An or simply or is a wooden

wand A wand is a thin, light-weight rod that is held with one hand, and is traditionally made of wood, but may also be made of other materials, such as metal, bone or stone. Long versions of wands are often styled in forms of staves or sceptres, whi ...

traditionally used in

Shinto , also called Shintoism, is a religion originating in Japan. Classified as an East Asian religions, East Asian religion by Religious studies, scholars of religion, it is often regarded by its practitioners as Japan's indigenous religion and as ...

purification rituals. are decorated with a number of (paper streamers). When the are attached to a hexagonal or octagonal staff, the wand is also known as a . The word Taima also refers to

cannabis ''Cannabis'' () is a genus of flowering plants in the family Cannabaceae that is widely accepted as being indigenous to and originating from the continent of Asia. However, the number of species is disputed, with as many as three species be ...

in the

Japanese language is the principal language of the Japonic languages, Japonic language family spoken by the Japanese people. It has around 123 million speakers, primarily in Japan, the only country where it is the national language, and within the Japanese dia ...

. Nusa is an old word for cannabis. The is a type of ōnusa. although they are often used in different ways than normal Onusa, usually kept in envelopes. The most common type of Nusa today consists of a

sakaki ''Cleyera japonica'' (sakaki) is a flowering evergreen tree native to warm areas of Japan, Taiwan, China, Myanmar, Nepal, and northern India (Min and Bartholomew 2015). It can reach a height of 10 m. The leaves are 6–10 cm long, smooth, ...

branch or a white wooden stick with a shide or Nusa

ramie Ramie (pronounced: , ; from Malay ), ''Boehmeria nivea'', is a flowering plant in the nettle family Urticaceae, native to eastern Asia. It is an herbaceous perennial growing to tall;

attached to the end. In Board of Ceremonies' "Jinja Matsuri Shiki" (1875), a branch of sakaki is used for the Nusa, and in Yatsuka Seinan's "Jinja Yushoku Kijitsu" (1951), Nusa is described as a sakaki branch with only ramie or, in addition, shidare attached, while konusa is made of wooden sticks, thin wood or bamboo. At Ise Jingu Shrine, mikisakaki, a sakaki branch with its leaves and branches still attached, is also used with Nusa attached to it, and a sakaki branch is attached to a cord of hemp as a yu (cotton). In some cases, such as at Kamogoso Shrine ( Shimogamo Shrine), a branch of a peach tree is used, following the myth in the

Kojiki The , also sometimes read as or , is an early Japanese chronicle of myths, legends, hymns, genealogies, oral traditions, and semi-historical accounts down to 641 concerning the origin of the Japanese archipelago, the , and the Japanese imperia ...

. Nusa is also used in different ways. In the present day, it is shaken noisily as if to purify dust, but in ancient ceremonies such as at Kasuga Taisha, it is stroked. The same is true at Ise Shrine, where noisy purification is forbidden. Today, Nusa is used by waving it left, right, and left toward the person or object to be purified, which is believed to transfer impurities to the Nusa. In the past, it was left, right, and center. A

Gohei , , or are wooden wands, decorated with two (zigzagging paper streamers) used in Shinto rituals. It may be considered an Ōnusa with only two Shide. The streamers are usually white, although they can also be gold, silver, jade, or a mixture of ...

is an ōnusa with only two Shide.

Gallery

File:Oonusa kasugataisha.jpg, Onusa. Only

ramie Ramie (pronounced: , ; from Malay ), ''Boehmeria nivea'', is a flowering plant in the nettle family Urticaceae, native to eastern Asia. It is an herbaceous perennial growing to tall;

is attached. Worshippers purify themselves at the entrance to the main shrine of Kasuga Taisha. File:Shinto Priest blessing car.jpg, alt=A priest waves Onusa at a car, A

Kannushi , also called , is the common term for a member of the clergy at a responsible for maintaining the shrine and leading worship of the there.* ''Kannushi'' (in Japanese), Iwanami Japanese dictionary, 6th Edition (2008), DVD version The chara ...

waves Onusa at a car File:Un prêtre danseur d'Ise.jpg,

holding onusa seemingly made from

branches

References

Bibliography

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External links

『大麻（神道）』 - コトバンク

『大麻（民俗）』 - コトバンク

『大幣・大麻』 - コトバンク

『大麻』 - コトバンク
{{DEFAULTSORT:Onusa Ceremonial weapons Exorcism in Shinto Ritual weapons Shinto religious objects Shinto Wands

Gallery

See also

References

Bibliography

External links