Ofuda

Ofuda
The Ofuda Appeared. Published by the Shinto shrine.

Ofuda, (御札, a "Great note,") is a gofu (護符) or a talisman issued by a Shinto shrine. It may also be called shinpu (神符). It is made by inscribing the name of a kami and the name of the Shinto shrine or of a representative of the kami on a strip of paper, wood, cloth, or metal.

It is to be renewed yearly, typically before the end of a year, and attached to a door, pillar, or ceiling. It may also be placed inside a private shrine (kamidana). It is believed to protect the family in residence from general harm, such as a disease. A more specific ofuda may be placed near particular objects such as one for kitchen to protect from accidental fire. A popular ofuda called Jingu Taima (神宮大麻) or simply Taima (大麻) is issued by Ise Shrine. It is made from hemp cloth; the use of hemp as a material was common from antiquity.

A portable form of ofuda, commonly called Omamori (お守り) is typically given out wrapped in a small bag made of decorated cloth. This originates from Buddhism, but was subsequently adopted by Shinto. Both Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines give out these omamori. While an ofuda is said to protect a whole family, an omamori offers support for personal benefits.

External Link


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем написать реферат

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Requiem from the Darkness — 京極夏彦 巷説百物語 (Kyogoku Natsuhiko Kosetsu Hyaku Monogatari) Genre Horror, Crime, Mystery TV anime Directed by …   Wikipedia

  • Shinto — For other uses, see Shinto (disambiguation). Takachiho gawara. Here is a Sacred ground …   Wikipedia

  • Yūrei — nihongo|Yūrei| are figures in Japanese folklore, analogous to Western legends of ghosts. The name consists of two kanji, ( yuu ), meaning faint or dim and wikt:霊 霊 ( rei ), meaning soul or spirit. Alternative names include 亡霊 (Borei) meaning… …   Wikipedia

  • Silent Möbius — Volume 12 of the VIZ Media release, portraying the entire AMP. サイレントメビウス (Sairento Mebiusu) …   Wikipedia

  • Botan Dōrō — (牡丹燈籠 ) is a Japanese ghost story that is both romantic and horrific; it involves sex with the dead and the consequences of loving a ghost. It is sometimes known as Kaidan Botan Dōrō , based on the kabuki version of the story. Most commonly… …   Wikipedia

  • Frederick Starr — (September 2, 1858 August 14, 1933), also known as Ofuda Hakushi in Japan, [http://www.baxleystamps.com/litho/misc/starr fuji 1924.shtml Ofuda Hakushi, 1924.] ] was an American academic, anthropologist, and populist educator Parezo, Nancy J. and… …   Wikipedia

  • Yūrei — Este artículo o sección necesita referencias que aparezcan en una publicación acreditada, como revistas especializadas, monografías, prensa diaria o páginas de Internet fidedignas. Puedes añadirlas así o avisar …   Wikipedia Español

  • Bernard Frank (orientaliste) — Pour les articles homonymes, voir Bernard Frank. Bernard Frank, né à Paris le 28 février 1927 et décédé le 15 octobre 1996, est un orientaliste français spécialiste du Japon. Il fut chargé de recherche au Centre National de la Recherche… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Japanese festivals — Matsuri redirects here. For other uses, see Matsuri (disambiguation). Shinto This article is part of a series on Shinto Practices and be …   Wikipedia

  • Miroku (InuYasha) — Infobox animanga character name = Miroku series = InuYasha caption = first = The Mystical Hand Of The Amorous Monk Miroku last = creator = Rumiko Takahashi voiced by = Kouji Tsujitani (Japanese) Kirby Morrow (English) alias = age = 18 [… …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”