Noro (celebration girl) - Noro

Japanese: のろ(祝女) - のろ

In Amami and Okinawa, Noro are priestesses who govern the village gods and are in charge of official rituals. They live in the Noro Donchi and pray for the prosperity and peace of the people in their domains through the rituals of the fire god and the Otake/Utaki god. Iha Fuyu, Yanagita Kunio, and Orikuchi Shinobu were among those who noticed them early on as an example of an ancient form of religion in Japan. It is believed that in the very ancient times, the head of the family that founded the village was the Nichiyu, and his sister was the Nigami, who presided over the rituals. After the 8th and 9th centuries, when Aji emerged from among them to govern multiple villages, their sisters became known as Noro and took charge of the rituals.

Source: Heibonsha World Encyclopedia, 2nd Edition Information

Japanese:

奄美，沖縄で村落の神人を支配し公的祭祀をつかさどる神女。ノロはノロ殿内（どんち）に住み，火の神や御嶽（おたけ∥うたき）の神の祭祀を通して領内の人々の繁栄や平和を祈る。早く伊波普猷（いはふゆう），柳田国男，折口信夫らが日本の古い宗教形態を示すものとして注目した。ごく古い時代には，その村落の草分けの家の主人が根人（につちゆ），その姉妹が根神（にがみ）として祭祀を主宰していたと考えられる。8,9世紀以降にこのなかから複数の村落を支配する按司（あじ）が出現すると，その姉妹はノロと呼ばれ祭祀を統轄するようになる。

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

<<: Curse - Curse

>>: Roe deer - Roe deer