20 world religions and faith practices 298

The Search for Peace in Times of Chaos—Volume The kami, on its way to the place of service, is carried by young men who are not supposed to provide the kami with a smooth, fast ride Instead, they make it in a zigzag, swaying in all directions and pushing the mikoshi up and down, often very violently to amuse the kami Music plays a very important role in the performance Everything from the setup of the instruments to the most subtle sounds and the arrangement of the music is crucial to encouraging the kami to come down and dance The songs are used as magical devices to summon the gods and as prayers for blessings ‹‘ƒ‰—”ƒ is the oldest type of theatrical dance as performed by women in Shintō shrines and during folk festivals The a ncient m iko were Shamanesses but are now considered priestesses in the service of the Shintō shrines Miko kagura originally was a shamanic trance dance, but later, it became an art and was interpreted as a prayer dance It is performed in many of the larger Shintō shrines and is characterized by slow, elegant, circular movements, by emphasis on the four directions and by the central use of fan and bells Marriage Š‹œ‡Ǧ‡‘  (Marital Rites in the Presence of the Gods) is a term that broadly includes all nuptial rites conducted “before a kami,” but in common usage today refers to wedding ceremonies performed at shrines or wedding halls by Shintō priests In the late sixteenth century, there was a conscious association between marital observances and the gods; the schools of manners for the warrior class maintained set procedures for such rites, and these came to influence the customs of the common people in the towns and cities The marriage of the Crown Prince (later the Emperor Taishō) in 1900 prompted the spread of shinzen-kekkon style marriage ceremony For that event, the ˜‡•–‹‰ƒ–‹˜‡ —”‡ƒ— ‘ˆ –Š‡ ’‡”‹ƒŽ ‘—•‡Š‘Ž† ›•–‡ set about researching and establishing a formal liturgy in August of 1899 That liturgy was codified in the April 1900 ’‡”‹ƒŽ ‘—•‡Š‘Ž†ƒ””‹ƒ‰‡ †‹…–  and executed at the Crown Prince’s wedding ceremony that May After undergoing further revision at that shrine, the emergent liturgy spread and became the norm ~ 297 ~ ... ›•–‡ set about researching and establishing a formal liturgy in August of 1899 That liturgy was codified in the April 1900 ’‡”‹ƒŽ ‘—•‡Š‘Ž†ƒ””‹ƒ‰‡ †‹…–  and executed at the Crown Prince’s... ceremony that May After undergoing further revision at that shrine, the emergent liturgy spread and became the norm ~ 297 ~