# Shinto: The Way of the Gods

SHINTO
(THE WAY OF THE GODS)
BY
W. G. ASTON, C.M.G., D.Lit.
AUTHOR OF ‘A GRAMMAR OF THE JAPANESE SPOKEN LANGUAGE,’ ‘A GRAMMAR OF THE JAPANESE WRITTEN LANGUAGE,’ ‘THE NIHONGI’ (TRANSLATION), ‘A HISTORY OF JAPANESE LITERATURE,’ &C.
LONGMANS, GREEN, AND CO. 39, PATERNOSTER ROW, LONDON NEW YORK AND BOMBAY
1905
All rights reserved
TABLE OF CONTENTS.
* I.MATERIALS FOR THE STUDY OF SHINTO................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................1
* II.GENERAL FEATURES—PERSONIFICATION................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................5
* III.GENERAL FEATURES—DEIFICATION OF MEN................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................36
* IV.GENERAL FEATURES—FUNCTIONS OF GODS, &C.................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................65
* V.MYTH................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................75
* VI.THE MYTHICAL NARRATIVE................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................84
* VII.THE PANTHEON—NATURE-DEITIES................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................121
* VIII.THE PANTHEON—MAN-DEITIES................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................177
* IX.THE PRIESTHOOD................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................200
* X.WORSHIP................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................208
* XI.MORALS, LAW, AND PURITY................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................241
* XII.CEREMONIAL................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................268
* XIII.MAGIC, DIVINATION, INSPIRATION................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................327
* XIV.DECAY OF SHINTO. MODERN SECTS................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................359
Index
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.
* Ohonamochi and his Double................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................28-29
* The Sun-Goddess issuing from the Rock-Cave of Heaven................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................98-99
* Sun Worship at the Twin-Rocks of Ise................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................130-31
* Hohodemi at the Court of Toyotama-hiko................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................149
* Kedzurikake. The one on the right is the ordinary form, the other a special kind called ihaigi ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................192
* Oho-nusa. (From Dr. Florenz's paper in the T.A.S.J.)................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................214
* Gohei................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................215
* Ema (Horse-picture)................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................222
* Mikoshi................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................224-25
* Himorogi. (From the T.A.S.J.)................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................226
* Shrines of Ise................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................229-30
* Toriwi................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................233
* Chi no wa................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................266-67
* Misogi, or Purification Ceremony................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................298-99
* Tsuina, or Expulsion of Devils................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................310-11
* Wayside Shrines................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................366
ABBREVIATIONS.
Ch. K.—Mr. B. H. Chamberlain's translation of the Kojiki.
Nihongi.—Translation of the Nihongi by W. G. Aston.
T.A.S.J.—Transactions of the Asiatic Society of Japan.
ERRATA.
For "Welhausen," note to p. 113, read Wellhausen.
For "of," p. 12, l. 18, read on.
P. 335, l. 24, read to do her behests.
ADDENDA.
Add, bottom of p. 60, "St. Augustine says, in his 'Civitas Dei,' that funeral observances are rather solace to the living than help to the dead."
P. 41, line 25, after "deities" insert "a phrase which closely resembles the 'Zembla Bogh' used of the Czar by Russians."
P. 31, add to first note, "The Romans had an evil counterpart of Jupiter, viz., Vediovis or Vejovis."
Preface.
As compared with the great religions of the world, Shinto, the old Kami cult of Japan, is decidedly rudimentary in its character. Its polytheism, the want of a Supreme Deity, the comparative absence of images and of a moral code, its feeble personifications and hesitating grasp of the conception of spirit, the practical non-recognition of a future state, and the general absence of a deep, earnest faith—all stamp it as perhaps the least developed of religions which have an adequate literary record. Still, it is not a primitive cult. It had an organized priesthood and an elaborate ritual. The general civilization of the Japanese when Shinto assumed the form in which we know it had left the primitive stage far behind. They were already an agricultural nation, a circumstance by which Shinto has been deeply influenced. They had a settled government, and possessed the arts of brewing, making pottery, building ships and bridges, and working in metals. It is not among such surroundings that we can expect to find a primitive form of religion.
The present treatise has two objects. It is intended, primarily and chiefly, as a repertory of the more significant facts of Shinto for the use of scientific students of religion. It also comprises an outline theory of the origin and earlier stages of the development of religion, prepared with special reference to the Shinto evidence. The subject is treated from a positive, not from a negative or agnostic standpoint, Religion being regarded as a normal function, not ​a disease, of humanity. This element of the work owes much to the continental scholars Réville, Goblet D'Alviella, and Pfleiderer.
In anthropological matters, I have been much indebted to Dr. Tylor's 'Primitive Culture' and Mr. J. G. Frazer's 'Golden Bough.' I should not omit to express my obligations to my friend Mr. J. Troup for assistance with the proofs and for a number of useful corrections and suggestions.
This work is a translation and has a separate copyright status to the applicable copyright protections of the original content.