Friday, December 19, 2014

The Married Demons of Okazaki Shrine


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Okazaki Shrine in the fishing village of Yuki on the Tokushima coast is a small local shrine, now made of concrete. There was no information about which kami is enshrined here.

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However there was a wonderful pair of demons carved directly into two sections of massive logs. They were called "Meoto" which usually is translated as married.

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There once stood in the shrine grounds a massive, old Tabu no ki tree, which I believe is a kind of Bay tree. The tree became too old and was in danger of falling so it was cut down, and a local man carved the two demons into it.

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2 comments:

  1. It’s very interesting the idea of tree be perpetuated in sculptures, in pair of demons associated with marriage!

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  2. Wonderful artisan sculptures, indeed.

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