注連縄

Posted by Alfredo J. Martiz J. (Panama City, Panama) on 21 March 2008 in Lifestyle & Culture and Portfolio.

注連縄 (しめなわ / Shimenawa) are lengths of braided rice straw rope used for ritual purification in the Shinto religion. They are often seen festooned with shide. A space bound by shimenawa often indicates a sacred or pure space, such as that of a shrine.
Shimenawa are said to act as a ward against evil spirits and are often set up at a ground-breaking ceremony before construction begins on a new building. Shimenawa may be found at Shinto shrines, torii gates, and sacred landmarks. They are also used to mark trees that are inhabited by spirits called Kodama. Cutting down these trees is thought to bring misfortune.
Reference: Wikipedia

Enoshima. May 4th, 2006

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