Японская жрица-мико (Miko) и её роль в синтоизме

Shinto shrine maiden

A ([[wiktionary:巫女), or shrine maiden, is a young priestess who works at a Shinto shrine. Miko were once likely seen as shamans, but are understood in modern Japanese culture to be an institutionalized role in daily life, trained to perform tasks, ranging from sacred cleansing

The traditional attire of a miko is a pair of red ([[Wiktionary:緋袴) (divided, pleated trousers), a white kosode (a predecessor of the kimono), and some white or red hair ribbons. In Shinto, the color white symbolizes purity. The garment put over the kosode during Kagura dances is called a (千早). Traditional miko tools include the "catalpa bow"; wikt:梓弓; 梓弓, the ([[Wiktionary:玉串) (offertory tree branches), and the a "supernatural box that contains dolls, animal and human skulls [and] Shinto prayer beads"; wikt:外法箱; 外法箱. Miko also use bells, drums, candles, gohei, and bowls of rice in ceremonies.

The Japanese words miko and fujo ("female shaman" and "shrine maiden" respectively) are usually written 巫女 who interprets the words of the possessed person to make them comprehensible to other people present. Kamigakari and takusen may be passive, when a person speaks after suddenly becoming involuntarily possessed or has a dream revelation; they can also be active, when spirit possession is induced in a specific person to ascertain the divine will or gain a divine revelation. and 43 for "non shrine attached Miko". Other names are "shaman child"; wikt:巫子#Japanese; 巫子, or "market/town child"; wikt:巫子; 巫子 (both likely ateji meaning "female medium; fortuneteller"), Some scholars prefer the transliteration miko, contrasting the Japanese Mikoism with other Asian terms for female shamans. As Fairchild explains:

The word can also mean "shrine virgin".

The position of a shaman passed from generation to generation, but sometimes someone not directly descended from a shaman went voluntarily into training or was appointed by the village chieftains. To achieve this, such a person had to have some potential. To become a shaman, the girl (still at a young age, mostly after the start of the menstruation cycle) had to undergo very intensive training specific to the An acknowledged elder shaman, who could be a family member (like an aunt) or a member of the tribe, would teach the girl in training the techniques required to be in control of her trance state. This would be done by rituals including washings with cold water, regular purifying, abstinence and the observation of the common taboos like death, illness and blood. She would also study how to communicate with and spirits of the deceased, as a medium, by being possessed by those spirits. This was achieved by chanting and dancing, thus therefore the girl was taught melodies and intonations that were used in songs, prayers and magical formulas, supported by drum and rattlers. Other attributes used for rituals were mirrors (to attract the ) and swords (katana). She also needed the knowledge of the several names of the that were important for her village, as well as their function. Finally she learned a secret language, only known by insiders (other shamans of the tribe) and so discovered the secrets of fortune telling and magical formulas. After the training, which could take three to seven years, the girl would get her initiation rite to become a real shaman. This mystic ceremony was witnessed by her mentor, other elders and fellow shamans. The girl wore a white shroud as a symbol for the end of her previous life. The elders began chanting and after a while the girl started to shiver. Next, her mentor would ask the girl which had possessed her and therefore be the one she would serve. As soon as she answered, the mentor would throw a rice cake into her face, causing the girl to faint. The elders would bring the girl to a warm bed and keep her warm until she woke up. When the whole ordeal was over and the girl had woken up, she was permitted to wear a coloured wedding dress and perform the corresponding tradition of the wedding toast. The resemblance of a wedding ceremony as the initiation rite suggests that the trainee, still a virgin, had become the bride of the she served (called a (玉依姫)). During her trance, said had requested the girl to his shrine. In some areas of Japan she had to bring a pot filled with rice and a pan. An old, long abandoned practice saw engage in sexual intercourse with a , who would represent the Any resulting child would be considered the
In some cases, girls or women were visited at night by a travelling spirit (稀人). After this visit, the woman announced to the public her new position of being possessed by a by placing a white feathered arrow on the roof of her house.

Contemporary are often seen at Shinto shrines, where they assist with shrine functions, perform ceremonial dances, offer fortune telling, sell souvenirs, and assist a in Shinto rites. Kuly describes the contemporary as: "A far distant relative of her premodern shamanic sister, she is most probably a university student collecting a modest wage in this part time position." The ethnologist Kunio Yanagita (1875–1962), who first studied Japanese female shamans, differentiated them into "shrine shamans"; 神社巫女; jinja miko who dance with bells and participate in "boiling water"; 湯立て; yudate rituals, "spirit medium shamans"; ロ寄せ巫女; kuchiyose miko who speak on behalf of the deceased, and "god women"; 神姥; kami uba who engage in cult worship and invocations (for instance, the Tenrikyo founder Nakayama Miki). Researchers have further categorized contemporary in terms of their diverse traditions and practices. Such categorizations include blind (concentrated in north and east Japan), mostly blind (north and east Japan), blind or (northeastern Japan), (north and east of Tokyo), (central Japan), blind (northwest Japan), who tap ("bamboo grass") on their faces (northeast of Tokyo), plus family and village organizations. Others have divided miko or fujo by blindness between blind "invocation specialist"; 尾上屋; ogamiya or who perform and spirit mediumship and sighted or who perform divination and invocations. In the eclectic Shugendō religion, priests who practiced ecstasy often married Many scholars identify shamanic characteristics in ("New Religions") such as Sukyo Mahikari, Ōmoto, and Shinmeiaishinkai.