The three myths of the Japanese mountain god originated in local festivals and help provide models of character for adherents. The oldest form of the three models, referred to in the book as masks, pertains to passage into the land of the nature gods (kami) in the local mountains for purposes of hunting; the second mask is associated with sacred space, protection and the ancestors; the third mask is linked to the social environment of rice farming, which came to help model behaviour associated with rice and human fertility as well as what it means to be a good member of the extended kinship group. These are the three masks of the Japanese mountain god. This book is about the ancient Japanese myths that helped form each. It is about their meaning, their history and their fate in the modern world. It is a book intended for non-specialists who are interested in Japanese religion and culture and those who have an interest in how myth is occasionally applied to solving problems in the crisis of modernity.
- ISBN13 9780359529100
- Publish Date 25 April 2019
- Publish Status Out of Print
- Out of Print 13 May 2021
- Publish Country US
- Imprint Lulu.com
- Format Paperback
- Pages 208
- Language English