A Note on Spiritualism in Japanese Mythology

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Other Title
  • 「雑霊(ぞうりょう)」論
  • 「雑霊」論--「さばへなす」神々の声
  • ゾウリョウ ロン サバ エ ナス カミガミ ノ コエ
  • —「さばへなす」神々の声—

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Abstract

<p>According to Japanese mythology, in the beginning the world was dominated by ghosts and spirits. This spiritualistic condition is epitomized in the poetical phrase “sabae-nasu,” which means a “fly with magical power.“ In mythological discourses, the maggots of the other world ate the body of the first dead person Izanami and then metamorphosed themselves into flies. The phrase is sometimes used to refer to a child who torments his or her parents with love or to a valet who is shocked by the master's death. Its variant “saba-ama” means a “stranger speaking a different language.” In this article I will argue that “sabae-nasu” works literally as magic words which convey the sense of collectiveness, noise, and obscurity.</p>

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