[Moo] Dog Mart this Saturday

Thu Sep 30 12:24:46 PDT 2010

Here is some documentation in regards to modern history of the Inu's
(dogs) of Japan.

Most of the Japanese breeds of dogs are associated with particular
areas of Japan. They include the Akita inu, Tosa inu, Hokkaido inu,
Kishu inu, Kai inu, and Shikoku inu. The only breed which is not
associated with a particular area is the Shiba inu ("Shiba" means
"brushwood" (kindling) in Japanese, and probably refers to the small
size of the breed. Both the terms inu and ken translate into the word
"dog".

The breed differences lie in the sizes, colors, uses and a few other
minor features. In fact, they are so much alike that in Japan, these
native breeds are shown in one classification, divided into
sub-groups: large (Akita), medium (Kai, Kishu, Ainu, Shikoku) and
small (Shiba).
The Hokkaido dog, the Kai inu, the Kishu dog, the Shiba inu and the
Shikoku inu are undoubtedly the native Japanese breeds. They were bred
for hunting by ancient hunters of Japan, called "matagi."

The Japanese Spitz, the Japanese Chin, and Japanese Terrier are not
considered native Japanese dogs.

Most native Japanese breeds are known to be very quiet dogs, only
barking "when there is something to bark about".
Although they have a history of hunting dogs, they need to be raised
in-doors, as member of the family. When left unattended in the
backyard, they tend to develop "personality" problems and become very
destructive. They are highly pack oriented, thus, isolating them from
the pack (i.e. owner and human family) causes them great stress.
While we are speaking of K9, we mine as well incorporate some
Mythological aspects the Japanese had for K9s. Including the Kitsune,
and the Tanuki.

is the Japanese word for fox. Foxes are a common subject of Japanese
folklore and are akin to European faeries; in English, kitsune refers
to them in this context. Stories depict them as intelligent beings and
as possessing magical abilities that increase with their age and
wisdom. Foremost among these is the ability to assume human form.
While some folktales speak of kitsune employing this ability to trick
others—as foxes in folklore often do—other stories portray them as
faithful guardians, friends, lovers, and wives.

Foxes and human beings lived close together in ancient Japan; this
companionship gave rise to legends about the creatures. Kitsune have
become closely associated with Inari, a Shinto kami or spirit, and
serve as his messengers. This role has reinforced the fox's
supernatural significance. The more tails a kitsune has—they may have
as many as nine—the older, wiser, and more powerful it is. Because of
their potential power and influence, some people make offerings to
them as to a deity.

Kitsune are believed to possess superior intelligence, long life, and
magical powers. They are a type of yōkai, or spiritual entity, and the
word kitsune is often translated as fox spirit. However, this does not
mean that kitsune are ghosts, nor that they are fundamentally
different from regular foxes. Because the word spirit is used to
reflect a state of knowledge or enlightenment, all long-lived foxes
gain supernatural abilities

There are two common classifications of kitsune. The zenko (literally
good foxes) are benevolent, celestial foxes associated with the god
Inari; they are sometimes simply called Inari foxes. On the other
hand, the yako (literally field foxes, also called nogitsune) tend to
be mischievous or even malicious. Local traditions add further
types.For example, a ninko is an invisible fox spirit that human
beings can only perceive when it possesses them. Another tradition
classifies kitsune into one of thirteen types defined by which
supernatural abilities the kitsune possesses.

Physically, kitsune are noted for having as many as nine tails.
Generally, a greater number of tails indicates an older and more
powerful fox; in fact, some folktales say that a fox will only grow
additional tails after it has lived 100 years. One, five, seven, and
nine tails are the most common numbers in folk stories. When a kitsune
gains its ninth tail, its fur becomes white or gold. These kyūbi no
kitsune (nine-tailed foxes) gain the abilities to see and hear
anything happening anywhere in the world. Other tales attribute them
infinite wisdom (omniscience).

Kitsune are associated with Inari, the Shinto deity of rice. This
association has reinforced the fox's supernatural significance.
Originally, kitsune were Inari's messengers, but the line between the
two is now blurred so that Inari himself may be depicted as a fox.
Likewise, entire shrines are dedicated to kitsune, where devotees can
leave offerings. Fox spirits are said to be particularly fond of a
fried sliced tofu called aburage, which is accordingly found in the
noodle-based dishes kitsune udon and kitsune soba. Similarly,
Inari-zushi is a type of sushi named for Inari that consists of
rice-filled pouches of fried tofu. There is speculation among
folklorists as to whether another Shinto fox deity existed in the
past. Foxes have long been worshipped as kami.

Inari's kitsune are white, a color of good omen. They possess the
power to ward off evil, and they sometimes serve as guardian spirits.
In addition to protecting Inari shrines, they are petitioned to
intervene on behalf of the locals and particularly to aid against
troublesome nogitsune, those spirit foxes who do not serve Inari.
Black foxes and nine-tailed foxes are likewise considered good omens.

According to beliefs derived from fusui (feng shui), the fox's power
over evil is such that a mere statue of a fox can dispel the evil
kimon, or energy, that flows from the northeast. Many Inari shrines,
such as the famous Fushimi Inari shrine in Kyoto, feature such
statues, sometimes large numbers of them.

A good story regarding the Shapeshifting of Kitsune is portrayed in
Abe no Seimei's legend (a real life Onmyodo from Heian Era Japan.)

The young nobleman Abe no Yasuna, on his way to visit a shrine in
Shinoda, in Settsu Province, encounters a young military commissioner
who is hunting foxes in order to obtain their livers for use as
medicine. Yasuna battles the hunter, sustaining several wounds in the
process, and sets free the white fox he had trapped. Afterward, a
beautiful woman named Kuzunoha comes along and helps him return to his
home.

In reality, this woman is the fox he had saved, adopting human form in
order to tend to his wounds. He falls in love with her, and they
marry. Later, she bears him a child, Seimei (childhood name Dōji), who
proves prodigiously clever. Kuzunoha realizes that her son has
inherited part of her supernatural nature.

Several years later, while Kuzunoha is viewing some chrysanthemums,
her son catches sight of the tip of her tail. Her true nature
revealed, Kuzunoha prepares to depart to return to her life in the
wild. She leaves behind a farewell poem, asking her husband Yasuna to
come to see her in Shinoda forest.

Yasuna and his son search Shinoda for Kuzunoha, and eventually she
appears to them as a fox. Revealing that she is the kami, or deific
spirit, of Shinoda shrine, she gives her son Seimei a gift, allowing
him to comprehend the language of beasts.

Tanuki is the common Japanese name for the Japanese raccoon dog
(Nyctereutes procyonoides viverrinus). They have been part of Japanese
folklore since ancient times. The legendary tanuki is reputed to be
mischievous and jolly, a master of disguise and shapeshifting, but
somewhat gullible and absent-minded.

Tanuki is often somewhat mistakenly translated as raccoon or badger
into English, animals which are similar to tanuki in appearance, but
actually belong to different Carnivora families.

Believe it or not, the Tanuki is actually a type of Dog, Fox, or Wolf
(K9) and not a racoon, even though its image and style portrays that
of a Racoon.

Statues of tanuki can be found outside many Japanese temples and
restaurants, especially noodle shops. These statues often wear big,
turtle-shell hats and carry bottles of sake in one hand, and a
promissory note or empty purse in the other hand. Tanuki statues
always have large bellies. The statues also usually show humorously
large testicles, typically hanging down to the floor or ground,
although this feature is sometimes omitted in contemporary sculpture.

The comical image of the tanuki is thought to have developed during
the Kamakura era. The actual wild tanuki has disproportionately large
testicles, a feature that has inspired humorous exaggeration in
artistic depictions. Tanuki may be shown with their testicles flung
over their backs like travellers' packs, or using them as drums. As
tanuki are also typically depicted as having large bellies, they may
be depicted as drumming on their bellies instead of their testicles —
particularly in contemporary art.

The tanuki has eight special traits that bring good fortune, possibly
created to coincide to the "Hachi" symbol (meaning eight) often found
on the sake bottles the statues hold.

The eight traits are: a hat to be ready to protect against trouble or
bad weather; big eyes to perceive the environment and help make good
decisions; a sake bottle that represents virtue; a big tail that
provides steadiness and strength until success is achieved; over-sized
testicles that symbolize financial luck; a promissory note that
represents trust or confidence; a big belly that symbolises bold and
calm decisiveness; and a friendly smile.

A common schoolyard song in Japan (the tune of which can be heard in
the arcade game Ponpoko and a variation of which is sung in the Studio
Ghibli film Pom Poko) makes explicit reference to the tanuki's
anatomy:

Tan Tan Tanuki no kintama wa, Kaze mo nai no ni, Bura bura

Roughly translated, this means "Tan-tan-tanuki's testicles, there
isn't even any wind but still go swing-swing-swing." It continues for
several verses, with many regional variations. It is sung to the
melody of an American Baptist hymn called "Shall We Gather at the
River?".

In metalworking, tanuki skins were often used for thinning gold. As a
result, tanuki became associated with precious metals and metalwork.
Small tanuki statues were marketed as front yard decoration and good
luck charm for bringing in prosperity. Also, this is why tanuki is
described as having large kintama

It is true that Japanese use to (and still do sometimes) eat dog meat.
Though aside from popular belief this is not often a delecasy. Dogs
were like any other animal, it was meat, and during times of hardship,
the dog itself would be sacraficed to feed the starving. This later
did become a form of food that evolved into an actual "Common Recipe"
over the years because suprisingly, dog tasted good. However, Emperor
Temmu made a prohibition against the eating of dog meat from the
4th-9th months of the lunar calander during 675 A.D. making Japanese
consumption of dog meat minimal. in 2008 records show that only 5 tons
of dog meat was shipped to Japan from china out of the  4,717 tons of
beef, 14,340 tons of pork and 115,882 tons of poultry.

Hope this information helps, I have a ton more on the Mythology of
japanese dogs including Fu Dogs, but I don't have enough time in the
day to write all that information out, I will be available on Saturday
for anyone who wants to know more though.

On Thu, Sep 30, 2010 at 9:47 AM, Laurie Clarkston <garadh at verizon.net> wrote:
>
> Thanks.  Need it as early as possible today.  Blitha is working on the last of the displays, and she has to finish up today.
>
> Cairistiona
>
> ________________________________
> From: Jonathan Blaine <hourumiyamoto at gmail.com>
> To: General Mailing List for the Barony of Stierbach <moo at lists.stierbach.org>
> Sent: Wed, September 29, 2010 5:34:35 PM
> Subject: Re: [Moo] Dog Mart this Saturday
>
> I live in fredericksburg, so yes I know it. I can forward some info to you.
>
> On Sep 29, 2010 5:26 PM, "Laurie Clarkston" <garadh at verizon.net> wrote:
> > If you have something forward it.  I think we can add it.
> >
> > Do you know the area?  The directions I gave were very general, and if you live
> > up north, you might not know the F'burg area.
> >
> > Cairistiona
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > ________________________________
> > From: Jonathan Blaine <hourumiyamoto at gmail.com>
> > To: General Mailing List for the Barony of Stierbach <moo at lists.stierbach.org>
> > Sent: Wed, September 29, 2010 3:35:58 PM
> > Subject: Re: [Moo] Dog Mart this Saturday
> >
> >
> > I can come. What's the ceremony consist of? And do you documentation on Japanese
> > K9?
> > On Sep 29, 2010 3:31 PM, "Allen Miller" <wolfhou at hotmail.com> wrote:
> >> Lori i will be there, howerer i will not plan to participate next time unless
> >>the sponcers change their fromat. allen ---------- Sent from my Verizon Wireless
> >>mobile phone
> >>
> >>
> >> -----Original Message-----
> >> From: Laurie Clarkston
> >> Sent: 9/29/2010 5:59:30 PM
> >> To: Watchtower at sudentorre.atlantia.sca.org , Moo
> >> Subject: [Moo] Dog Mart this Saturday
> >> Okay everyone, This Saturday is the Dog Mart Demo. We will have a 10 x 10
> >>pop-up, a table, and various info and facts on dogs throughout the ages. We will
> >>also have the canvas cut-outs where you can stick your head thru and get your
> >>picture taken in garb.
> >>
> >> I know most of you have no desire to come out, but we did have an agreement
> >>that we would support Issac Walton League Group and participate in the opening
> >>ceremonies with the local Indian Tribe (like last year).
> >>
> >> This means, I need 5-6 guys dressed up in late period garb. Ladies, you are
> >>more than welcome to come, but only the guys will be allowed to participate in
> >>the Opening Ceremonies. Please confirm with me that you will be there.
> >>
> >> Come down at 11 am where we will be set up, and then go as a group to the
> >>staging area where the opening ceremonies will be held. Once the ceremony is
> >>over, you can leave...grin.
> >>
> >> We are located on the corner of Sophia Street and George Street. The Shiloh
> >>Baptist Church (old site--801 Sophia Street) is located on this corner. It is
> >>also at the end of the large parking lot located next to the river.
> >>
> >> Parking will be an issue, so give yourself plenty of time to park and walk
> >>down; or someone can drop you off, and you can call them to come pick you up.
> >>
> >> Thank you for helping out.
> >> Cairistiona
>
> _______________________________________________
> Moo mailing list
> Moo at lists.stierbach.org
> http://lists.stierbach.org/listinfo.cgi/moo-stierbach.org
>

--
"There are many path's to enlightenment, and many people who travel
those paths."
Rev. Houru Miyamoto