In ancient times in Japan it was believed that absolutely all objects made by human hands have magical powers. Any thing could summon a divine spirit from the subtle world, and sometimes it itself became a deity. Dolls occupied a special place in this list …
Japanese spirit
Demonology of the Land of the Rising Sun is a unique phenomenon. Here, a step cannot be taken so as not to stumble upon some spirit or deity.
The amount of Japanese evil spirits is perfectly demonstrated by the following legend. Many thousands of years ago, a certain spirit, nicknamed Haku-taku - a creature with nine eyes and six horns - decided to leave the islands and travel the world. Once on the mainland, he was captured by Emperor Huang Di - the founder of Taoism and the forefather of all Chinese. Haku-taku was a kind and harmless spirit, but the emperor agreed to release him only on condition that he would tell him in detail about all his fellow tribesmen - creatures from the invisible world. Haku-taku had no choice but to agree.
They say that many days and nights have passed since the moment when the spirit began to narrate about its fellows. Hundreds of scribes, replacing each other every few hours, wrote down his words. By the end of the story, Emperor Huang Di was the owner of a huge encyclopedia - a bestiary, which contained details regarding 11,520 Japanese inhabitants of the other world. Unfortunately, this unique encyclopedia has not survived to this day.
Purification rite
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The ancient Japanese believed that dolls possessed many mystical powers. In particular, they can help get rid of ailments and all kinds of troubles. This belief was closely related to the ritual of purification (oharai) widespread in the Land of the Rising Sun. For example, in order to cure a child, it is necessary to make a doll (boy or girl) out of paper on the third day of the lunar month, then rub the figure on the patient's body, then throw the doll into the river or burn it.
With the arrival of spring, ailments associated with this insidious time of year also appeared. To save the family from diseases, in the very first days of spring, straw dolls were made (according to the number of people living in the house), which, together with ritual cakes (dango), were hung on a tree at the entrance to the dwelling.
How to wash away trouble
However, a major deliverance from the filth and sins of the outgoing year using paper images of a person took place in Shinto temples on New Year's Eve. The figurines sold the day before for a small fee (according to the number of family members) were burned or thrown into a mountain river after the priest had performed the Prayer of Great Purification. The dolls floating with the flow were called nagashi-bina. According to legend, all the troubles and misfortunes that threatened a person went with them.
On the first day of the Snake, on the third moon (according to the lunar calendar), the Purification Rite took place. On this day, people went to the banks of the river and let paper dolls downstream, which they had previously applied to their bodies.
There were puppets that controlled the weather. A ball made of wood, cotton wool or crumpled paper was wrapped with a piece of cloth and tied with thread. It turned out a head with a skirt. The eyes and mouth were sometimes drawn on the "head". Such a doll was hung at the entrance to the house or by the window to ensure good weather the next day.
In the Shinto magic rite, wooden dolls were present, with the help of which the will of the gods was revealed to people. The mediators in this case were the priestesses - miko, endowed, as it was believed, with an extraordinary gift from above to revive the dolls. Miko, while pronouncing the spells, not only held the wooden figure in front of her, she moved it so deftly that she made the audience believe that she really came to life.
The father of Zen Buddhism
But the doll called Daruma has its own amazing story.
Daruma is the Japanese acronym for Bodhidharma, the founder of the Zen Buddhist school. In the 510s, Bodhidharma went to China, where he founded the famous Shaolin monastery in the Sunshan mountains. In this monastery, according to legend, for nine years Bodhidharma indulged in meditation, contemplating the wall. He died in 528, passing on the innermost teachings of Zen to his students.
In Japan, the teachings of Zen Buddhism, as well as the founder of this teaching, have become popular since the middle of the XII century. Daruma himself was usually depicted as a doll with bulging eyes, without arms and legs, which was supposed to hint at the patriarch's nine-year meditation, during which, according to legend, his limbs atrophied.
Over time, the appearance of the doll has changed, and 200 years ago it was finally formed. The modern Daruma doll looks and behaves almost like our tumbler doll. Only instead of a childish face Daruma has bushy eyebrows and a beard of the wise father of all Zen Buddhists. It is interesting that at the same time Daruma does not have pupils, but this feature will be discussed below.
According to tradition, Daruma is painted red - under the robes of a priest. but there are dolls of both yellow and green.
Less known, but no less attractive are other versions of this type of toy created in different parts of Japan: Matsukawa Daruma (in the form of a samurai with bushy eyebrows), Onna Daruma (in the form of a woman), Hime Daruma (girl princess), Su-mi Daruma (from a piece of charcoal), Sankaku Daruma (conical).
Into the stove
Why is this doll so popular? And the fact that Daruma theoretically can fulfill any desire. Thousands of Japanese people participate in this fascinating ritual every year.
To begin with, before the New Year, Daruma is bought in one of the temples. The price of a doll (in our money) ranges from 100 to 10 thousand rubles. Daruma can be as big as a matchbox or as small as a refrigerator - it all depends on your finances.
Having made a wish, the doll needs to draw one pupil (for this, Daruma's eyes are left unpainted), and the name of the owner can be written on the chin. After that, the doll is placed in the most visible place in the house, preferably near the altar.
If by the next New Year the wish is fulfilled, then the second eye is added to the doll and left to stand in the same place. If not, then Daruma is taken to the temple where it was purchased, burned there, and then a new doll is bought. It is believed that the spirit that materialized in Daruma in gratitude for the shelter provided will try to fulfill the desire of its owner. And the burning of Daruma in case of failure to fulfill the desire is a ritual of purification, informing the gods that the one who made the wish has not abandoned his goal and is trying to achieve it in other “ways. The shifted center of gravity and the inability to keep Daruma in a bent position indicate the persistence of the person making a wish and his determination to reach the end at all costs.
Igor Saveliev. Magazine "Secrets of the XX century" No. 20 2010