Hare — The White Hare of Inaba — The Crackling Mountain — The Badger — Kadzutoyo and the Badger — The Miraculous Tea-kettle — The Cat — The Vampire Cat — The Dog — Shippeitarō and the Phantom Cats — The Old Man Who Made the Trees to Blossom — The Jelly-fish and the Monkey [1] — The Horse of Bronze — CHAPTER XXIII: BIRD AND INSECT LEGENDS — Birds — The Cock — How Yoritomo was Saved by Two Doves — The Hototogisu — The Tongue-cut Sparrow — A Noble Sacrifice — A Pair of Phoenix — Insects — Dragon-flies — Tama's Return — Sanemori and Shiwan — Fireflies — A Strange Dream — The Vengeance of Kanshiro [2] — CHAPTER XXIV: CONCERNING TEA [1] — Tea-drinking in England and Japan — Tea in China — Luwuh and the "Chaking" — The Japanese Tea Ceremony — The Passing of Rikiu — The Legend of the Tea-plant [3] — Daruma — CHAPTER XXV: LEGENDS OF THE WEIRD [1] — "Hōïchi-the-Earless" — The Corpse-eater — The Ghost Mother — The Futon of Tottori — The Return — A Test of Love — CHAPTER XXVI: THREE MAIDENS — The Maiden of Unai — The Grave of the Maiden of Unai — The Maiden of Katsushika — The Maiden with the Wooden Bowl — CHAPTER XXVII: LEGENDS OF THE SEA — The Tide of the Returning Ghosts — Urashima — Urashima and the Tortoise — In the Sea King's Palace — The Home-coming of Urashima — The Land of the Morning Calm — The Tide Jewels — The Gift of the Dragon King — The Voyage — The Throwing of the Tide Jewels — Prince Ojin — The Slaughter of the Sea Serpent [3] — The Spirit of the Sword — The Love of O Cho San — The Spirit of the Great Awabi — CHAPTER XXVIII: SUPERSTITIONS — Japanese Superstition — Human Sacrifice — Classical Divination — Other Forms of Divination — Unlucky Years and Days — Children — Charms — The Beckoning Leaf — Bimbogami — CHAPTER XXIX: SUPERNATURAL BEINGS — The Kappa — The Kappa's Promise — The Tengu — Tobikawa Imitates a Tengu — The Adventures of Kiuchi Heizayemon — A Modern Belief in the Tengu — The Mountain Woman and the Mountain Man — Sennin — Sennin in Art — Miraculous Lights — A Globe of Fire — The Ghostly Wrestlers — Baku — The Shojō's White Saké [2] — The Dragon — CHAPTER XXX: THE TRANSFORMATION OF ISSUNBOSHI, AND KINTARO, THE GOLDEN BOY — A Prayer to the Empress Jingo — "One-Inch Priest" — Issunboshi becomes a Page — An Encounter with Oni — The Magic Mallet — Kintaro, the Golden Boy — Animal Companions — A Famous Warrior — CHAPTER XXXI: MISCELLANEOUS LEGENDS — Kato Sayemon — How an Old Man lost his Wen — A Japanese Gulliver [1] — The Jewel-tears of Samébito — A NOTE ON JAPANESE POETRY — The Tanka and Hokku — The Hyaku-nin-isshiu — Love Poems — Nature Poems — Chōmei — GODS AND GODDESSES — GENEALOGY OF THE AGE OF THE GODS — BIBLIOGRAPHY — INDEX TO POETICAL QUOTATIONS — GLOSSARY AND INDEX — THE PRONUNCIATION OF JAPANESE NAMES

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