- - ABC-INDEX - -

9/13/2011

Kesobumi - love letter

[ . BACK to DARUMA MUSEUM TOP . ]
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

  


Kesoobumi 懸想文 love letter

At the shrine Suga Jinja 須賀神社 in Kyoto
this special amulet is sold.



The name of the amulet means "Love Letter",
but it works this way:
If you place it in your drawer, cloths will increase and you always have something nice to dress.
It is also helpful to find a good partner for life (enmusubi 縁結びに).
If you have a business, it will help bring customers to your lodgings or store.

These amulets were quite popular with the young girls of the Edo period .. and are still to our day.



Suga Shrine

This shrine is dedicated to Susano-o no mikoto 須佐之男神 and
princess Shinasa hime no mikoto 櫛稲田比賣神.
Both are deities to promote a good couple, finding the right partner (enmusubi) and also help with studies and learning.
Gozu Tenno 牛頭天王 is also resident in this shrine, which is closely related to the Gion rituals.

During the Setsubun festival, at the beginning of a new season (formerly celebrated as a New Year ritual) two specially dressed vendors of love letters walk through the shrine to sell their ware.
They wear black eboshi hats, stiff yellow suikan 水干 robes, red hakama trousers and hide their face with white cloth.
They carry plum tree branches.

If a woman got such a "love letter", she had to make sure not to be seen and open it in secret, hiding it behind her mirror stand. Thus she would become beautiful and somehow get beautiful robes during the year.

. biyoo jisha 美容寺社 praying for beauty .



Shrines named SUGA are quite common in Japan, the writing can be :
「すが」「須我」「清」「酒賀」「素鵞」.

In the shrine compound is also a shrine for travellers
kootsuu jinja 交通神社 "traffic shrine"
Here the deity Yachimata hiko no mikoto 八衞比古 / 八衞比賣神 is enshrined to ward off the disturbing deities of forests, mountains and rivers, called
Chimimooryoo 魑魅魍魎.
People come here to pray for a safe trip and travel, and owners of lodgings and hotels come to pray for good business.



Chimimooryoo 魑魅魍魎


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::




. . . CLICK here for Photos !

. Reference .

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::




New Year greeting cards and
. kesoobumi uri 懸想文売 vendor of love letters .
Postillion d'amour, kesobumi-uri

kigo for the New Year




painting by Kobayakawa Yoshifuru 小早川好古
(born 1890 in Kyoto)


懸想文売りに懸想をしてみても
kesoobumi uri ni kesoo o shite mite mo

falling in love
with the vendor
of love letters . . .


Nishino Fumiyo 西野文代
(born 1923 in Kyoto)
source : longtail.co.jp


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::




- vendor of love charms -


....................................................................................................................................................





A Woman Sweeping up Her Love Letters
Suzuki Harunobu (1725-1770)
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::



renai jooju 恋愛成就お守り amulet for fullfilled love
wagoo keiai, kei-ai 和合敬愛 harmony and love
renai wagoo omamori 敬愛和合お守り


CLICK for more samples !


wagoojin 和合神 Wago-Jin - Deity of conjugal harmony



. Katsushika Hokusai 葛飾北斎 (1760–1849) .


CLICK for more photos !

葛飾北斎 萬福和合神 Manpuku Wago-Jin
石上阿希 Ishigami Aki
An illustrated book about all kinds of lovers . . .

- reference : hokusai wago -

.......................................................................

- quote -
30 shrines and temples in Japan to get lucky charms for love
- source : tsunagujapan.com/30-shrines-and-temples -








:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

. Gion Festival (Gion matsuri 祇園祭り) .

. New Year Saijiki .


. Regional Folk Toys from Kyoto .


. Tohoku after the BIG earthquake March 11, 2011

[ . BACK to WORLDKIGO . TOP . ]
[ . BACK to DARUMA MUSEUM TOP . ]
- #lovemamori -
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::  

3 comments:

Unknown said...

懸想文売りに懸想をしてみても
kesoobumi uriri ni kesou wo shite mitemo

Thank you wonderful story that I have never heard. Very interest topics.

Sakuo

Gabi Greve said...

Thanks for visiting, Sakuo san.

Gabi Greve - Darumapedia said...

fumi no hi 文の日 / ふみの日 day of a letter


every month on the 23rd.

goroawase wordplay