It’s okay. Shou-san knows the location of this room
She’s been Jii-chan’s long-serving bodyguard. Even if it is her first time entering the location, if the floor plan of the school is in her head then she’ll arrive in the principal’s office without a problem.
Now then,
Jii-chan looks at me from the prosecutor’s seat.
You know that the Takakura ladies are shrine maidens, don’t you? Yeah, I heard it from Minaho-neesan. They’re basically people on the big shrine, right?
I replied frankly.
You’re misunderstanding about that so let me say it in advance
I’m told that I’m misunderstanding something.
You think that shrine maidens must be a virgin, right?
Jii-chan laughs.
Huh? Isn’t that right?
Shrine maidens have to be maidens, right?
They serve god so shouldn’t they be pure? That’s only during the age of Ise Grand Shrine. There’s no rule telling the Shrine maidens in Japan to be virgins in the first place. You know about the origin of shrine maidens, Ame-no-Uzume-no-Mikoto, the goddess that danced in front of Ama-no-Iwato. Her dance is basically a strip show. In short, she used her sexual power to call out Amaterasu Okami from seclusion. In other words, shrine maidens are the model for invoking a deity to honor them Wait, wasn’t the dance too funny that it made everyone laugh?
The book I read in elementary school library writes it like that.
Do I really have to teach you about it now? There’s no description in the Nihon-shoki that she made the gods laugh What she did is 神懸かりして胸乳かきいで裳緒を陰ほとに押し垂れき Meaning, her divine possession had her expose her chest and genital. If the Gods saw Uzume-kami’s dance and laughed, then it would be because it’s an erotic dance. Uzume-kami’s dance was not humorous Jii-chan said. In the ancient Indian relics, there remains a mural painting of a goddess showing her tongue and genitalia as a form of provoking her enemies. Showing the insides of their genitals, the most vulnerable part of the body is called as the greatest insult. Even now, people stick out their tongue to people they don’t like Oh. That one. In short, Uzume-kami’s strip tease and the power of Eros is a provocation for Amaterasu Okami who secluded herself. Well, sexual urges and impulsive attacks are part of their close relationship. The supreme god was pulled out from Iwato due to the complex emotions rising up I see.
I thought that Gods were just laughing it off.
Let’s go back to the topic, the Shrine maidens are basically lewd existences
I get that.
There’s a lot of sexy cosplay and videos of shrine maidens.
Shrine maidens are basically prostitutes, in Japan and even in abroad
Huh?
They’re called holy harlots In most temples in ancient times, shrine maidens are prostituted to the believers. All of the women there leave their home for several years and live in the shrine to serve God, but in reality, their religious activities are basically prostitution. In their city, they all are willing to let their daughters and wives become prostitutes of the temple Why?
Why would the husband do that?
Does he not feel reluctant?
To think that he’s allowing his daughter and wife to become prostitutes.
Sex is a means to approach God
Jii-chan replied.
You communicate with God through sex. You know the will of God. Or you could give God’s blessing to your partner. That’s what it means to have sex with the Shrine maidens But That’s how sex is treated until people encountered STDs. Sex was a matter of joy, nobody was afraid. Syphilis was not present in Asia, Africa, and Europe before the great voyage. It’s said that Columbus’ expedition brought it back from the US. And then, it spread out through the whole world in just twenty years Is it that short? With the spread of STDs, the acts of sex and prostitution is given a dark image during the 15th century
I see.
Even before the 15 century, Christianity is a religion with a rooted belief of the sin of awareness, thus they deny human desires. Therefore, Christian friars and nuns are tabooed from doing sexual acts. Also, since Buddhism’s purpose is to reach enlightenment and release all of the earthly desires, so they have to follow their precepts. Their precept forbids them to have a sexual relationship with a woman. These two major religions have changed clergy’s abstinence. That mental image has reached the 21st century that people think shrine maidens in Japan must also be a virgin Jii-chan said. In most other religions, sexual urges and acts are a natural thing, so they’re not considered as evil. They’re broad-minded when it comes to sex
I see. The Christians and Buddhists have a strict image on their nuns.
Before anyone noticed, it has become the same for the Shrine maidens in Japan.
In Japan’s case, the shrine maidens are mostly divided into two groups. One of them is the shrine maiden serving a big and old shrine. In there, their jobs is to be a Shrine maiden Jii-chan, isn’t it the natural job to do if you’re in a shrine?
Shrine maidens, Shrine, and, bamboo brooms. That’s a set.
No, in the middle ages, there were the so-called migrating shrine maidens in Japan who travel across the nation, not belonging to a specific shrine
A wandering shrine maiden?
These Shrine maidens travel to various lands, call to the God of that locale, and begin their exorcisms, purifications, divinations, and so forth. Of course, prostitution as well. This is to grant them the power of God Wandering shrine maidens are also into prostitution. Looking at the current age, they cannot live from being a shrine maiden alone so they might think of becoming a prostitute, but the reality is different. Sex is a crucial job for shrine maidens. They don’t think of the common sense of modern people. To the nonative wanderers, having sex to bring joy-spirit from the divine realm is a necessary act. Even for women who are not shrine maidens, for example, a male customer came, it’s common for the house owner to have his daughter attend the man at night Why? They can’t move locations as freely as we do now, to them, it’s a big deal when people come from outside their village
Jii-chan snorts his nose.
As the era ended, their names and appearance change on various places, the genealogy of the wandering shrine maidens will continue for a long time They even carry a three-stringed Japanese lute. However, women who wander from place to place, perform divine rituals, and sell their body continues to the present age Even now? No, there’s hardly one. In Meiji Era, the new government has prohibited the act of gaining Oracle from a divine possession As a result, wandering shrine maidens have disappeared. But, there’s still private prayers and exorcisms now, some of them have inherited the former traditions of the wandering shrine maidens I see. Now then, Takakura shrine itself has accepted in many wandering shrine maidens who can’t find a place to go due to the government banning them during the Meiji era.
Huh?
Takakura shrine itself has an old history. The bloodline of the Takakura family is old. However, it was just a shrine before, they didn’t have significant authority. Takakura shrine itself obtained the underground society force since the Meiji era In short, when they started accepting the wandering shrine maidens. Yakuza’s history is a long one in every part of Japan. Those people from the underground society have a strong connection with the wandering shrine maidens
I see. They roam around the country after all.
They’ll get intimate with the boss on that land.
For example, if there were a conflict between the neighboring yakuza’s, the wandering shrine maiden mediates them. They deal with the problem with ease by using divine possession, an oracle to say. Some of the Yakuza may feel discontent with it but since it’s God’s message, both sides take a step back The shrine maidens help out the Yakuza? Then when Shogunate feudal system started, some of the Yakuza who’ve kept their small ground has expanded their power from Meiji era. Their conflicts have grown on a scale larger than before. However, since the Meiji government has banned them, the wandering shrine maidens are no longer official.