The dragon and the Shrine Maiden - long post
Posted: Thu Apr 12, 2007 11:39 am
There was once a young shrine maiden, dedicated to Amaterasu, who's beauty was rivaled only by her purity. This young maiden had skin as fair as snow atop Fuji-no-Takane. Her hair as black as raven's wings freamed a delicate face that seemed to be perfectly sculpted from the finest porcelain. Her eyes seemd as though the very stars of the heavens had been plucked and set in pale emeralds within her face. As was proper, she was chaste, and pure, her life, body and soul dedicated to serving as Amaterasu's voice on earth. Her prayers came from the heart, each one unique and beautifull for their simple harmony. Many men came to the temple to gaze upon her, many of these men attempted to woo her away from the temple.
In the course of her days, the young maiden never failed to leave a small offering of rice and sake at the feet of the statue of the shrine's guardian, a Tatsu who spent all of his time basking in the warmth of the temple's spiritual light. "I must meet this mortal who's voice is so kind and truthfull, who's spirit is so unwavering and constant in her devotion." The Tatsu said to himself one day as she placed another offering at teh feet of his statue. With that thought he first took the form of a handsome young noble, acoutered in garments as fine as the emperor's.
Entering the temple he quickly located the maiden, and seeing her in person quite quickly fell in love, not with the beauty of her flesh (although that did not help matters for him), but rather with her kind words and ready smile for even the lowest of the temples visitors. For three months he never missed one of her prayers, quitly basking in her beauty, hoping beyond hope that she might notice his appealing and wealthy form. When she did finally speak to him one day he was heartbroken to hear her words to him. "Noble sir, I have noticed that for the last three months you have not missed one of my prayers. While such devotion is admiriable, it is sorely misplaced, during my prayers your attention is focused on me rather than the prayer, or Amaterasu. I am not available to be wed, so if you have no other business here please depart."
Crestfallen, and ashamed, the tatsu placed a large pearl upon the shrine, and immediately fled the temple. "What a fool I am to think that one so pure would be attracted to looks and wealth, I must find a way to make amends." the tatsu said to himself. Unable to bear the shame he took to wandering the streets of Furuichi in the guise of a simple beggar, guiding all he met to make the pilgramidge to the shrine and to heed the maiden's prayers, rather than her beauty. None who followed his advice came away from the trip unmoved. after three long years of this, the Tatsu, unable to bear being away from the object of his affections, took to sneaking into the back of the shrine at prayer times to once again bask in the maiden's simple virtue. After this had gone on for some time the maiden again approached him. "I do appreciate what you have done for the temple, noble sir, and the lives that you have helped, but even tough your attention hangs on my every prayer, I am not the one you should worship. This is afterall a shine of Amaterasu." Blushing scarlet, he placed a golden platter upon the shrine, a scale from his own breast, and again fled into the night.
"What a coward I was, cowed by the beauty of a maiden, she granted my dearest wish and still I lacked the courage to speak to her, I must rectify this deficiancy in my character if she is to notice me more than any other patron of the shrine." Taking the form a young samurai, the tatsu spent the next ten long years (an eternity to him, even though he had already lived through many centuries) making the roads safe for travelers to the shrine, allowing himself no more protection or strength than that of any other samurai he faced and defeated teh bandits that had long preyed upon the shrine's pilgrims.
Having had built up his courage the tatsu again entered teh shrine, this time not sneaking in, but entering with confidence, he was determined to tell the maiden (who by this time had blossomed into full womanhood, as beautifull as a cloudless day) how he truly felt. At her approach however, his tongue once again would not move to speak to her. So instead of the many haiku he had composed he merely went to the shrine and shamefacedly made an ikebana arangement at it's lower step (it was of the most exquisite beauty, many travleres took note of it's simple elegance as they made their own offerings) and again fled into the night.
"Perhaps then I lack the wisdom to speak to her, I shall attempt to consult with my cousin on this ordeal." With this the tatsu disguised himself as a humble monk and made a pilgrimage to each of Amaterasu's shrines in all of Nippon, visiting each in turn at dawn, then starting over to visit each in turn at noon, and then begining yet again to visit each in turn to contemplate the sunset - all in quiet prayer to Amaterasu that his most secret wish be granted. This took the span of another thirty years, during which time the tatsu found no beauty that could compare with the maiden's simple, devout, prayers.
"Surely I have enough wisdom now, she has to notice me kindly." The tatsu thought as he made the trek to again return to the temple that was above his home. As he kneeled before the shrine deep in prayer to Amaterasu, the maiden, now quite old, but still to him a vision of lovelyness, spoke. "Noble sir, my given name is Tanaka Akicho. I am moved by your devotion, as misplaced as it may be." Like a floodgate opening the tatsu's words finally found voice, pouring out his heart upon the floor like water poured from a bucket, All of the things he had wanted to say finally being released, his pride in his accomlpishments, his shame of his dieception, his fear of her rejection, all stammered forth with the words tripping over themselves to leave his tongue.
Not even the most elequent of the temple's priests were unmoved by the simple eloquence of his words, the heartfelt outpouring of his affection. It is said that on that day, so moved by this temple guardian's words was even Amaterasu herself, that she hid her face and wept for his long suffering. Since on that day Amaterasu did not journey across the sky, the maiden's oath to serve the goddess, and only the goddess untill the day that the sun no longer rises was fulfilled.
The two of them vowed to be wed on the very next day. The day was a joyous one at the temple the day more beautifull than any that anyone present could remember. After the wedding, the maiden made a simple request that could not be denied. "I would walk with you in your true shape, my husband, there is no longer any need for disguises." As the two of them walked toward the sunrise, hand in claw the maiden's years began to fall from her features, like blossoms from the trees, finally her body falling lifeless consumed from within.
Since that time, temple maidens at the shrine of Ise no longer lead the prayers, and no longer serve more than ten years in that capacity, they are also allowed to step down at any time in order to marry. It is also said that the Tatsu of the shrine has never since taken a physical form, instead appearing as as words whispered from his statue as it cries tears of purest jade at her memory.
In the course of her days, the young maiden never failed to leave a small offering of rice and sake at the feet of the statue of the shrine's guardian, a Tatsu who spent all of his time basking in the warmth of the temple's spiritual light. "I must meet this mortal who's voice is so kind and truthfull, who's spirit is so unwavering and constant in her devotion." The Tatsu said to himself one day as she placed another offering at teh feet of his statue. With that thought he first took the form of a handsome young noble, acoutered in garments as fine as the emperor's.
Entering the temple he quickly located the maiden, and seeing her in person quite quickly fell in love, not with the beauty of her flesh (although that did not help matters for him), but rather with her kind words and ready smile for even the lowest of the temples visitors. For three months he never missed one of her prayers, quitly basking in her beauty, hoping beyond hope that she might notice his appealing and wealthy form. When she did finally speak to him one day he was heartbroken to hear her words to him. "Noble sir, I have noticed that for the last three months you have not missed one of my prayers. While such devotion is admiriable, it is sorely misplaced, during my prayers your attention is focused on me rather than the prayer, or Amaterasu. I am not available to be wed, so if you have no other business here please depart."
Crestfallen, and ashamed, the tatsu placed a large pearl upon the shrine, and immediately fled the temple. "What a fool I am to think that one so pure would be attracted to looks and wealth, I must find a way to make amends." the tatsu said to himself. Unable to bear the shame he took to wandering the streets of Furuichi in the guise of a simple beggar, guiding all he met to make the pilgramidge to the shrine and to heed the maiden's prayers, rather than her beauty. None who followed his advice came away from the trip unmoved. after three long years of this, the Tatsu, unable to bear being away from the object of his affections, took to sneaking into the back of the shrine at prayer times to once again bask in the maiden's simple virtue. After this had gone on for some time the maiden again approached him. "I do appreciate what you have done for the temple, noble sir, and the lives that you have helped, but even tough your attention hangs on my every prayer, I am not the one you should worship. This is afterall a shine of Amaterasu." Blushing scarlet, he placed a golden platter upon the shrine, a scale from his own breast, and again fled into the night.
"What a coward I was, cowed by the beauty of a maiden, she granted my dearest wish and still I lacked the courage to speak to her, I must rectify this deficiancy in my character if she is to notice me more than any other patron of the shrine." Taking the form a young samurai, the tatsu spent the next ten long years (an eternity to him, even though he had already lived through many centuries) making the roads safe for travelers to the shrine, allowing himself no more protection or strength than that of any other samurai he faced and defeated teh bandits that had long preyed upon the shrine's pilgrims.
Having had built up his courage the tatsu again entered teh shrine, this time not sneaking in, but entering with confidence, he was determined to tell the maiden (who by this time had blossomed into full womanhood, as beautifull as a cloudless day) how he truly felt. At her approach however, his tongue once again would not move to speak to her. So instead of the many haiku he had composed he merely went to the shrine and shamefacedly made an ikebana arangement at it's lower step (it was of the most exquisite beauty, many travleres took note of it's simple elegance as they made their own offerings) and again fled into the night.
"Perhaps then I lack the wisdom to speak to her, I shall attempt to consult with my cousin on this ordeal." With this the tatsu disguised himself as a humble monk and made a pilgrimage to each of Amaterasu's shrines in all of Nippon, visiting each in turn at dawn, then starting over to visit each in turn at noon, and then begining yet again to visit each in turn to contemplate the sunset - all in quiet prayer to Amaterasu that his most secret wish be granted. This took the span of another thirty years, during which time the tatsu found no beauty that could compare with the maiden's simple, devout, prayers.
"Surely I have enough wisdom now, she has to notice me kindly." The tatsu thought as he made the trek to again return to the temple that was above his home. As he kneeled before the shrine deep in prayer to Amaterasu, the maiden, now quite old, but still to him a vision of lovelyness, spoke. "Noble sir, my given name is Tanaka Akicho. I am moved by your devotion, as misplaced as it may be." Like a floodgate opening the tatsu's words finally found voice, pouring out his heart upon the floor like water poured from a bucket, All of the things he had wanted to say finally being released, his pride in his accomlpishments, his shame of his dieception, his fear of her rejection, all stammered forth with the words tripping over themselves to leave his tongue.
Not even the most elequent of the temple's priests were unmoved by the simple eloquence of his words, the heartfelt outpouring of his affection. It is said that on that day, so moved by this temple guardian's words was even Amaterasu herself, that she hid her face and wept for his long suffering. Since on that day Amaterasu did not journey across the sky, the maiden's oath to serve the goddess, and only the goddess untill the day that the sun no longer rises was fulfilled.
The two of them vowed to be wed on the very next day. The day was a joyous one at the temple the day more beautifull than any that anyone present could remember. After the wedding, the maiden made a simple request that could not be denied. "I would walk with you in your true shape, my husband, there is no longer any need for disguises." As the two of them walked toward the sunrise, hand in claw the maiden's years began to fall from her features, like blossoms from the trees, finally her body falling lifeless consumed from within.
Since that time, temple maidens at the shrine of Ise no longer lead the prayers, and no longer serve more than ten years in that capacity, they are also allowed to step down at any time in order to marry. It is also said that the Tatsu of the shrine has never since taken a physical form, instead appearing as as words whispered from his statue as it cries tears of purest jade at her memory.
