Pearl turtle. Pearl turtle.
Home
About Me
Book Store
What are Kaidan?
What is Hyakumonogatari?
The Appearance of the Spirit Turtle
01 Sep 2011 8 Comments
by Zack Davisson in Magical Animal Stories Tags: mysterious animals
Translated from Edo Tokyo Kaii Hyakumonogatari
In the 2nd year of Koka (1845), there was a turtle who was worshiped in Lake Shinobazu, in Ueno. This turtle was different from normal turtles. Its shell was white, and had faint markings on it that could be read as kanji characters. Its neck, legs, and arms were unusually thick. The turtle was originally from the great lake of Nagai in Settsu, and had been brought to Lake Shinobazu by virtuous local men who had purchased the turtle in Osaka then brought it home and dedicated it to the goddess Benzaten.
White turtles have a history of sacredness. There is a legend from India of a one-eyed white turtle who listened intently to the sermons of the Buddha Shakuson. China speaks of a white turtle who descended from Heaven and brought with it
turtle
As an aquatic animal, the turtle was associated with the Underworld.[16] The turtle was associated with Set, and so with the enemies of Ra who tried to stop the solar barque as it traveled through the underworld. Since the XIXth Dynasty, and particularly in the Late and Greco-Roman periods, turtles were known to have been ritually speared by kings and nobles as evil creatures.[9]