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Kagutsuchi › Who Was
Definition and Origins
Kagutsuchi (aka Hi-no-Kagutsuchi) is the Shinto god or kami of fire and is also known as Homusubi. The son of Izanami and Izanagi, the fire god is the father of eight warrior gods and eight mountain gods, amongst others. Such a destructive force as fire in a culture where buildings were typically made of wood and paper resulted in Kagutsuchi becoming an important object of Shinto ritual and a frequent receiver of appeasing offerings.
GENEALOGY & OFFSPRING
According to the 8th-century CE Kojiki ('Record of Ancient Things') and Nikon Shoki ('Chronicle of Japan ' and also known as the Nihongi ), Kagutsuchi-no-kami, to give his full name, was born from Izanami, one of the Shinto creator gods, but such was his fierce heat that he killed his mother in the process. His father Izanagi was not best pleased with this result and so lopped off Kagutsuchi's head with his great sword, the Ame-no-o-habari-no-kami. From the blood which gushed out over the surrounding rocks and dripped from the sword's blade and hilt another eight gods were born, all of them powerful swordsmen kami. The two most important of these martial gods are Takemikazuchi-no-kami and Futsunushi-no-kami, with the former being also a thunder god and patron of the martial arts who famously subdued Namazu the giant catfish that lives beneath the earth and causes earthquakes by flipping his tail.
Two other gods born from Kagutsuchi's blood were Kuraokami-no-kami, who is mentioned in the Manyoshu poem anthology (compiled c. 759 CE) as being a dragon and rain god. Another is Amatsumikaboshi, the kami of Venus, the Evening Star. Her alternative name is Amenokagasewo.
THE KAGUTSUCHI MYTHS MAY WELL BE A MYTHOLOGICAL EXPLANATION FOR THE ARRIVAL OF IRON & SUPERIOR METAL GOODS IN JAPAN DURING THE YAYOI PERIOD.
After Kagutsuchi's decapitation the story continues and from just about every body part of the fire god, from his left foot to his genitals, eight more gods were born. These were mountain gods which represented different types of mountains such as forested ones, those with moors, those far away, those possessing iron, those which provided passes to adjoining valleys and, of course, volcanoes. The stories of Kagutsuchi which include the creation of iron and swords may well be a mythological explanation for the arrival of iron and superior metal goods via immigrants arriving in Japan from mainland Asia at the beginning of the Yayoi Period (c. 300 BCE or earlier to c. 250 CE), many of whom may well have been warriors.
In an alternative version, or rather an added segment, recorded in the 10th-century CE Engishiki, before she dies Izanami hides away and gives birth to three more gods: the water kami Mizuhame-no-mikoto, the clay princess, the gourd, and the water reed. All four are instructed by their dying mother to watch out for Kagutsuchi and, if necessary, act to pacify him if he ever gets out of hand. The traditional fire-fighting equipment of the ancient Japanese was water, carried in a gourd, to pour on the fire while water reeds and clay were often used to smother it. Even today in some parts of Japan, there is a midwinter ritual where reed bundles are placed in the eaves of roofs so that they are handy if a fire should break out.
FIRE IN SHINTO RITUALS
The Japanese have long since had a great fear of fire and the devastation it can cause, not least because Japanese buildings were traditionally made from highly combustible wood and paper walls with wood shale or grass roofs. Fires have destroyed almost every major ancient building and temple in the ancient cities of Japan over the centuries, and during the Edo period (1603-1868 CE), fires were so frequent at the capital Edo (modern Tokyo) that they were known as 'the flowers of Edo'.
Kagutsuchi is sometimes equated with Atago Gongen, another kami of fire and considered an avatar of the Buddhist figure Jizo. Strictly speaking, though, Atago Gongen is a more positive figure in Japanese mythology and acts as a protector from fire or a preserver of it.
This article was made possible with generous support from the Great Britain Sasakawa Foundation.
Hanji › Ancient History
Definition and Origins
Hanji is the name of the handmade paper produced in ancient Korea from the 1st century BCE. Made from mulberry trees its exceptional quality made it a successful export, and it was widely used not only for writing but also interior walls and everyday objects such as fans and umbrellas. Hanji, famed throughout Asia for its whiteness, texture, and strength, is still made today in specialised Korean workshops.
ORIGINS & SUCCESS
Paper was introduced to Korea from China at the time of the Chinese commandery at Lelang in the 1st century BCE. It was then manufactured throughout the subsequent Three Kingdoms period. By the 7th century CE and the early years of the Unified Silla period, the Koreans had mastered the art of manufacturing extremely fine quality paper. Korean-made inks were exported to the Tang dynasty of China (618 – 906 CE), and such was the growing reputation of hanji that it too was exported to China during the Korean Goryeo period (918-1392 CE). The Mongolian Yuan dynasty (13th-14th century CE) were also particularly keen on it to print their Buddhist texts. Just as they had with celadon ceramics, the Koreans had outdone their tutors.
THE HIGHEST QUALITY HANJI PAPER WAS MADE FROM THE PITH OF THE MULBERRY TREE.
MANUFACTURE & USES
Initially Korean paper was made using hemp fibre, but the highest quality hanji was, for many centuries, made only from the pith of mulberry trees ( tak in Korean, Latin: Broussonetia papyrifera ). The toughness of hanji meant that it was ideally suited for use in printing presses that used blocks made from magnolia wood which had been soaked and boiled in salt water and then dried for several years before use. Each block was 24 x 4 x 64 cm and carried 23 lines of vertical text on each side.These were then covered in ink and paper pressed against them. The resilience of hanji was especially useful from the 12th century CE when printing was done using heavier moveable metal type made of bronze, a Korean invention.
Korean Hanji Paper Doors
Another important use of paper was in the interior walls and doors, and sometimes windows, of traditional Korean houses ( hanok ). The paper was transparent enough to admit a soft light into the home but could also help maintain a cool interior in summer and keep in warmth during winter. In the typical feature of Korean architecture known as ondol, the traditional underfloor heating system, paper was used to cover the stones of the flooring.
Hand-held paper fans ( punchae or b uchae ) were widely used in ancient Korea by men and women. The first fans were made from leaves, as indicated by the names still in later use for some of the 70-odd known types (eg 'banana-leaf' and 'lotus leaf').They are broadly divided into two types: spatula with a single handle or folding and spread on a split bamboo frame. Both sexes used both types in the home, but in public only men could use the folded type, usually lacquered black. The form, colour and decoration of fans could even indicate a person's social status or dictate their use. For example, folded fans were usually reserved for aristocratic males, at a wedding the bride used a red fan and the groom a blue one, and mourners always used white fans. Fans could be decorated with calligraphy or painted with scenes, the latter being more esteemed when done after the paper had been folded and set onto its frame.
Traditional Korean Dance Group Using Fans.
This article was made possible with generous support from the British Korean Society.
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Article based on information obtained from these sources:with permission from the Website Ancient History Encyclopedia
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