Table of Contents
And now, a short discourse on the guardian animals found at shrines. I know I've covered foxes extensively in this blog, and also took note about rare shrine guardians that I only rarely encountered, but those are not all there are. In fact, foxes are only the second-most-common type of shrine (and temple) guardian, and there's at least one other type that's common to the south, where I am at this point in the blog. So I figured it would only do them justice if I dedicated a bonus chapter exclusively to shrine guardians.
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Kitsune (狐 "Foxes")
I've covered several hundred shrines with these already by now, but I figure a little bit of recap might be a good thing here.
Of all the shrine guardians, the foxes are the only ones where I'm aware of a background story. Legend has it, that once, when there was a great famine, then the deity Inari descended from the heavens, riding a white fox and carrying sheaves of cereal and grain to alleviate the famine. Illustrations depicting that event can still be found at some shrines.
Fox statues at shrines come in a variety of sizes and shapes. At the low end of the spectrum are the tiny-to-small white (and occasionally gilded) porcelain foxes, which come in a a variety of sizes. At some shrines, I've even seen life-sized versions of them, though that is a rarity. They are usually small enough to be carried around one in each hand, because their primary purpose is to be sold at stores near the shrines, and then placed at the shrine of one's choice as an offering. It goes without saying that bigger (and thus more expensive) statues are thought to bring more luck. They are always sold in pairs, and although it looks like they all share the same design, there's actually two different types: The ones have one paw raised and placed on a Houju (宝珠 "Treasure Gem") - a magic jewel said to grant wishes - and the ones that have both paws on the ground.
A bit more rare, but still available for sale in those shops are the little stone foxes, which essentially serve the same purpose. They, too, are always sold in pairs.
And in addition to those, there's a variety of other designs of tiny and small foxes being sold. These don't necessarily come in pairs anymore.
Going up a level, we arrive at the life-sized stone foxes that flank the shrine gates. Many Inari shrines (and some other shrines), feature these, and they almost always come in pairs. They are almost always individual commissions of unique design, although there are a few designs that I've seen regularly, so those are apparently mass-produced. Also sometimes one of the foxes features one or more little kits, and sometimes the other is explicitly depicted as a male, which I interpret as the two foxes at the shrine gates forming a pair of a male and a female.
Very rarely, shrines also have larger-than-life stone foxes at the gates. This is usually the case at very prominent shrines, first and foremost the Fushimi Inari Taisha in Kyoto (which I'll still get to in the main blog). These are sometimes made from metal.
More often than not, the foxes are also depicted with one of four objects, either carrying in in their mouths, or resting a paw on it. These four are:
- Ine (稲 "rice plant"): A sheaf of rice representing nourishment, fertility and wealth
- Makimono (巻物 "scroll"): A scroll of sacred teachings, representing wisdom
- Houkyou (宝玉 "treasure orb"): A mystical jewel, representing spiritual power and the fulfillment of wishes
- Kagi (鍵 "key"): An archaic key that was used to lock granaries, representing prosperity and knowledge
One common custom is to adorn the foxes with red bibs. This is thought to bring good fortune, so don't be surprised when you see a lot of these at Inari shrines.
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Komainu (狛犬 "Korean Dogs")
These are actually the most common shrine and temple guardians in all of Japan, since pretty much every bigger shrine that doesn't have any other guardians features them. In addition, some temples are also guarded by Komainu. They originated from India and China, and were eventually adopted in Japan during the Heian era (between the 9th and 12th century) by way of Korea, thus explaining their name.
They have a very distinctive style that is somewhat of a mix between dog and lion, usually featuring curly, cloud like hair. Apart from that, they come in a wide variety of looks, and are usually made from stone, and sometimes from metal. The statues are usually the size of a large dog, though smaller and bigger ones also exist.
There are also small and tiny Komainu statues which can be bought in shops near shrines, but they are a lot less commonly seen than the tiny porcelain fox statues. My understanding is that instead of placing them at shrine as offerings, you're supposed to take them home to ward your home from evil.
Komainu are also frequently depicted as a pair where one has its mouth open, and the other shut. The one with the open mouth is called Agyou (阿形 "Fawn-Form"), after "A", the first sound of the Sanskrit alphabet. It symbolizes the beginning of all things and the aspect of yang (positive energy, aggression, protection). The one with the closed mouth is called Ungyou (吽形 "Growl-Form"), after "Un", the last sound of the Sanskrit alphabet. It symbolizes the end of all things, and the aspect of yin (passivity, defense, harmony). Not all Komainu pairs are like this, but many are.
Unlike foxes, who always seem to come in male-female pairs, Komainu are sometimes also explicitly depicted as male-male pairs.
However, at other times, they are also depicted as male-female pairs, with the female accompanied by a little pup. In these depictions, the female always seems to be Ungyou (closed mouth), and the male Agyou (open mouth), which consistently matches with the concept of Yin being associated with femininity and Yang with masculinity.
Most of the time, however, their gender is not explicitly or implicitly depicted.
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Shiisaa (シーサー "Shii Saa")
These are shrine guardians that are found in Okinawa, and to some extent also on Kyushu. Their name comes from the Okinawan word for "Lion", which in Japanese would be "Shishi" (獅子). They are quite similar to Komainu, and yet distinct enough that one can tell them apart. For one, their expressions are usually more exaggerated and their bodies more compact, and they usually have a very clearly defined mane, and a flame-like tail. Also, they are often depicted in a playful pose, with their rear ends raised and their chests pressed against the ground.
In addition to shrines and temples, Shiisaa also commonly flank the entrances of private homes. Like with Komainu, one usually has its mouth closed, and the other open. A native Okinawan explained to me that the one with the open mouth is supposed to scare evil away, and the one with the open mouth is supposed to keep good in.
Like Komainu, Shiisaa also come in various shapes and colors, but the ones at shrines are usually more regular than the ones found at houses, public squares and whatnot.
And that's everything about Shiisaa. Now that leaves all the...
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Others
Apart from the "big three" shrine guardians, there's also a number of others, which progressively grow less common. Starting from those that are regularly, if rarely, seen at shrines, I'll count down to those that are almost unique to individual shrines.
Snakes are probably the fourth-most-common guardian animal. They occasionally appear at Inari shrines, where they commonly are depicted as two-headed beings curled around a Houju. The reason for this is the same as with foxes: Since snakes keep the fields free of vermin, they were seen as good omens and naturally associated with the deity of rice. However, all the snakes I've seen at shrines were quite small, and I don't think I ever encountered a shrine that featured them as big guardians. Apart from that, snakes also signify rebirth, wealth and fertility.
Dragons are also occasionally encountered at shrines, but not as often as you'd think. More often than not, they take the form of waterspouts. Which makes sense, since dragons are symbols of rain and water, as well as protection.
Cows are usually encountered alone at shrines, though I did also visit a shrine that had paired cows as its main guardians. They represent wisdom, learning and healing, and were totally not imported from India.
Frogs are seen as a symbol for safe travels and return, and the reason for this is as simple as it is silly: The Japanese word for "frog" (蛙 kaeru) is a homophone of the word for "return" (帰る kaeru). As such, giving someone who is leaving a charm from a frog shrine or praying as one is a common thing, even if frog shrines themselves are not all that common.
Tanuki are most commonly found in stores as bringers of revenue and good fortune, but they also occasionally appear in shrines and temples occasionally. They are typically depicted as plump and happy, featuring big bellies and testicles that may be exaggerated to the point of absurdity. Rubbing these is said to bring good fortune, if you can bring yourself to do that. Small Tanuki statues are also frequently sold as good luck charms. Female Tanuki statues are a lot less common, but where they occur they are depicted with visibly large mammaries (though nowhere near as exaggerated as their male counterparts).
Cats are not very common at shrines, but I've seen at least a few. The reason for this is that cats are a relatively recent addition to Japan's fauna, arriving only in the sixth century, and from then it took them a while to spread. Cats represent good fortune, prosperity and protection from evil spirits.
Wolf shrines are rare, but I did find two of them. That may be because wolves are almost mythical animals in Japan. Originally, Japan was home to two species of wolves: The Japanese Wolf that existed on Honshu, Kyushu and Shikoku, and the Hokkaido Wolf. However, both of them became extinct in 1905 and 1889 respectively, as a result of active hunting. Wolves represent protection from physical dangers, strength and wilderness.
Dog shrines (and temples) are also not common, but they do exist. Standing apart from the mainstream Komainu, these represent loyalty and household protection, as well as childbirth.
Monkeys are not that common at shrines (though I did find one shrine with a monkey statue), but they occasionally appear at Buddhist Temples, usually in the form of the three wise monkeys Mizaru (見ざる "don't see"), Kikazaru (聞かざる "don't hear") and Iwazaru (言わざる "don't speak"). Once again, this is a pun, because "Zaru" (猿) means "monkey". Also, the message of the three wise monkeys is often misinterpreted as intentional ignorance. The actual meaning is that one should not listen to bad things, not say bad things, and not seek to see bad things (such as watching violence just for the kicks). Less common than the three wise monkeys are the three foolish monkeys, who are the exact opposite. If those appear at all, they often oppose the three wise monkeys. Monkeys symbolize safe childbirth and protection from evil spirits.
Horse shrines also exist, and they stand for a mix of power and prosperity. They are also thought of as messengers, carrying missives between mortals and the gods.
Pigeons are not found at shrines all that often, but I've encountered them at least twice that I documented. They symbolize peace, divine messages and family bonds, and are interestingly associated with Hachiman, god of warriors and protection.
Rabbits at shrines are rare, but they exist. One shrine that I visited was definitely dedicated to Rabbits, and two others had a rabbit fresco and a rabbit statue respectively. Rabbits symbolize fertility, longevity and divine guidance.
Deer shrines are where we go down to the final rarity level: The one where I only found a single shrine during all of my travels. The one that I found was Kasuga Taisha (春日大社 "Spring Day Great Shrine") in Nara, which notably features life dear. And not just one, but hundreds. And not just in the shrine, but throughout much of the city. The tame deer are actually a famous attraction of Nara. Much like with the Inari myth, it is said that the deity Takemikazuchi-no-Mikoto (武甕槌命 "Warrior Jar Mallet Deity") descended from the heavens on a white deer, and ever since deer have been sacred animals around this part. Thus, they were never hunted and thus became increasingly tolerant of people, to the point where you can just walk up to them and pet them. Deer symbolize peace and divine favor.
Rats are a real rarity at shrines. I only found one once, at a Daikokuten shrine. They symbolize wealth, fertility and growth.
In addition to shrines with one specific guardian animal, there are also a few ones dedicated to the entire oriental zodiac, featuring all twelve animals, that is: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Boar. You'll notice that we've already covered several of those above, but "Zodiac shrines" typically have all twelve of them on display, with the animal representing the current year on a place of honor, and the other 11 somewhere to the side.
And that's everything that I can share about guardian animals at shrines. Now, back to the ongoing account of fox shrines already in progress.
