Shadow Needle Event - Shadow Needle Event

...In the old tale of Yumemi Kozo, there are needles with magical powers called Ikibari and Shibari. Also, the Kagebari ceremony, which is held to exorcise evil spirits, involves piercing two types of iron needles, one long and one short, called Otokobari and Onnabari, into the vital points of a doll with the name of the person who has possessed the spirit, or placing the left hand on the sick person and the right hand holding the needle and spirit together on the tatami mat, which clearly shows the magical power of needles. There are also many popular beliefs about needles that relate to the other world in some way, such as using a needle when leaving the house will cause injury, being avoided as it will bring about something bad, piercing a needle through a shoji screen will cause it to pass through the hole after death, treating a needle carelessly will make you climb a mountain of needles after death, or having someone thread a needle through the hole of a needle that you expect to be threaded will not come true, or not being born until that person arrives at the time of childbirth...

*Some of the terminology used in reference to the "Kagehari Event" is listed below.

Source | Heibonsha World Encyclopedia 2nd Edition | Information

…〈夢見小僧〉の昔話には，生針･死針という呪力ある針が出てくる。また，憑き物落しに行われる影針（かげばり）行事は，男針･女針という長短2種の鉄針を憑き物を使った者の名前を書いた人形（ひとがた）の急所につきたてたり，あるいは左手を病者にあてて右手に持った針を気合いもろとも畳にたてるものであるが，針の呪力をよく示している。針をめぐる俗信にも，出針(出がけに針を使うこと)はケガをする，悪いことが起こると忌まれたり，障子に針を刺すと死んでからその穴を通る，針を粗末にすると死んでから針の山を登らされる，あるいは他人に針穴に糸を通してもらうと思うことがかなわない，出産のときその人が来るまで生まれないなど，なんらかの意味で異界とかかわるものが多い。…

※「影針行事」について言及している用語解説の一部を掲載しています。

出典｜株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典 第２版について | 情報