Homepost - Tigerdate: 20220216
Tanuki Scroll XLVII: お菓子の神様・神社
Today I read further on お菓子の神様, the god of treats. This was pretty hard reading.
But it is said that Tajimamori [田道間守] travelled to the fabled lands Tokoyo no Kuni [常世の国] to acquire a “Timeless fruit” (or non-transpiring fruit) which turns out to be the Tachibana Orange. Fruit used to be called かし in old Japan so that’s were お菓子 comes from, and the Tachibana Oranges were considered to be so good that Tajimamori became known as the God of Treats.
It explains it better than I have but I’m having trouble putting thoughts into words now after all that heavy reading.
☆ Learnings ☆
New Words
本殿「ほんでん」ー Main shrine; Inner sanctuary
流造「ながれづくり」ー A Shinto Shrine architectural style
商売繁盛「しょうばいはんじょう」ー Thriving/prosperous business; rush of business
市街地「しがいち」ー Town area; Urban area; Built-up area
橘「たちばな」ー Tachibana orange
Word Extension?
世紀後半「せいきこうばん」ー I know both these words but putting them together is how to say “the second/later half of the #th Century”, and 世紀前半 「せいきぜんはん」 is first half.
Names
田道間守「たじまもり/たぢまもり」ー Tajimamori, a figure of legend of the Kofun period (300-538 AD), the figure who is now worshipped as お菓子の神様.
The kanji of his name is also seen as: 「多遅摩毛理」「 多遅麻毛理」
推古天皇「すいこてんのう」ー Empress Suiko, reign: 593-628AD.
垂仁天皇「すいにんてんのう」ー Emperor Suinin, one of the “Legendary Emperors” supposed reign: 29BC - 70AD. (Also supposedly lived for 139 years).
Eras
室町時代「むろまちじだい」ー Muromachi Period, 1336-1573.
Historic Things
古事記「こじき」ー The Kojiki - Japan’s oldest historical record
日本書紀「にほんしょき」ー Chronicles of Japan, Japan’s 2nd oldest historical record (though much more detailed than Kojiki and thus more important for historical studies).
非時香菓 「ときじくのかぐのこのみ」ー a magical fruit of sorts from the magical land of 常世の国 「とこよのくに」、which is a place found beyond the sea in Japanese legend, like an immortal land. The fruit can be seen as a magical elixir of life or sorts that is seen in numerous religions and tales (like the Golden Apple).