Japanese Mythology
Japanese mythology is very fascinating but it is also considered to be one of the most complex of all the various mythologies to study. The stories in Japanese mythology include the religious beliefs of both the Buddhists and Shinto. Other stories are based on the folk culture that was passed down from centuries ago from one generation to the next. The entire structure of the Japanese Imperial family can be found in the Japanese mythology as well.
One of the reasons Japanese mythology is considered to be so complex is many of the characters have several aliases attached to them. If you don’t pay close attention you may easily get your characters confused. You may also assume you are reading about a new character when you are actually only reading a story where an alias is being used. It is a good idea to get a grip on the names of characters and their aliases before you begin reading Japanese Mythology. It will save you plenty of confusion in the long run.
Next you will want to move onto the family tree of the gods. There are plenty of branches for you to pay attention to. It is believed the god Izanaki and the goddess Izanami created the islands found in Japan. The story goes that when their child was born as the god of fire Izanami was burned and died. Izanaki was so distraught that he went to the underworld in order to see her again.
The story goes that she went to ask if you could rejoin her husband but he was to wait while she asked without looking at her. He did look and saw her body decomposed and full of bugs and worms. He left the underworld then blocking the exit with rocks so she could not follow him.
The various stories in Japanese mythology are full of similar stories that involve the gods, their children, mortals, spirits, and men. It is believed that many of the stories in Japanese mythology are quite similar to those in Greek mythology. This is thought be because of the realistic elements that underlie each story. While the names and the locations are specific to the culture the lessons they hold are quite similar in nature.
