Basic Terms of Shinto 神道基本用語集

詳細表示 (Complete Article)

Title
Norito,Kotodama
祝詞,言霊
Text Words addressed to a deity or deities in an ancient style of Japanese. The chief priest recites the norito (a general term including norito, yogoto, and iwaigoto) on behalf of the faithful. It was believed that beautiful, correct words brought about good, and that words of the opposite sort caused evil. This attitude stems from a belief in kotodama, a spiritual power residing in words. The style of expression is typified by the norito recorded in the Engi shiki, the book of court procedures compiled in the tenth century. Norito include words of praise for the gods, lists of offerings, words identifying the persons originating and pronouncing the prayer, and the subject of the prayer; but they contain no didactic elements. With the establishment of state Shinto (see Kokka Shintô) in the Meiji period, shrine norito were standardized by the government, but these restrictions were removed after World War II.