What are the best books in english about japanese mythology. He is based on the mikaboshi of japanese mythology and the gods of japan known as kami. It then offers vivid retellings of the central shinto and buddhist myths. Explore captivating myths of japanese deities, yokai, heroes and heroines the. It also invites readers to examine how people create, transmit, and collect folklore, and how they make sense of the mysteries in the world around them. Amatsumikaboshi is often described as the japanese god of evil, implying that he is a satanic figure, but that is imprecise. The book of yokai provides a lively excursion into japanese folklore and its everexpanding influence on global popular culture. Handbook of japanese mythology handbooks of world mythology ashkenazi, michael on. Fantasy, magical realism, mythic fiction, historic fiction, or general fiction based in japanese mythology.
In japanese mythology, amatsumikaboshi also called amenokagaseo was originally a malevolent shinto god. A captivating guide to japanese folklore, myths, fairy tales, yokai, heroes and heroines explore captivating myths of japanese deities, yokai, heroes and heroines the study of mythology and folklore is a peculiar one to the ext. Marvel has always represented japanese culture in a faithful way. The kojiki record of ancient things is japans oldest book of mythology. Amatsu mikaboshi who some see as the japanese god of evil, but he really is a being that rep. The book reveals the origins of japans myths in the very different realms of buddhism, shinto, and folklore, and explores related mythologies of the ainu and okinawan cultures and recent myths arising from japans encounters with modernization.
Japanese mythology and millions of other books are available for instant. In terms of mythology, japanese folklore makes up some of the most intriguing stories. The festivals of a japanese town, the essence of japanese cuisine, and sex, sexuality, and the anthropologist with fran markowitz. Shinto has no satan, and amatsumikaboshi is neither a god nor evil. Amatsumikaboshi, meaning the august star of heaven is the god of evil and of the stars, specifically the pole star in japanese mythology. Amatsumikaboshi supernatural creatures mythological.
Michael ashkenazi is a professional writer and the author of numerous scholarly and encyclopedia articles on japanese religion and culture. Amatsumikaboshi, the chaos king, is a fictional character appearing in american comic books published by marvel comics. Japanese religion is based around the kami, spirits that. Shadow of the fox by julie kagawa, red winter by annette marie, flame in the mist by renee ahdieh, kinslayer by jay. Handbook of japanese mythology handbooks of world mythology. The general populace of earth is unaware of mikaboshi except as a mythological character. In japanese mythology amatsumikaboshi is known as the god of evil and of stars, and is also known by the title august star of heaven. Buy handbook of japanese mythology handbooks of world mythology by michael ashkenazi isbn. The character is usually depicted as a supervillain and demonic god of evil who is best known as an enemy of hercules and thor. A books total score is based on multiple factors, including the number of people who have voted for it and how highly those voters ranked the book. Amatsumikaboshi is often described as the japanese god of evil, implying that. Kami are known to exhibit good and evil characteristics, with their nature being ambiguous. Japanese religion is based around the kami, spirits that are linked to nature and embody different virtues. The origins of japanese mythology are found in the shinto religion, taoism and buddhism.