Suzuhiko-hime - [Yokai | Tsukumogami]

Suzuhiko-hime - 鈴彦姫 - [Yokai | Tsukumogami]

• About this yokai: Suzuhiko-hime are Tsukumogami of antiquated Kagura-Suzu. – (Bells used at Shinto shrines, especially in rituals, prayers and sacred Kagura dances.) - They appear in the guise of women dressed as Miko (Shrine Maidens) with a large bell for a head, with an ornate crown, decorated with even more bells! - They dance wildly, yearning back to when the mirthful goddess Okame danced the Kagura in front of the Amano-Iwato...

• History: This yokai's earliest appearance was in Gazu Hyakki Tsurezure Bukuro (百器徒然袋) [by Toriyama Sekien, 1784] - According to Japandemonium [2016] - The included passage translates as follows:  

[Suzuhiko-hime by Toriyama Sekien 1784]

"In a dream I saw Suzuhiko-hime yearning for when Ame-no-Uzume danced the kagura in front of a cave to draw a goddess out of hiding."  

Sekien is indeed referring to the Amano-Iwato (天の岩戸) part of Japans Shinto creation story and mythology. Specifically the 'heavenly cave' part of the myth. – The part of the story goes something a bit like this... 

Amaterasu (The Sun Goddess) was deeply upset, hurt because of an ongoing fight & increasingly rude behavior of her ill-behaving younger brother Susanoo (God of storms.) – [Different versions of the event say that he had destroyed her rice fields, threw a horse at her loom (killing one of her attendants) to add insult to injury, he even defecated on her throne!!] – Understandably enraged & upset: The goddess hid herself away in a cave, depriving both the heavens & earth of all light! – The world had been plunged into utter darkness! – And so, the other Kami teamed up, to come up with a plan to get her to come back out. – They asked Omoikane (god of wisdom) what to do, and he came up with a complicated plan which involved holding a grand party outside the cave, A sacred bronze mirror was hung outside the cave, they also hung a myriad of long-stringed Magatama jewels from the trees for decoration, and collected all of the noisiest chickens in Tokyo! - Finally, Ame-no-Uzume (The goddess of Mirth, perhaps better known today also as 'Okame' or 'Otafuku.') caused a divine ruckus by dancing a strip tease atop an overturned wash tub! The sight of which was so absurd that it caused the other gods to cheer and laugh. (supposedly, the power the gods laughter was so intense, that it caused the highest plane of heaven itself to shake!) Which caused the brooding Amaterasu to become curious as to how the others could be having such fun time without her? She opened the cave just a crack for just a peek: Uzume answered her question with a taunt; "There's a greater goddess than you, just outside!" ...as Amaterasu peeked out of the cave, she became fixated on the mirror (Initially mistaking her own reflection as the 'other goddess') - Then, at the sudden sight of "dawn", the roosters all crowed at once, Amaterasu was caught off guard by the noise - (This, paired with the sight of Uzumes already absurd dance) - she couldn't help but chuckle at the ridiculousness of it all, thus, she came out of the cave, smiling at last! – Quickly the other Kami sealed the door behind her with a divine shimenawa (rope) so that this would not happen again! – and thus, light was returned to the world!! 

As punishment for his earlier unruly behaviour, Susanoo was banished from the divine realm & sent to live among humans. - After some years, eventually, he wanted to reconcile with his sister and eventually presented her with Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi. A powerful sword gained from his battle with the gigantic eight headed serpent, Yamata no Orochi. - [A story worth telling another time. (Eon's later the Magatama jewels, Bronze Mirror and Kusanagi-no-tsurugi Sword, became cemented as Japans imperial regalia!)][a depiction of the Kami partying outside of the cave. - "Origin of Music and Dance at the Rock Door by Shunsai Toshimasa, 1887"]

It's often said that it was Uzume's dance which served as the inspiration for Kagura music & dance which eventually became a sacred ritual. - Therefore; Suzuhiko-hime is thought to have been inspired by Uzume. - Shinto Shrines Suzu are also rung when you make a prayer to a kami, and thus are said to attract the attention of gods when rung. - So, a Miko (shrine maiden) made entirely of bells is probably quite divine to say the least!! - However, being a Tsukumogami (and knowing why they're 'made.') - She is distinctly a yokai, likely spawned from a set of hand bells which where neglected, coming to life after being forgotten about for longer than a century!! 

• Similar Yokai: Although Suzuhikohimes design is an original by Toriyama Sekien (Who based many of his yokais designs on the ones appearing in earlier emaki picture scrolls.) it fits in quite well among the several other shrine-object based yokai which he invented. - However, worth note is that there are quite a few other bell-based yokai in the treasure bag, as well as other bell, miko & shrine object based yokai which appear in earlier hyakki yagyo emaki scrolls. - [a few other shrine-bell inspired Tsukumogami include: Yaotome, Nyubachibo, Shogoro & Waniguchi.] -

[Yaotome, another suzu-bell based yokai, often said to be inspried by the same myth.]

[Suzu bells in question. image source: wikipedia]

[Art sticker by @samkalensky part of my hyakki yagyo, night parade of 100 demons, yokai sticker collection, follow and support for more! happy new year!!]