琉球諸島における雨乞いと動物 : 供犠的要素がみられない理由について

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  • Rain ritual and animals in the Ryukyu Islands : About the Reason why there are not seen any animal offering elements

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Abstract

The Ryukyu Islands are host to a variety of rain-making rituals, such as singing, dancing, bonfires, water fighting, tug-of-warring, etc. On the other hand, the rain-making rituals in the mainland Japan also include throwing the head of cattle or a horse in a pond or swamp to the god of water. This research shows a lack of any animal sacrifices as well as that animals had no part in the rain-making　rituals of the Ryukyu Islands.　　This paper questions why there weren't any animal sacrifices and why the Ryukyu Islanders didn't　use animals in their rain-making rituals. Okinawan families have commonly raised livestock such as swine and goats, which were slaughtered, sacrificed and eaten by the family or by village communities at various annual events or rites of passage. Meat is not a symbol of uncleanness as in mainland Japan, but rather it is a very important delicacy in the Ryukyu Islands. In addition, in mainland Japan, people throw a part of livestock away into ponds or swamps where the dragon god lives as a way of relinquishing uncleanness. This was believed to cause the god’s fury and make rain. On the other hand, in the Ryukyu Islands, people used meat in sun-making rituals to calm down the dragon god’s activities and to stop continuous rain. They never used meat to make rain. Judging from these points, it could be concluded that the different perspective on animal meat represent the different Ryukyu island’s Rainmaking rituals and those of mainland Japan.

identifier:AID(NACSIS-CAT 著者名典拠レコードID) : DA17639176

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