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Ōharaëkotoba and Izumo Yogoto on Amazon

I have just put two more of the past essays from my Patreon up for sale on Amazon. These essays cover two Shinto prayers, with transcriptions, translations, and basic commentary. These two prayers are not strictly norito, because they have slightly different functions, but they are, in terms of structure and vocabulary, important examples of how norito are written now, and were written in much earlier times.

The Ōharaëkotoba is the most important purification prayer, and is still an important part of Shinto practice today. I would imagine that any priest could recite it by heart, and it is used in many Shinto ceremonies and matsuri. (It is not, however, the most common purification prayer these days — there is a shorter one that is used more often.)

The Izumo Yogoto is used much less, and may in fact not be used at all these days. It was recited by the new chief priest of Izumo Ōyashiro, in western Japan, when he succeeded to the position. It was recited to the Tennō, rather than in a matsuri to the kami, which is why it is not, technically, a norito. It is an interesting source for early Shinto myth and practice.

I hope people find these essays interesting.

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