A cursing method used to bring misfortune to others. The ritual takes place at the hour of the Ox, or 2:00 a.m. in the present day.
Wearing a white kimono on their body, tall clogs on their feet, white powder on their face, bright red lipstick on their mouth, and a trivet-like metal support, called a kanawa, on their head.
A candle is lit on each of the three legs of the kanawa, a mirror is hung over the chest, and a comb is held in the mouth.
In this guise, a straw doll in the likeness of the person to be cursed, or a photograph of the target is struck against a sacred tree at a temple or shrine with a five-sun nail and a hammer. This ritual is used to curse the person whom one wishes to harm.
The Hour of the Ox Pilgrimage ritual was developed in the Edo period (1603-1867) by mixing ancient cursing rituals.
The legend of "The Bridge Maiden of Uji (Uji no Hashi-hime)" from "The Tale of the Heike (Heike Monogatari)" is the basis of this ritual.
The legend tells of a woman who, out of spite, tries to become an oni, and the manner she became an oni has been passed down through the generations as the costume used in the ritual.
The aspect of hammering a nail was inherited from the cursing method known as "Cursed Nail".
"Cursed Nail" is a method of cursing by driving a five-sun or six-sun nail into a sacred tree at a temple or shrine, thereby causing pain to the gods and Buddhas in order to pray for a curse.
In addition, the use of straw dolls that resemble the target came from the Onmyouji's method of exterminating monsters, called enmi. [A curse used to kill someone]
The mixture of these several cursing methods led to the form of the "Hour of the Ox Pilgrimage" as we know it today in the Edo period (1603-1868).
However, this is only a ritual of prayer for the fulfillment of a curse, and whether or not the wish is granted depends on the will of the gods.
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