THE SAKAKI TREE - FROM MYTH TO MODERN JAPAN

Abstract

In this paper, we will discuss the role played by the Sakaki tree in Japanese mythology as well as in modern culture. This tree is mentioned in the episode of the rites observed to convince Amaterasu-o-mikami to come out of the heavenly rock cave, in the Kojiki. A similar passage is found in Nihon Shoki, which also mentions the "Sakaki of Mount Shitsu" and "a flourishing Sakaki" in other episodes. Besides being mentioned by Japanese myths, the Sakaki is present in the life of the Japanese in many forms. It has been used since ancient times in divine rituals, and Sakaki branches are used even today in some shinto rituals; one of these is the Yomisashi Matsuri (celebrated every October at Omiya Shrine in Iwade Town, Wakayama Prefecture), a festival which we briefly present in this paper. [PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]

Headnote

Abstract: In this paper, we will discuss the role played by the Sakaki tree in Japanese mythology as well as in modern culture. This tree is mentioned in the episode of the rites observed to convince Amaterasu-o-mikami to come out of the heavenly rock cave, in the Kojiki. A similar passage is found in Nihon Shoki, which also mentions the "Sakaki of Mount Shitsu" and "a flourishing Sakaki" in other episodes. Besides being mentioned by Japanese myths, the Sakaki is present in the life of the Japanese in many forms. It has been used since ancient times in divine rituals, and Sakaki branches are used even today in some shinto rituals; one of these is the Yomisashi Matsuri (celebrated every October at Omiya Shrine in Iwade Town, Wakayama Prefecture), a festival which we briefly present in this paper.

Keywords: Japanese mythology, Sakaki tree, Yomisashi Matsuri.

0. Introduction

The Sakaki tree, or Cleyera japonica, is an evergreen tree whose branches are used in shinto rituals, usually as offering wands (tamagushi) presented before a kami. When presented as tamagushi, paper streamers (shide) are usually attached to the branch. Branches of Sakaki are often used for decoration, purification implements, and as hand-held "props" (torimono) in ritual dance. Sakaki branches are also used to decorate shrine buildings or fences, as a means of delimitating sacred spaces.1

In this paper, we discuss the role played by the Sakaki tree in Japanese mythology as well as in modern culture. For the mythological part, we take a look at the episode describing the rites observed to convince Amaterasu-o-mikami to come out of the heavenly rock cave in Kojiki, and at the similar passage found in Nihon Shoki, which also mentions the tree on other occasions. For the modern culture part, we present the use of Sakaki branches during Yomisashi Matsuri, a festival held at Omiya Shrine in Iwade Town, Wakayama Prefecture.

1. Sakaki in mythology

In the first section of Kojiki, the section dealing with the "divine age", the Sakaki tree is mentioned in the episode of the rites observed to convince Amaterasu-o-mikami to get out of the heavenly rock cave. This episode in which Amaterasu-o-mikami, angry with her brother Susa-no-ono-mikoto, hides herself into a cage leaving the whole world in darkness is one of the most famous episodes in Japanese mythology. "Owing to this, eternal night prevailed"2 says the Kojiki, and according to the Nihon Shoki, "...constant darkness prevailed on all sides, and the alternation of night and day was unknown"3.

The story goes like this: the divine couple, Izanagi and Izanami, gave birth to the Japanese islands and to many kami. Their daughter, Amaterasu-o- mikami, born from the lefteye of her father, became the celestial sun goddess from whom the Japanese imperial family claims descent. Her brother Susanoo, the storm god, was sent to rule the sea. But before going, Susanoo destroyed the rice fields, defiled his sister's dwelling, and threw a flayed horse through her weaving hall. Indignant, Amaterasu-o-mikami withdrew to a rock cave and fastened the rock door, plunging the world into darkness. Eight hundred other gods gathered and conferred on how to lure the sun goddess out in order to restore the cycle of night and day. So the gods dug up a 500-branched Sakaki tree from the heavenly Mount Kagu; on its upper branches they hung an eight-foot string of 500 jewels, on its middle branches an eight-foot long mirror, and on its lower branches were placed white and blue offerings. Then came Ame-no-uzumeno- mikoto (Her-Augustness-Heavenly-Alarming-Female) and using club moss as a sash, branches from the Sakaki as a headdress, and leaves of bamboo grass as a posy, she performed a provocative dance, which delighted the assembled gods so that they roared with laughter. Amaterasu-o-mikami, curious about why the gods could be so merry when the world was plunged in darkness and told that outside the cave there was a goddess more illustrious than she, peeked out of the cave and saw her reflection in the mirror hanging from the Sakaki. Entranced by the sight, she was drawn out of the cave and the gods quickly threw a shimenawa - a sacred rope of rice straw - in front ot the rock door, to prevent her return to hiding. Thus, light was restored to both the heavens and the earth.

Let us look at how the story is told in the Kojiki first:

"So thereupon the Heaven-Shining-Great-August-Deity, terrified at the sight, closed [behind her] the door of the Heavenly Rock-Dwelling, made it fast, and retired, Then the whole Plain of High Heaven was obscured and all the Central Land of Reed-Plains darkened. Owing to this, eternal night prevailed. Hereupon the voices of the myriad Deities were like unto the flies in the fifth moon as they swarm and a myriad portents of woe arose."4

Takamitsu Konoshi points out the fact that although this episode takes place in the Plain of High Heaven, it seems to be self-evident that the Central Land of Reed-Plains is also affected.5 And later, when Amaterasu-o-mikami is out of the cave, "both the Plain of High Heaven and the Central-Land-of-Reed- Plains of course again became light."6 This means that Amaterasu-o-mikami influences both worlds, proving a strong relation between the world of the gods and the world of the humans. On the temporal aspect, both mythological records emphasize the unchanging condition of darkness, although there is no hint of time coming to an end.7

What happens in this myth is that the principle of kegare (impure, unclean) becomes predominant, making it necessary for certain rites to be performed, so that the ke8 (ordinary, mundane, everyday life) can be restored. In this context, the role and the description of the Sakaki in this myth are very interesting. The passage in the Kojiki states that "they tore from the very roots the flourishing masakaki of the mountain Ame no Kaguyama," and festooned it with jewel beads, a mirror, and cloth (nigite). The Sakaki is called "the true" tree and it is said to have five hundred branches, which become the support of the various sacred objects - the jewels, the mirror, the blue and the white offerings. Then, "liturgies" are recited in the presence of the tree, clearly showing that some king of religious manifestations were associated with it.

"Hereupon the voices of the myriad Deities were like unto the flies in the fifth moon as they swarm and a myriad portents of woe arose. Therefore did the eight hundred myriad Deities assemble in a divine assembly in the bed of the Tranquil River of Heaven, and bid the Deity Thought-Includer, child of the High-August- Producing-Wondrous-Deity think of a plan, assembling the longsinging birds of eternal night and making them sing, taking the hard rocks of Heaven from the river-bed of the Tranquil River of Heaven, and taking the iron from the Heavenly Metal-Mountains, calling in the smith Ama-tsu-ma-ra, charging Her Augustness Ishi- ko-ri-do-me to make a mirror, and charging His Augustness Jewel-Ancestor to make an august complete [string] of curved jewels eight feet [long], of five hundred jewels, and summoning His Augustness Heavenly-BeckoninAncestor-Lord and His Augustness Grand-Jewel, and causing them to pull out with a complete pulling the shoulder [-blade] of a true stag from the Heavenly Mount Kagu, and take cherry-bark from the Heavenly Mount Kagu, and perform divination, and pulling up by pulling its roots a true cleyera japonica with five hundred [branches] from the Heavenly Mount Kagu, and taking and putting upon its upper branches the august complete [string] of curved jewels eight feet [long], - of five hundred jewels, - and taking and tying to the middle branches the middle branches the mirror eight feet [long], and taking and hanging upon its lower branches the white pacificatory offerings and the blue pacificatory offerings, His Augustness Grand-Jewel taking these divers things and holding them together with the grand august offerings, and His Augustness Heavenly-Beckoning-Ancestor-Lord prayerfully reciting grand liturgies, and the Heavenly Hand-Strength-Male-Deity standing hidden beside the door, and Her Augustness Heavenly-Alarming- Female hanging [round her] the heavenly clubmoss from the Heavenly Mount Kagu as a sash, and making the heavenly spindletree her head-dress, and biding the leaves of the bamboo-grass of the Heavenly Mount Kagu in a posy for her hands, laying a sounding-board before the door of the Heavenly Rock-Dwelling , and stamping till she made it resound and doing as if possessed by a Deity, and pulling out the nipples of her breasts, pushing down her skirt - string usque ad privates partes. Then the Plain of High Heaven shook, and the eight hundred myriad Deities laughed together."9

A similar passage is found in the Nihon Shoki, which also includes a passage in the record of Emperor Keiko that mentions the Sakaki of Mount Shitsu, while the record of Emperor Chuai refers to a "flourishing Sakaki". All of these records note that jewels, swords, and mirrors were hung from the branches. In the Nihon Shoki, the above episode is retold as follows:

"Then the eighty myriads of Gods met on the bank of the Tranquil River of Heaven, and considered in what manner they should supplicate her [Amaterasu-o-mikami]. Accordingly Omohi-kane no Kami, with profound device and far-reaching thought, at length gathered long-singing birds of the Eternal Land and made them utter their prolonged cry to one another. Moreover he made Ta-jikara-wo no Kami to stand beside the Rock-door, Then Ame no Koyane no Mikoto, ancestor of the Nakatomi no Muraji, and Futo-dama no Mikoto, ancestor of the Imibe no Obito, dug up a five-hundred branched True Sakaki tree of the Heavenly Mt. Kagu. On its upper branches they hung an august five-hundred string of Yasaka jewels. On the middle branches they hung an eight-hand mirror. One writing says Ma-futsu no Kagami. On its lower branches they hung blue softofferings and white softofferings. Then they recited their liturgy together."10

All the preparations the kami make in order to make Amaterasu-o-mikami get out of the cave - the dance performed by Ame-no-uzume-no-mikoto, the use of the Sakaki tree branches, the jewels, the mirror, which are objects that can all be seen today in any shinto shrine - are elements of such rites. Mirrors, together with swords, spears, and halberds were found among the bronze - and later iron - artefacts of the Yayoi period (250 B.C. - A.D. 250) used for religious and ceremonial purposes.

The use of mirrors, together with gems and bronze spears, swords, and halberds for ceremonial purposes is specific to the people of Kyushu, while the people of Yamato used bronze bells. The ritualistic use of these artefacts was connected to political control; apparently, shields and spears were sent to governors and chiefs, and were interred in the sacred hills to ensure the protection of the frontiers. The bronze spear thus became a symbol of divine presence and of power. The imperial family used the sacred sword, the mirror, and the gem as the three symbols to assert its authority and legitimacy, proving that the possession of such symbols endowed the possessor with authority and legitimacy.11

Similarly, the Sakaki has been used since ancient times in divine rituals. While the name originally referred to all evergreens, it gradually was limited to trees of the tea family. However, a number of other trees, such as oak (kashi), cryptomeria (sugi), boxwood (tsuge), and fir (momi) are sometimes substituted in ritual use. As the examples of masakaki found in Kojiki and Nihon Shoki suggest, the trees are decorated in a number of different ways: some are adorned with mirrors, jewels, and swords, some with five-coloured silks, mirror, jewels and swords, while others were decorated only with five-coloured silks.12

According to the Encyclopaedia of Shinto,

"In the Rules for Ritual Procedure at Shrines (Jinja saishiki) implemented in 1875, the term masakaki is used to refer to two poles of Japanese cypress (hinoki), to the tips of which are attached branches of Sakaki and below which are attached fivecolour silks (blue, yellow, red, white, and purple). The pole on the right (when facing the shrine) is decorated with a mirror and a jewel, and the one on the leftwith a sword."13

Even today the chief place of worship of Amaterasu-o-mikami is the Grand Shrine of Ise, the foremost shinto shrine in Japan. She is manifested there in a mirror that is one of the three Imperial Treasures of Japan. The Sakaki is represented by the shinno-mihashira - a sacred central post - over and around which the wooden shrine is built. Also, in imitation of the myth, mirrors are hung in Sakaki trees at other shinto shrines.

As we see, the Sakaki tree plays a crucial role both in myth and in shinto rituals. In the perspective of the symbolism of the concept of axis mundi, the above myth is interesting as the Sakaki tree seems to be associated with a mountain, Mount Kagu. As to the cave, it is itself is a very important aspect. E. A. Kasper, quoted by Hans Biedermann, says:

"The retreat to the cave is primal; the cave is refuge, shelter. Going into it is returning to the womb, negating birth, submerging into shadow and the nocturnal world of non differentiation. It is the renunciation of life on earth in favour of the higher life of the unborn ... [In the cave] there is no time, neither yesterday nor tomorrow, for day and night there are as one."14

In the section about Chuai in the Nihon Shoki, we learn that when Kumawani, the ancestor of Agatanushi of Oka, and Itote, the ancestor of Agatanushi of Ito received the emperor, they

"... hung an eight-span jewelled necklace, a bronze mirror, and a ten-span sword on an uprooted sakaki tree, and told the emperor 'may you oversee mountains, rivers, and oceans as clearly as the bronze mirror, may you govern as skilfully as the intricately curved jewels, and may you pacify the realm with this ten-span sword." 15

This section retells the ritual of receiving the visit of an emperor, but it also applies to receiving the visit of a kami. It is interesting to note that similarly to the above description, in a poem attributed to prince Karu in the section about emperor Ingyo in the Kojiki, a mirror hung on a sacred pillar (igui) and jewellery hung on a true pillar (magui)16 are mentioned, as well as raising sacred pillars during rituals of veneration for a kami by a river.17

2. Yomisashi Matsuri and the sacred Sakaki tree

Nature is sacred for the Japanese and for shinto, as contact with nature ensures closeness to the kami - the deities worshiped as part of this "way of the gods". In ancient times, the kami were thought to dwell in various things, like mountains and stones, as well as mighty trees, and so trees and woods were objects of worship in primitive Japan. Trees of great age and size or deep forests were particularly looked upon as sacred and possessed by kami. People selected specific locations or specific trees in forests as himorogi (seats of the kami) and specially honored them as places of worship. Later, the kami were thought to dwell in the shrines, but even now, on the occasion of a matsuri, at least once a year, they are escorted in a solemn procession from the shrine back to the sacred trees or the sacred mountain on which they are believed to have descended from heaven. Shrine precincts in Japan are commonly surrounded by deep forests and tall trees, but these are not mere accessories of a shrine, they have an inherent significance: the forests and trees are tokens of the kami's presence and symbolize the kami themselves. At present, sacred trees are often seen surrounded by shimenawa ropes all over Japan.

The Sakaki is unquestionably the best known and most common tree symbol in shinto. The Sakaki tree18, with a unique history, holds a particular position as an especially sacred tree not only in mythology, as we saw in the previous section, but also in sacred rituals. From the tree, the divine spirit is transferred to a branch of Sakaki. The primitive belief in the virtues of the Sakaki has continued through the centuries and individual trees of great age and size are worshipped everywhere in Japan. Commonly used in shinto rituals, it is part of the everyday life of Japanese people, and branches of this tree are commonly found on sale in flower shops in present - day Japan.

In shinto rituals and ceremonies, holy streamers called gohei are hung on holy straw ropes or branches of the holy Sakaki tree to invoke the presence of the kami. Gohei are also know as o-nusa or "great offerings" and are still in use on important occasions. The o -nusa consist of two wands placed side by side, from the ends of which hang hemp fibre and several strips of paper. One of the wands is made of Sakaki wood, while the other is made from a bamboo stem. Their use is connected with an old Japanese rule of etiquette that presents to a superior should be delivered attached to a branch of a tree, so as to mark the respect of the giver from the receiver.

There are many theories regarding the etymology of the word Sakaki. Some are based on the nature of the Sakaki as an "evergreen" or "always thriving tree" (sakaeru-ki), and thus point to the sense of prosperity or thriving, or to the fact that the evergreen Sakaki represents constancy or permanence and expresses the eternal presence and power of a kami at a shrine; others derive from the use of the tree as a "border-tree" (sakai-ki) used to demarcate sacred space.19 This last theory is very evident in the use of Sakaki branches during Yomisashi Matsuri, a festival held at Omiya Shrine in Iwade Town, Wakayama Prefecture.

Traditionally, Yomisashi Matsuri used to be celebrated on October 6 every year - on the day of the new moon. This happened for a very good reason: as part of this festival, Sakaki sacred branches - the representation of kami, are carried through the village.

As a kami should never be seen by anyone, complete darkness is required to go through with this festival. However, due to modern-day constraints, such as attending work and school, the festival is presently held on the first Saturday in October. Ironically, when we attended the festival, on October 3, 2009, it was a full moon, defeating, in a way, the purpose of the festival.

It is a common practice in shinto to set up Sakaki sacred tree branches prior to a festival and Yomisashi Matsuri is no exception.

Sakaki tree branches prepared for the Yomisashi matsuri at Omiya Shrine in Iwade Town, Wakayama Prefecture (picture taken by the author of this article on October 3, 2009)

Yomisashi, the name of the rite performed during this festival and which gives its name, means "... entry into the sacred period of a festival and [it is] also the rite of marking the spatial range of a festival by setting up purified Sakaki branches at important places, such as the village border"20

As people are not supposed to see the kami (the Sakaki tree branches), the festival is held at midnight, when all the lights are out. Young men start from the shrine after having undergone a purification rite and run to the temporary shrines located to the East and West, where they set up a large Sakaki. Originally, this yearly ritual was meant to enforce the boundaries of the land to which the shrine extended its influence, the Sakaki branches thus having the role of delimiting the territory, a role often fulfilled by the world axis.

Men taking part in Yomisashi Matsuri, carrying Sakaki tree branches and getting ready to run to the temporary shrines at midnight (picture taken by the author of this article on October 3, 2009)

For those accustomed to Japanese festivals being a huge agglomeration of people, it is interesting to see that nobody is actually at the shrine during this festival, but rather the entire community is waiting at the temporary shrines, feasting, and when the Sakaki branches arrive, they all rush to grab them, as Sakaki leaves are believed to cure all illnesses.

Other similar festivals are celebrated all over Japan through the year. To give just one more example, we mention the naked (hadaka) festival of Yanahime Shrine in Iwata city, Shizuoka Prefecture. This festival also includes a rite to set up Sakaki branches called "mishiba oroshi." A week prior to the festival, during the night, the lights of the houses in the region are turned offand 30 young men dressed in starched white clothes (hakucho) run around town, setting up Sakaki branches (omishiba-sama) and reciting prayers at thirteen different places.21

3. Conclusions

In this paper, we have discussed the significant role played by the Sakaki tree in Japanese mythology, especially in the Japanese creation myth, as well as in modern culture, particularly in modern Japanese festivals. For the mythological part, we saw that in the Kojiki, the Sakaki tree is mentioned in the episode of the rites observed to convince Amaterasu-o-mikami to come out of the heavenly rock cave. Its role and description in this myth are very interesting. It is called "the true" tree and it is said to have five hundred branches, which become the support of the various sacred objects - the jewels, the mirror, the blue and the white offerings. Then, "liturgies" are recited in the presence of the tree, clearly showing that some king of religious manifestations were associated with it. It is due to the Sakaki tree as well as the activities of the deities in this myth that life can continue in Japanese cosmogony for both men and kami. A similar passage is found in Nihon Shoki, which also includes a passage in the record of Emperor Keiko that mentions the Sakaki of Mount Shitsu, while the record of Emperor Chuai refers to a flourishing Sakaki.

Besides being mentioned by Japanese myths, the Sakaki is present in the life of the Japanese in many forms. It has been used since ancient times in divine rituals and Sakaki branches are used even today in shinto rituals as offering wands presented before a kami; they are also used for decoration, as purification implements, or as hand-held "props" in ritual dance. Also, there are a number of festivals in which Sakaki branches are used, such as the Yomisashi Matsuri celebrated every October at Omiya Shrine in Iwade Town, Wakayama Prefecture. During this festival, Sakaki sacred branches are carried through the village at midnight, in complete darkness, so that nobody sees them, because they are identified with the kami, and nobody should see the kami in person.

From mythology to festivals, the Sakaki tree claims a unique place in shinto and in Japanese culture.

Sidebar

Sakaki tree branches sold in a flower shop in a supermarket in Nagoya, Japan (picture taken by the author of this article)

Footnote

1 Inoue Nobutaka, Sakaki, in Encyclopaedia of Shinto, site accessed on July 15, 2011.

2 Basil Hall Chamberlain (trans.), The Kojiki. Records of Ancient Matters, Boston, Tuttle Publishing, 1981, p. 64.

3 W.G. Aston (trans.), Nihongi. Chronicles of Japan from the Earliest Times to A. D. 697, Boston, Tuttle Publishing, 1972, p. 41.

4 Basil Hall Chamberlain (trans.), op. cit., pp. 64 - 65.

5 Takamitsu Konoshi, Kojiki to Nihonshoki. 'Tennoshinwa' no rekishi, Tokyo, Kodansha Gendaishinsho, p. 100.

6 Basil Hall Chamberlain (trans.), op.cit., p. 70.

7 There is a very similar story in the Bible, Joshua 10:12, when the sun stands still in answer to the call "Stand still, O Sun!", but time does not stop.

8 Ke, hare, and kegare are three concepts specific to Japanese festivals. For more on these concepts, see Rusu Renata Maria, The Japanese and Time, in STUDIA UNIVERSITATIS BABESBOLYAI PHILOLOGIA, 1, 2006, pp.171 - 184.

9 Basil Hall Chamberlain (trans.), op.cit., pp. 64-70.

10 W. G. Aston (trans.), op.cit., pp. 42-43.

11 Mikiso Hane, Premodern Japan. A Historical Survey, Colorado, Westview Press, 1991, p. 13.

12 Inoue Nobutaka, Sakaki, in Encyclopaedia of Shinto, site accessed on July 15, 2011.

13 Loc. cit.

14 Hans Biedermann, Dictionary of Symbolism. Cultural Icons & the Meanings Behind Them, translated by James Hulbert, New York, Meridian, 1994, p. 62.

15 W. G. Aston (trans.), op.cit., pp. 220-221.

16 Basil Hall Chamberlain, op.cit., p 366.

17 Sugiyama Shigetsugu, Ancient Shinto in Encyclopaedia of Shinto, site accessed on July 15, 2011.

18 Cleyera japonica is a low-spreading, medium-sized evergreen tree of the tea family, which also includes tea and camellia. It has relatively smooth bark and alternate leaves, which are a deep green on top and pale yellowish-green underneath. In spring, the Sakaki produces creamy-white flowers, followed by dark red berries. It grows in warm areas of Japan, Korea, and mainland China, and it may reach a height of about ten meters. The wood is often used for building, for utensils or combs, and as fuel.

19 Inoue Nobutaka, Sakaki, in Encyclopaedia of Shinto, site accessed on July 15, 2011.

20 Mogi Sakae, Yomisashi Matsuri, in Encyclopaedia of Shinto, site accessed on September 1, 2009.

21 Loc. cit.

References

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