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PAGE THREE OF FOUR
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MONKEY IN JAPAN
PAGE THREE - JAPANESE LORE
Calculating and intelligent, yet
mischievous, vain, and restless.
Akin to the human spirit and passions.
Common motif in Buddhist art & literature.
ORIGINS
India: Hindu Lore (Pre-Buddhist) & Buddhism
China: Zodiac Lore (Pre-Buddhist) & Buddhism
Japan: Buddhist and Shinto Lore
Last Update: Sept. 6, 2006
Added more on Shomen Kongo
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INTRO PAGE THREE. JAPANESE MONKEY LORE.
Monkey lore in Japan resonates with deep Chinese undertones and strong Shinto overtones. These are blended together into a hybrid symphony of Buddhist beliefs and practices, making Japanese monkey lore a very complex, confusing, curious, and challenging topic -- a topic that stretches back to Japan's first encounters with Chinese Geomancy, Chinese Taoism, the Zodiac Calendar, and Mahayana Buddhism. This page presents a wide array of Japanese ideograms, folk beliefs, and artwork about the monkey, with a special emphasis on the monkey's close association with early Japanese Tendai Shinto-Buddhism. By the time Buddhism reaches Japan (mid-6th century AD), the monkey and monkey lore are already common elements in Buddhist legend, art, and iconography in India, China, and mainland Asia (see Monkey Page Two). Thereafter, monkey worship in Japan grows greatly in popularity, especially among practitioners of Taoist Koushin rites introduced from China and among followers of Tendai Shinto-Buddhism, the latter centered around the syncretic Tendai shrine-temple multiplex located at Mt. Hiei 比叡 (Shiga Prefecture, near Kyoto).
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Three Monkeys
Netsuke, Boxwood
Late 19th Century
H = 1.25 inches (3.2 cm)
Courtesy asianart.com
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Some scholars believe the famous three monkeys -- speak no evil, hear no evil, see no evil -- originated in Japan in association with the Mt. Hiei multiplex and the sacred monkey of the Hie Shrine (Hie Jinja 日吉神社; also called Hiyoshi Taisha 日吉大社). The central deity at Mt. Hiei is SANNOU (lit. = Mountain King 山王). Sannou's messenger (tsukai 使い) and avatar (権現) is the monkey. The Sannou deity is broadly conceived, for Sannou actually represents three Buddhas (Shaka, Yakushi, and Amida), who in turn represent the three most important Shinto KAMI (deities) of Hie Shrine. These three Kami are Omiya (大宮), Ninomiya (二宮), and Shoushinshi (聖真子). All six are considered to be manifestations of the Sannou deity. Collectively, there are 21 Sannou deities at Mt. Hiei, each associated with a specific Buddhist counterpart. The manifestations of the Sannou deity are called "Hie Sannou Gongen" (日吉山王権現 Mountain King Avatars of Hie Shrine) -- gongen means "avatar," and the most common form of this avatar is the monkey. Moreover, the number three is of tremendous importance in Tendai doctrine. This all supports the notion (still contested) that the three-monkey motif originated in Japan in association with Mt. Hiei and its Tendai Shinto-Buddhist traditions.
Monkey worship in Japan peaked in the Edo Era, and has declined significantly since then. Even so, the legacy of monkey faith is easily spotted in modern Japan. One can still find centuries-old stone statues with monkey motifs in many Japanese localities -- statues weathering away, unprotected from the elements, more than 300 years in age. Photos of these statues are presented below, and links to outside sites featuring many more images are listed on Page Four. Moreover, even today, certain Japanese shrines and temples continue to perform the Koushin rites (sleepless vigil associated with the monkey) for those who still believe (most are elderly Japanese), and red-colored lucky charms featuring the monkey can still be bought at many Japanese temples, shrines, and trinket shops.
 WORD PLAY #1
MONKEY AS DEMON QUELLER
Monkey lore in Japan (and fox lore too) is closely related to Chinese geomancy (Ch: feng shui), a system for determining auspicious or inauspicious placements and orientations of cities, temples, houses, and graves. In Chinese thought, the northeast quarter is considered to be particularly inauspicious. The northeast direction is known as the "demon gate," which can be loosely translated as the place where "demons gather and enter." This belief was imported by the Japanese and is referred to as Kimon 鬼門 (literally "Demon Gate"). Kimon generally means ominous direction, or taboo direction. In Japan, both the monkey and the fox are guardians against evil Kimon influences.
In Japan, the monkey's role in guarding against demons originates from the Japanese word for monkey (猿, pronounced saru), which is a homonym for the Japanese word "expel" (去る, also pronounced saru). The latter word means to "dispel, punch out, push away, beat away." According to the legends of Japan's Mt. Hiei shrine-temple multiplex, this makes the monkey an "expeller of demons" -- in other traditions, the monkey is also thought to ward off thieves. In addition, Mt. Hiei proved to be a very fortunate choice for Saicho, 最澄 (766-822 AD), the founder of Tendai Buddhism in Japan, for the Tendai sect's main temple (Enryakuji) on Mt. Hiei is located to the northeast of the old imperial capital (Kyoto). According to Chinese geomantic views then popular at the Japanese court (early Heian Era), Kyoto was thought to be particularly vulnerable to evil influences from the northeast. The success of Saicho and Tendai Buddhism in Japan is thus related, in part, to the geomantic significance of Mt. Hiei's location northeast of Kyoto. The success of monkey lore in Japan is likewise partly due to this association. At the Hie Shrine (Hie Jinja 日吉神社; also called Hiyoshi Taisha 日吉大社) on Mt. Hiei, the protective monkey is named MASARU 神猿 (マサル).
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Chart Courtesy of Professor Kelley L. Ross
Says Professor Ross (see chart above; courtesy his site)
The arrangement of the I Ching trigrams (Book of Changes, China) around the compass reflects Chinese geomancy (feng shui), i.e., the determination of the auspicious or inauspicious situation and orientation of cities, temples, houses, or graves. Chinese cities are properly laid out as squares, with gates in the middle of the sides facing due north, east, south, and west. The diagonal directions are then regarded as special "spirit" gates -- northwest is the Heaven Gate; southwest the Earth Gate; southeast the Man Gate; and northeast the Demon Gate. The northeast was thus the direction from which malevolent supernatural influences might particularly be expected. The situation of the old Japanese capital city of Kyoto is particularly fortunate. To the northeast is a conspicuous, twin-peaked mountain, Mt. Hiei (corresponding to the Mountain trigram), which is crowned with a vast establishment of Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples to guard the Demon Gate. <end quote by Prof. Ross> Please visit the Zodiac page for more on I Ching trigrams and Chinese yin-yang dualism.
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Masaru
The demon queller
Photo from shrine site
Munamochi-saru 棟持猿
Pillar-Supporting Monkey
Nishimoto Shrine (Mt Hiei)
Photo from shrine site
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MASARU 神猿
Literally "Kami Monkey." Masaru is the sacred monkey and protector of the Hie Shrine (aka Hie Jinja 日吉神社, Hiyoshi Taisha 日吉大社). The term "Masura" is often translated as "excel," reflecting the belief that this sacred monkey can overcome all obstacles and prevail against all evil. Masaru is thus considered a demon queller par excellence (魔が去る・何よりも勝る). In the Heian era, Masaru (also translated "Great Monkey") was invoked in Koushin rituals to stop the three worms from escaping the body. Masaru also appears in Japanese scrolls used in Koushin rites.
MUNAMOCHI-SARU 棟持猿
Literally "pillar-supporting monkey." The buildings at some Hie shrines in Japan use monkey carvings to hold up the beams (see photo at right). These pillar monkeys reflect the simian's traditional role in Japan as protector against evil. The Hie (Hiyoshi) shrine rose to national importance in the 7th century when Emperor Tenji 天智 moved the capital to Outsu and invited the kami (Oumononushi no kami 大物主神) to act as the guardian deity of the new imperial residence. The shrine and its affiliate shrines (about 3,800 nationwide today) then became intimately linked to the Tendai Buddhist sect at Mt. Hiei -- Hie shrines are typically built in proximity to Tendai temples and serve to protect these temples. This helped greatly to ensure the shrine's national importance during most of Japan's medieval period.
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WORD PLAY #2
MONKEY AS MANIFESTATION OF SHINTO KAMI
The Japanese character for KAMI 神 (lit. Shinto deity, spirit, god, or force) is composed of two elements. When separated, the two elements mean "Manifestation Monkey." This explanation is attributed to the Tendai shrine-temple multiplex on Mt. Hiei. The central deity at Mt. Hiei is SANNOU (Mountain King). It should come as no surprise, then, to learn that Sannou's messenger and avatar is the monkey.
Another version of KAMI - MONKEY word play
NEZARU 寝ざる (literally "avoid sleep, sleepless, no sleep")
1. NERU 寝 is the word for sleep; word stem is read "ne" ネ
2. ZARU ざる means "not;" a homophone for monkey 申 (saru)
3. Combining ネ and 申 (1 + 2) yields the term KAMI 神
Thus, once again, monkeys are manifestations of Shinto kami.
This particular word play is closely associated with
the "sleepless vigil" observed in Koushin rituals.
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Shinra Myoujin of
Mt. Hiei wears a
three-pointed hat
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WORD PLAY #3
MOUNTAIN KING SANNOU
SANNOU'S MESSENGER IS THE MONKEY
IMPORTANCE OF NUMBER THREE
Without doubt, the strongest connection between the monkey and Shinto-Buddhism in Japan originates with the Japanese Tendai sect, established on Mt. Hiei by Saicho 最澄 (766-822 AD). The central deity at Mt. Hiei is SANNO or SANNOU (lit. = Mountain King 山王). Sanno's messenger (tsukai 使い) is the monkey. The Sanno deity is broadly conceived, for Sanno actually represents three Buddhas (Shaka, Yakushi, and Amida), who in turn represent the three most important Shinto KAMI (deities) of Hie Shrine. These three Kami are Omiya (大宮), Ninomiya (二宮), and Shoushinshi (聖真子). The ideograms for MOUNTAIN and KING both reflect the syncretism of the Tendai tradition and the importance of the number three in Tendai traditions. The home of China's Tientai (Jp. = Tendai) sect was on Mt. Tientai (天台山, literally "heavenly terraced mountain"). This name, moreover, is attributed to the mountain's location below a three-star constellation north of the Big Dipper in Ursa Major. The three stars are known as the Three Terraces or Three Platforms (三台, Jp. = Sandai), and were considered a symbolic staircase connecting heaven to the earth. The overwhelming predominance of the number three in Tendai circles is probably, therefore, the origin of Japan's three-monkey symbolism (see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil).
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 NOTE ONE. The conventional spelling for this mountain deity is SANNOU (or Sanno). Based on modern rules for romanizing Japanese terms, however, the deity's name should be spelled "Sanou" (or Sano) -- without two Ns. For the sake of consistency, this web site uses the conventional spelling, retaining the double Ns.
NOTE TWO: The Tendai shrine-temple multiplex on Mt. Hiei is a prime example of the syncretic merging of Buddhist and Shinto deities in Japan. The idea of KAMI as Gohoujin 護法神 (guardian deities of the Buddhist doctrine) was a common element in the Heian period. This Shinto-Buddhist syncretism was actually formalized and pursued based on a theory called Honji Suijaku 本地垂迹, with the Buddhist deities regarded as the honji (original manifestation) and the Shinto kami as their suijaku (incarnations). Another similar term denoting the association between Buddhas and Kami is Shinbutsu Shuugou (神仏習合). Furthermore, one resource identifies the "honji" of Sannou (Mountain King) as Ichiji Kinrin Butchou (the central Buddha of the "Court of the Perfected" (Jp. Soshitujibu). Click here for more details.
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 LEGEND OF SANNOU (SANNO). Saicho (Saichou, 最澄, 766-822 AD), the founder of the Tendai Sect in Japan, was walking on Mt. Obie 小比叡 (alternate names Ushio 牛尾, Hamo 波母, Hachiouji 八王子) within the Hiyoshi (Hie) Shrine boundaries, when the three main buddhas of Enryakuji Temple -- Shaka, Yakushi, and Amida -- appeared in the sky before him. When Saicho requested their names, they answered:
"Draw one horizontal stroke along the side of three vertical strokes, and to three horizontal strokes add one vertical stroke. We (I) come to this mountain in order to keep the teaching of the law of the Perfect (= Tendai) Sect within the sect, and to further the means of salvation for those outside." With these words the Great Master (Saicho) set this up in characters. Drawing one horizontal stroke along the side of three vertical strokes he got the character SAN 山 (mountain), and when he added one vertical stroke to three horizontal strokes he got the character OU 王 (king). Thinking it must be a name, since mountain expresses a form both large and immovable and king expresses the virtues in the three fundamentals (sanzai 三才) of heaven, earth, and man, he worshipped the deity there as SANNOU. As Mt. Hiei expresses the three teachings (三学) he built three temples, and because human beings can perceive three thousand realms in one thought (ichinen sanzen 一念三千) he made three thousand the number of monks (shuto 衆徒). <End quote from Saru no Soshi; article in Japanese Journal of Religious Studies, 1996 23/1-2, by Lone Takeuchi.>
NOTE: The three main Buddha -- Shaka, Yakushi, and Amida -- were also associated with the "Days of Dharma," which are divided into three periods -- the period of Correct Law (Age of Shobo 正法), the period of the Copied Law (Age of Zoho 象法), and the period of the Decline of the Law (the Age of Mappo 末法). Elsewhere, the classic Chinese tale Journey to the West makes numberous references to the number three. The number is of great significance in Hindu, Chinese, and Buddhist lore, and is not specific to Japan.
OTHER LEGENDS ABOUT SANNOU'S ORIGINS
The name SANNOU was given to the original Japanese mountain deity Ouyamagui 大山咋 by the Japanese monk Saichou 最澄 (766-822 AD) when he returned from China where he had been studying, and is thought to come from the Chinese god who protected Mount Tientai 天台 in China (Mt. Tientai, Zhejiang Province, China). It was here, in China, that the Chinese monk Chisha (Chigi) Daishi 智顗大師 (538 - 597 AD) founded the original Tientai (Ch. = Tientai; Jp. = Tendai) school of Buddhism. According to Chinese legend, this holy mountain is located below a three-star constellation named Sandaisei (三台星), which lies north of the Big Dipper in Ursa Major. These stars supposedly guarded the heavens surrounding the North Star -- which the Chinese regard as the home of the "Lord of the Heavens." There are other interpretations, mind you. One source says that SANNOU was named after the tutelary deity "Perfected Lord, Mountain King Yuanbi" (Ch. Shanwang Yuanbi Zhenjun) at Guoqingsi Temple on Mt. Tientai in China. The same source identifies the seven main shrines of Hie Jinja with the stars of the "Big Dipper" -- according to this interpretation, which is considered accurate among scholars, these stars control the destiny of individual humans.
Nine Evil Monkeys; Dream of King Kriki 訖哩枳王 (Jp: Kiriki-ou)
Adapted from Soka Gakkai Web Page. Saicho, the founder of Tendai Buddhism in Japan, makes reference to the nine bad monkeys chasing away the one good monkey in his Kenkairon Engi (early 9th century AD). Saicho venerated, in part, the teachings of the Lotus Sutra, the basis of the "perfect teaching" -- a pillar of Tendai thought in Japan. The perfect teaching was derived from the doctrine of the Single Vehicle in the Lotus Sutra, and teaches that "all sentient beings are bodhisattvas, and all can become buddhas."
WORD PLAY #4
KOUSHIN, THREE WORMS, THREE MONKEYS
In Japan, certain Zodiac days-years of great misfortune are known as Koushin 庚申 (Ch: keng-shen or geng-shen). Koushin days occur six times yearly, and the Koushin year is the 57th year in the 60-year cycle of the Zodiac calendar. On these days (year), special rites -- influenced greatly by Chinese Taoist beliefs involving three worms believed to inhabit the body -- are performed to ward off evil influences. A major player in Koushin rituals is the monkey, for the term Koushin 庚申 is comprised of two characters -- KOU 庚, the Chinese zodiac stem associated with metal and the planet Venus, and SHIN 申, the ninth branch symbol of the Chinese zodiac and the character for monkey.
The first year of the Zodiac's sexagenary cycle is Koushi 申子 (Japanese reading; also read kinoe ne), and it too includes the character for monkey 申. This first year of the Zodiac calendar symbolizes "beginning and complete renewal." Other years were given special meanings based on the sound of their Zodiac characters, which were homonyms for other terms. In China, for example, the term Gengzi 庚子 (Jp. koushi; kanoe ne) is the 37th year in the 60-year cycle. Its homophone (in Chinese) is 更孳, meaning "to change and engender" -- the Gengzi day was thus regarded as the most auspicious day for producing offspring. In similar fashion, the Japanese pronunciation of Koushin 庚申 (the inauspicious 57th year of the cycle, closely associated with the monkey) is a homophone for Koushin 更神, meaning "exchange of the gods." Says Professor Livia Kohn of Boston University: "On the Koushin day, the spirit beings usually residing in the human body rise up to heaven, while the gods of heaven descend. It is a time of meeting and exchange. The three deathbringers (three worms) become active celestial officials, changing places with the protective deities of heaven. The latter, in turn, descend as Koushin deities -- the Three Ones, Shoumen Kongou, Taishakuten, and Sarutakiko." <End quote from Livia Kohn>
In the same way, the association of the three monkeys with Japan's Koushin cult is based upon word play (it also reflects the crucial importance of the number three in Tendai cosmology and thought, as well as the three worms of Taoist traditions). The Zodiac animal associated with the Koushin day is the monkey 申. The Japanese word for monkey is "SARU." This word is phonetically linked with the negative "ZARU," which means "not." Thus, the names of the three monkeys are Mizaru 見ざる (no see), Kikazaru 聞かざる (no hear), and Iwazaru 言わざる (no speak).
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MONKEY DEITIES IN JAPAN
- MASARU 神猿 (lit. Kami Monkey). The sacred monkey of the Hie Shrine (aka Hie Jinja 日吉神社, Hiyoshi Taisha 日吉大社). Masaru is considered a demon queller par excellence (魔が去る・何よりも勝る). Masaru is also invoked in Koushin rituals to stop the three worms from escaping the body.
 Details above.
- SANNOU (SANNO) GONGEN 山王 権現 さんおう ごんげん
Literally "Mountain King Avatar." Sannou means mountain king, and gongen means avatar. The monkey is Sannou's messenger (tsukai 使い) and Sannou's avatar (gongen). At Hie Jinja shrines in Japan, the monkey also acts as the patron of safe childbirth and harmonious marriage, and red monkey charms are used to ward off evil and disease. Details below.
- SARUGAMI 猿神 (lit. Monkey Kami). Another term for the sacred Shinto monkey (Masaru) of Mt. Hie. Sarugami is worshipped as the deity of easy delivery and child rearing, and is the Lord of the three monkeys (see, hear, speak no evil). Closely associated with fertility. Details below.
- JUUZENJI 十禅師. The tutelary deity of Juuzenji Shrine, one of the 21 Sannou shrines at Mt. Hiei (Hieizan 比叡山). Juuzenji's emissaries are monkeys. Details below.
- SHINRA MYOUJIN 新羅明神. In addition to the central mountain deity named SANNOU, the Tendai shrine-temple multiplex located at Mt. Hiei is home to another powerful mountain deity. This latter deity is known as Shinra Myoujin (also called Shiragi Myoujuin). Artwork of this deity typically shows an unusual crown which has three points, in the traditional shape of a mountain. Related also to Daruma, the patriarch of Zen Buddhism. Details below.
- SARUTAHIKO, SARUTABIKO, SAURTAHIKO-NO-KAMI.
猿田彦, 猿田彦神. Commonly translated as "monkey man." The long-nosed Shinto deity of the crossroads who takes on the visage of a monkey; also considered by some to be the ancestor of the long-nosed Tengu mountain goblin. This kami is often depicted as a dishevelled wanderer, and is said to protect people in the course of their lives and to ward off bad influences. Sarutahiko's connection with Koushin 庚申 rituals and three-monkey worship did not occur until the Edo period. Details below.
- KOUSHIN (KOSHIN, KOOSHIN), 庚申. In Japan, certain Zodiac days/years of great misfortune are known as Koushin 庚申 (Ch: keng-shen or geng-shen). On these days (year), special rites -- influenced greatly by Chinese Taoist rites involving three worms and nine parasites that inhabit the body -- are performed to ward off evil influences, to protect against sickness and misfortune, and to cure illness. The three monkeys (see, speak, hear no evil) are closely related to Koushin rituals. Details below.
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SANNOU GONGEN 山王 権現
SARUGAMI 猿神
Fertility, Childbirth & Marriage
Monkeys are patrons of harmonious marriage and safe childbirth at some of the 3,800 Hie Jinja shrines in Japan. These shrines are often dedicated to Sannou Gongen 山王権現 (lit. = mountain king avatar), who is a monkey. Sannou is the central deity of Japan's Tendai Shinto-Buddhist multiplex on Mt. Hiei (Shiga Prefecture, near Kyoto). The monkey is Sannou's Shinto messenger (tsukai 使い) and Buddhist avatar (gongen 権現).
The monkey messenger is also known as Sarugami (猿神; literally "monkey kami"). Sarugami is the Shinto deity to whom the three monkeys (hear, speak, see no evil) are reportedly faithful. The monkey shrine at Nakayama Shrine 中山神社 in Tsuyama City, Okayama Prefecture, is dedicated to a red monkey named Sarugami, who blesses couples with children. According to shrine legends, the local people at one time offered human sacrifices (using females) to this deity. The shrine is mentioned in the Konjaku Monogatari-shu (今昔物語集), a collection of over 1000 tales from India, China, and Japan written during the late Heian Period (794-1192 AD). Sarugami, like Sannou Gongen, is also worshipped as the deity of easy delivery and child rearing. At such shrines, statues of the monkey deity are often decked in red bibs -- a color closely associated with fertility, children, and protection against evil forces and diseases like smallpox (see below).
 
Sannou (Sanno) Gongen
Above two photos courtesy of James Baquet
Female with babe and male monkey guard the gates
at Hie Jinja (Hie Shrine), Akasaka, Tokyo, Japan
SAYS JAMES-SAN: The Hie Jinja Shrine (Tokyo) is dedicated to Sanno Gongen (山王権現), which translates literally as "Mountain King Avatar" of Sannou, the deity who dwells on Mt. Hiei between Kyoto and Lake Biwa. This is also the home mountain of the Japanese Tendai Sect (Chinese: Tien-tai). Many of Japan's 3,800 Hie Jinja shrines are built in proximity to Tendai temples, and serve to protect these temples. The female monkey on the left cradles a baby in her arms; male and female both hold implements used in Shinto rituals. The monkeys -- especially the female -- are considered the patrons of harmonious marriage and safe childbirth (my best friend Reiko was married at this shrine). <End quote by Baquet-san>
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THE COLOR RED - Short Version
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Smallpox Demons
Ukiyo-e print
by Yoshitoshi, c. 1890
(Detail from woodblock)
Courtesy of the
Naito Museum of
Pharmaceutical Science
& Industry
Hashima, Gifu, Japan.
Photo found here
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In Japan, the color red is associated closely with the monkey and a few other deities in Shinto and Buddhist traditions. Click here for expanded story on RED'S symbolism. There are many clues that underpin the red association. Perhaps the most convincing clue involves disease (e.g., smallpox, scarlet fever, tuberculosis, measles) -- for red, according to Japanese folk belief, is the color associated with "expelling demons and illness." This link segues easily into other associations with child mortality, protection against evil forces (illness), fertility, the caul (the embryonic membrane covering the head at birth), and other childbirth imagery. The red bibs, red robes, and red caps found on certain Japanese deities (see below) lend strong support to this interpretation.
Briefly, the Japanese god of smallpox -- Housou (Hoso) Kami 疱瘡神 -- is intimately associated with the color red in Japan. The first record of smallpox in Japan appears in the Nikon Shoki (日本書紀, approx. 720 AD). But the disease reached Japan much earlier, around the time of Buddhism's introduction (circa 550 AD). The disease was very dangerous. If the ill person's skin turned purple, it was considered serious. But if the skin turned red, it was believed the patient would recover. This association with disease was gradually turned upside-down -- proper worship of the smallpox deity could bring salvation, while improper worship or neglect could result in death. In later centuries, the Japanese recommended that children with smallpox be clothed in red garments and that those caring for the sick also wear red (click here for details on smallpox in Japan).
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Munamochi-saru 棟持猿
Pillar-Supporting Monkey
Nishimoto Shrine (Mt Hiei)
Courtesy outside site
Lady touches statue of mother monkey holding baby monkey
Hie Shrine (Akasaka, Tokyo). Visit Shrine's Web Page.
Photo by Hiroshi Chida
Migawari-zaru Charm
Lit. "Substitution Monkey"
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Red-equals-sickness symbolism quickly gave way to a new dualism between evil and good, between death and life, between hell and heaven, with red embodying both life-creating and life-sustaining powers.
Red-colored monkey charms are used in Japan, even today, to ward off demons, evil spirits, and sickness (see Migawari-zaru below). The Japanese word for monkey (猿 saru) is a homonym for the Japanese word 去る, which means to "dispel, punch out, push away, beat away," and thus monkeys are thought to dispel evil spirits. The buildings at some Hie Shrines in Japan use monkey carvings to hold up the beams (see photo at right of Munamochi-saru). These pillar monkeys reflect the simian's traditional role as protector against evil. Moreover, the monkeys worshipped at many Hie Jinja shrines in modern Japan are considered patrons of fertility, safe childbirth, and harmonious marriage. At these shrines, the monkey statues are often decked in red clothing, the color meant to symbolize fertility and childbirth. Women can even buy red underpants called Saru-mata 猿股 (lit. monkey underwear), which equates to the red buttocks of female monkeys in heat, and thus symbolizes fertility. There are approximately 3,800 Hie Shrines nationwide.
MIGAWARI-ZARU, 身代わり猿, literally "substitution monkey." This red monkey charm is hung on the eves of the house to protect the inhabitants from disasters and to block evil forces from entering the home. One doll for each person of the home is hung on the eve of the house. Said to protect sinners from punishment by Koushin, as the monkey (Koushin's messenger) is punished instead. Hence the name Migawari-zaru -- the substitution monkey. Still a practice found in the old part of Nara city (details here, Japanese-language site).
NEGAI-ZARU, 願い猿, literally "monkey for wishes." Another name for the Migawari-zaru monkey charm (see above). People write their wishes on the back of this monkey charm, hang it up, and hope their wishes will be granted by the monke | |
