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Books > Humanities > Religion & beliefs > Non-Christian religions > General
Japanese gods, too numerous to count, are known collectively as
yaoyorozu-no-kamigami--the eight million. They are the cast of a
vast, complex mythology that encompasses two religions, three
cultures, and three millennia, one whose ancient deities are still
hard at work today.
Handbook of Japanese Mythology makes it easy to travel this vast
yet little-known mythological landscape. The book reveals the
origins of Japan's 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 Japan's
encounters with modernization. It then offers vivid retellings of
the central Shinto and Buddhist myths, plus descriptions of major
historical figures, icons, rituals, and events.
For students or long-time enthusiasts, it is the ideal guide for
investigating Japanese reverence for the sun, the imperial family,
and the virtues of purity and loyalty. Readers will also learn why
sumo wrestlers stomp before each match, how a fussy baby creates
thunder, why Japan has a god for soccer, and much more.
Yezidism is a fascinating part of the rich cultural mosaic of the
Middle East. The Yezidi faith emerged for the first time in the
twelfth century in the Kurdish mountains of northern Iraq. The
religion, which has become notorious for its associations with
'devil worship', is in fact an intricate syncretic system of
belief, incorporating elements from proto-Indo-European religions,
early Iranian faiths like Zoroastrianism and Manichaeism, Sufism
and regional paganism like Mithraism. Birgul Acikyildiz here offers
a comprehensive appraisal of Yezidi religion, society and culture.
Written without presupposing any prior knowledge about Yezidism,
and in an accessible and readable style, her book examines Yezidis
not only from a religious point of view but as a historical and
social phenomenon. She throws light on the origins of Yezidism, and
charts its development and changing fortunes - from its beginnings
to the present- as part of the general history of the Kurds. Her
book is the first to place Yezidism in its complete geographical
setting in Northern Iraq, Turkey, Syria and Transcaucasia. The
author describes the Yezidi belief system (which considers Tawusi
Melek - the 'Peacock Angel' - to be ruler of the earth) and its
religious practices and observances, analysing the most important
facets of Yezidi religious art and architecture (including funerary
monuments and zoomorphic tombstones) and their relationship to
their neighbours throughout the Middle East. Acikyildiz also
explores the often misunderstood connections between Yezidism and
the Satan/Sheitan of Christian and Muslim tradition. Richly
illustrated, with accompanying maps, photographs and illustrations,
this pioneering book will have strong appeal to all those with an
interest in the culture of the Kurds, as well as the wider region.
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