Tennin: Difference between revisions
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==See also== |
==See also== |
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{{wiktionarypar|tennin|tennyo|tenshi}} |
{{wiktionarypar|tennin|tennyo|tenshi}} |
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*[[Apsara]] |
* [[Apsara]] |
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*[[Ceres, Celestial Legend]] |
* [[Ceres, Celestial Legend]] |
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*[[Divine being]] |
* [[Divine being]] |
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*''[[InuYasha Movie 2|InuYasha Movie 2: Castle Beyond the Looking Glass]]'' |
* ''[[InuYasha Movie 2|InuYasha Movie 2: Castle Beyond the Looking Glass]]'' |
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*[[Nymph]] |
* [[Nymph]] |
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*[[Valkyries]] |
* [[Valkyries]] |
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* [[Swan maiden]] |
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* [[Selkie]] (Seal maidens) |
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==References== |
==References== |
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Revision as of 22:11, 12 January 2023
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (November 2011) |
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Tennin (天人, lit. "Heaven(ly) Person"), which may include Tenshi (天使, lit. "Heaven(ly) Messenger"), Ten no-Tsukai (天の使い, lit. "Messenger(s) of Heaven"), Hiten (飛天, lit. "Flying Heaven") and the specifically female version, the Tennyo (天女, lit. "Heaven(ly) Woman/Women"), are a divine kind of spiritual beings found in Japanese Buddhism. They were seemingly imported from Chinese Buddhism,[1] which was itself influenced by the concepts of heavenly beings found in Indian Buddhism and Chinese Taoism.
History
Tennin are mentioned in Buddhist sutras[citation needed], and these descriptions form the basis for depictions of the beings in Japanese art, sculpture, and theater. They are usually pictured as unnaturally beautiful women dressed in ornate, colourful kimono (traditionally in five colours), exquisite jewelry, and flowing scarves that wrap loosely around their bodies. They usually carry lotus blossoms as a symbol of enlightenment or play musical instruments such as the biwa, or flute.[2][3]
Religion
Tennin are believed to live in the Buddhist heaven as the companions to the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. Some legends[citation needed] also make certain tennin solitary creatures living on mountain peaks. Pilgrims sometimes climb these mountains in order to meet the holy spirits.
Powers
Tennin can fly, a fact generally indicated in art by their coloured or feathered kimono, called hagoromo (羽衣, lit. feather dress).[1] In some legends, tennin are unable to fly without these kimono (and thus cannot return to heaven).[4] More rarely, they are shown with feathered wings.[2] In a Noh play Hagoromo, which bears a number of similarities to the Western swan maiden legends,[5] tennyo come to the earth and take off their hagoromo. A fisherman spies them and hides their clothes in order to force one to marry him. After some years he tells his wife what he did, and she finds her clothes and returns to heaven.[4] The legend says it occurred on the beach of Miho no Matsubara, now a part of the city of Shizuoka.
See also
- Apsara
- Ceres, Celestial Legend
- Divine being
- InuYasha Movie 2: Castle Beyond the Looking Glass
- Nymph
- Valkyries
- Swan maiden
- Selkie (Seal maidens)
References
- ^ a b An Overview of Japanese Folklore Archived 2009-07-12 at the Wayback Machine at the Mukashibanashi Library Archived 2006-12-13 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ a b Tennin at GODS of Japan, A-to-Z Photo Dictionary of Japanese Buddhism (Buddhist & Shinto Deities)
- ^ Hearn, Lafcadio, Glimpses of an Unfamiliar Japan at Project Gutenberg online book catalog
- ^ a b Waley, Arthur (1921), The Noh Plays of Japan, Chapter V, p. 177, "A Note on Hagoromo"
- ^ The Legend of Connor O'Quin and the Swan Maiden at Folklore of the Burren
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| Japanese creation myth | ||
| Takamagahara mythology | ||
| Izumo mythology | ||
| Hyūga mythology | ||
| Human age | ||
| Mythological locations | ||
| Mythological weapons | ||
| Major Buddhist figures | ||
| Seven Lucky Gods | ||
| Legendary creatures | ||
| Other | ||