53:' (takai, a term for the Japanese afterlife) at specific times. This belief, rooted in the welcoming of outsiders as gods from another world, has been an important part of Japanese folklore and customs throughout history. Marebito has been observed in various forms, from gods visiting during festivals to wandering ascetics and itinerant performers being treated as divine beings. Comparative studies have been conducted on the "sacred visitor" among the Germanic and Celtic peoples, highlighting the cultural significance and universality of the marebito belief.
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The term "marebito" was introduced by the folklorist
Orikuchi Shinobu in 1929. He interpreted the term "guest" as "marebito" and inferred from existing folk traditions and descriptions in chronicles and myths that it originally meant the same thing as "god," and that the guest-gods would visit from
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and
Hitachi no Kuni Fudoki, it is recorded that on festival nights, the roles of gods coming from the outside were played by masked young villagers or travelers. As time passed, even beggars ("hokaibito") and itinerant performers were treated as "marebito," and the divine-level hospitality they
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It was believed that visiting gods called marebito (also known as raihoshin) would descend upon the yorishiro, erected pillar-like objects, (beard baskets, floats, etc.) that were set up during festivals to welcome the gods. Their origins were said to be beyond the sea (corresponding to
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of providing accommodation and meals to visitors (outsiders, marebito) from outside is common globally. While economic reasons play a role, it is said that the "marebito belief," which regards strangers as gods from another world, lies at the root of this custom.
173:). Rural residents came to believe that every year, ancestral spirits would come from Tokoyo to bless them. Since their visits were rare, they came to be called "marebito." It is speculated that the Buddhist
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to the attention of modern scholars. Marebito one of two key elements of
Orikuchi studies, a small academic school of thought in Japan based around the scholar. The other element is
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the
Japanese netherworld, known as Tokoyo no Kuni. (This realm may be more like a paradise akin to Olympus, a land of the gods). Orikuchi gathered this information from the
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Marebito gods were welcomed at festivals, but eventually, travelers visiting from outside the community also came to be treated as "marebito." In the
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received enabled the existence of wandering ascetics. This gave rise to a belief system that generated a type of narrative called
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and conducted comparative studies on the legends and customs of the "sacred visitor" among the
Germanic and Celtic peoples.
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features a race called the Numen, which is the race of the goddess Marika. In
Japanese, the term for Numen is marebito.
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who were believed to visit villages in Japan, either from beyond the horizon or from beyond distant
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tradition died out long ago. However, remnants can still be found in some areas of Japan, such as
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being who comes from afar bringing gifts of wisdom, spiritual knowledge and happiness. The word
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learned of the existence of "marebito belief" in Japan through his friend
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The
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tradition is maintained. An alternative pronunciation is "maroudo".
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seems to have been the inspiration for the concept of marebito.
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lived there who protect people from evil spirits (including
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384:(in Japanese). 未来社. pp. 84–86.
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