Uncovering Shikigami The Search for the Spirit Servant of Onmyodo

Abstract

A study of scholarly discourse on shikigami reveals diverse understandings of what this thaumaturgical emblem of Onmyodo (way of yin and yang) represents. From a metaphorical reference to shikisen (an augury using astrological calculations and an augury instrument called shikiban), to a type of magical curse, to a supernatural being, the various explanations offered by Japanese scholars highlight the ambivalent nature of shikigami and demonstrate the difficulties in establishing the exact nature of this enigmatic being. Although such variations in definition are a result of changing textual constructions of shikigami in Japanese classical literature, literary narratives still function as a useful source of social and cultural studies of early Japanese society. Through my study of shikigami, I seek to highlight the significance of Onmyodo in Japanese religiosity and provoke further studies in Japanese folklore beliefs while examining the use of literary narratives in religious studies.keywords: Japanese religion-Japanese literature-Onmyodo-Izanagi-ryu-folklore beliefs-shikigami(ProQuest: ... denotes non-US-ASCII text omitted.)Shikigami(..., also written as ... or ... in some texts) are fascinating figures in the traditions of Onmy?d? .... In view of the syncretic nature of Japanese religions, and considering its irregular appearances in diaries and literature, shikigami are easily identified as an emblem of Onmy?d?, specifically with aspects concerning thaumaturgy. There are no written records of this enigmatic entity within Onmy?d? and so there are few explicit descriptions, much less explanations, for the presence of shikigami. As shown by the myriad depictions of shikigami in various guises in anime, manga, video games, dramas, and movies, the contemporary mass media has benefitted from this notable lack of detail.In contemporary times shikigami are commonly identified as a spirit servant controlled by the practitioners of Onmyodo, the onmy?ji ... (yin-yang master). This is a marked change from its early manifestations in Japanese classical literature as an amorphous augury tool. My initial attempts to uncover the meanings embodied in shikigami took me on a literary analysis of its descriptions in premodern Japanese texts. Its literary descriptions revealed its characteristics to be rather eclectic and encompassing in nature, having possibly undergone cross-influences from other Japanese religions, but also as a result of the nature in which it had arisen: shikigami are attributed as a manifestation of the shikisen ... (see below). Although gradual changes in literary descriptions of shikigami seemingly paralleled the historical developments in Onmy?d?, the narratives provide only a glimpse of its characteristics without detailing its role in Onmy?d?. Many questions remain about what shikigami are, and what its functions are.Although shikigami have become an almost staple accompaniment to contemporary portrayals of Onmy?d?, particularly those involving the famous onmy?ji Abe no Seimei ... (921-1005),1 it is important to examine how understanding shikigami can help us learn more about Onmy?d?. An overview of the literature on shikigami shows variations in the way it is described through the centuries, which has resulted in diverse understandings about this entity in contemporary Japanese scholarship. As Japanese scholars have employed different literary texts and time periods for analysis, this has produced varied and sometimes contradictory definitions of shikigami. An absolutist assumption of the immutability of shikigami beliefs and the abridgement of time overlooks the differing texts and periods of analysis and this often results in different definitions of shikigami. Therefore it is necessary to provide an idea of how shikigami were initially perceived in early Japanese beliefs before I introduce prevalent conceptions of shikigami in contemporary scholarship. I do not claim to have successfully escaped from this historical limitation but I hope that by paralleling the scholastic definitions with changing literary descriptions of shikigami, I can somewhat map out the often confusing definitions and ease the way towards an understanding of what shikigami mean for Japanese religiosity. …