Not the Typical Love Story
Shimakanka, is a ritual celebration held in some villages in the Ryukyu Island Chain.
Last year, with the help of some friends, I attended the event in Ginoza Village.
The story was published at Stars and Stripes Okinawa Feb 22, 2016.
The portion, concerning the folklore, I will re-post here as, it is an interesting folk story.
A
Grisly Folk Tale
Long
before this island became Okinawa, it was Ryukyu and, way before the
Ryukyu Kingdom existed as an independent country, the land was ruled
by Lords, known as Aji. They built castles in their territories, to
defend the populations and lands, under their control, from other
Aji, seeking to increase their power.
One
of these Lords had an only daughter. An epidemic, raging through the
islands, took the life of his beautiful young girl. Heartbroken and
grieving, he buried her in a cave along the east coast of the island.
That
same day, a young man who had bought a cow was heading home with his
animal tied to a rope.
Dark
clouds suddenly appeared and, he decided to take shelter from an
approaching thunderstorm. As the rain began to fall, he tied the cow
to a nearby tree and took shelter at the entrance to the cave.
From
the overhang of the cavern he watched water splash as small streams
flowed, carrying leaves and earth away from just outside his shelter.
He shivered and thought how lucky bovines must be. Their thick hide
protects them from the ice cold rain. The weather didn't seem to
phase cattle. And, he started thinking, how nice some of his
grandmother's hot tea, would be, to have right now.
Extremely
Chilling Experience
Shaking
and coughing from getting wet, he thought he may be catching a cold
and wanted to get home.
As
the rain slacked off, he decided to get out of the cave, grab the cow
and hurry on towards home.
He
knew, for sure, grandmother would insist, he change clothes and drink
a steaming kettle of hot ocha.
Then
something happened to really make him want to hurry out of that
shelter. A voice shouted. It was a woman's scream from under a pile
of stones in the cave. “Help me. Please get me out of here!”
Thinking,
it was a ghost the boy began to run. On his first step to leave the
cave, a hand grabbed him by the hair on the back of his head. When
he tried to run, the grasp just became tighter. The voice cried out,
“Help me, please. I'm a young girl who fainted with illness. My
parents thought I died and buried me here. I am alive; help me!”
Assured
that it was a human in need, the young man removed the rocks burying
her body and rescued her. The rain stopped and he carried her
outside. He scooped fresh water from a flowing spring and nourished
her. Leaving the cow behind, he carried the young woman, on his
back, to her father's castle.
Exuberance
at the Castle
The
sentries at the castle announced the miracle of the princesses
return. Everyone was ecstatic, the Lord's only daughter had
survived. This was an occasion for a feast and a big celebration.
The
Aji announced to the lad, “As a reward, I will give you anything
you desire.” Without blinking an eye the boy said, “OK. I'd
like to have your daughter as my wife.”
The
Lord roared, “Peasant, you can't have this woman of royal blood as
a bride!” That, got everybody shaking. “Father, I have already
been considered dead, once. Please, let me be this man's wife.”
The
daughter's plea, touched the Lord and, he gave the blessing for their
marriage.
Slaughter
of the Cow
The
young man escorted an entourage, from the castle to the cavern, where
the girl had been buried.
The
grave site in the mountain was cleaned up and the cow was sacrificed
near the cavern entrance.
Pampas
grass, tied in loops was soaked in the animal's blood and used to
shoo away evil spirits.
Today,
the loops of grass, known as, “San” may be seen placed as amulets
to ward off evil.
The
San may be seen at entrances to villages and, at the corners of
homeowners properties.
In
some locations, they may be soaked in animal's blood but, no blood
was seen in Sokei, Ginoza.
Photography
and text by Michael Lynch
Verbal
translation by Mami Sakiyama
Text
translation by Alina Rădulescu (Folklorist)
Sketch
by Atsushi Maezato
MORE OKINAWA FOLKLORE
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