@camelliakyoto@mastodon.social
2026-07-03 00:50 UTC
Goryō-e (御霊会) was a ritual to appease vengeful spirits, in particular 6 figures (later 8) of noble blood that had been wrongfully punished by the court.
Through such ceremonies it was believed that malevolent spirits could be transformed into protective ones.
#Japan #Kyoto
Replies (1)
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@camelliakyoto@mastodon.social 2026-07-03 01:00
The court had come to believe that the epidemics, natural disasters and political turmoil of the age could be attributed to these vengeful spirits (goryō), and so saw to placate them by offering apologies, posthumous titles, and by deifying them as guardians of the imperial court.