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Namahage as part of Japanese folklore traditions
Braun, Robin ; Sýkora, Jan (advisor) ; Kanasugi, Petra (referee)
In Japanese folklore tradition, the namahage represent characters of supernatural disposition who visit households as a part of the New Year's ritual on Oga peninsula, Akita prefecture in northern Honshū. It is a type of ritual classified as raihōshin, an event when a visiting deity, a supernatural guest from afar, visits the family and rewards their kindness with blessings, prosperity, and good harvest for the upcoming year. In the case of namahage and related Japanese rituals, the character bears two essential meanings; firstly, a ritual cleanse from last year's events and a blessing for the upcoming one, and furthermore its educational aspect when it scolds naughty children. As might be inferred from the previous sentence, numerous local variations on the namahage can be found throughout the Japanese Isles, and supernatural visiting deities, jointly called marebito, pop into people's household with wishes of prosperity and lectures to teach their children. This study's goal is to describe the namahage and the similarities and differences between them and other variants of this festivity. More importantly though, there is peculiar similarity between those characters not only in Japan, but also in a worldwide context. In cultural traditions throughout the world, we can discern characters of...
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