Seven Lucky Gods (Japanese mythology)

[Countess Erzebeth Bathory]

Seven Lucky Gods

Quote:

The Seven Gods of Fortune (七福神, Shichi Fukujin?), commonly referred to in English as the Seven Lucky Gods, refer to the seven gods of good fortune in Japanese mythology and folklore. They are often the subject of netsuke carvings and other representations.

Each has a traditional attribute:

1. Ebisu, god of fishers or merchants, often depicted carrying a sea bream.
2. Daikokuten (Daikoku), god of wealth, commerce and trade. Ebisu and Daikoku are often paired and represented as carvings or masks on the walls of small retail shops.
3. Bishamonten, god of warriors.
4. Benzaiten (Benten-sama), goddess of knowledge, art and beauty, especially Music.
5. Fukurokuju, god of happiness, wealth and longevity.
6. Hotei, the fat and happy god of abundance and good health.
7. Jurōjin, god of wisdom.

 

[Countess Erzebeth Bathory]

Ebisu

Quote:

Male. The god of fishermen and good fortune, the smiling and bearded Ebisu is most often depicted with a fishing rod in his right hand, with a large red sea bream (tai) dangling from the line or tucked under his left arm. Sometimes he is also carrying a folding fan, and is often wearing a two-pointed hat (I'm not sure what these latter two objects mean, although the folding fan was waved by the emperor in a certain direction to indicate either acceptance or rejection of a request during the emperor's audiences with nobles and commoners). In a nation very fond of fish, Ebisu is not surprisingly one of the most popular of the seven lucky gods. Ebisu is also the only deity among the seven to originate in Japan. Today he symbolizes not only safe sailing and plentiful fishing, but business prosperity for merchants in all trades. In carvings and artwork, Ebisu and Daikoku are often shown together, for Ebisu is said to be the son of Daikoku (see photos at bottom of page).

There is one story about the origins of Ebisu in the Kojiki, Japan's oldest chronicle (around 720 AD). In that story, there is one god named Hiruco. Hiruco was born from the Shinto gods Izanagi-no-Mikoro and Izanami-no-Mikoto. Yet since he was born without any bones he was cast out into the ocean at age three. Somehow he returned to land and was cared for by one Ebisu Saburo.

He overcame many hardships and later became the god Ebisu. He's also considered the god of the morning sun, and he guards the health of little children, as does the Buddhist deity Jizo Bosatsu.

 

[Countess Erzebeth Bathory]

Daikoku

Quote:

Male. The god of wealth and farmers, Daikoku usually wears a hood and stands on bales of rice, carrying a large sack of treasure slung over his shoulder and holding a small magic mallet. There are other forms including a female form, but in Japan, the god is invariably shown standing on two bales of rice holding his magic mallet and treasure sack. Daikoku is also the deity of the kitchenand provider of food. Of Indian origin, his imagery in Japan is identified with the mythic Shinto figure Okuninushi no Mikoto.

The lucky mallet in his right hand (uchide nokozuchi) is similar to the Greek cornucopia. This horn of plenty can magically produce anything desired when struck. Some Japanese say that coins fall out when he shakes his mallet. Others say that believers are granted their desires by tapping a symbolic mallet on the ground three times and making a wish. Daikoku is often depicted together with Ebisu (see below), as the two are said to be father and son. The symbol of the Precious Buddhist Jewel (Skt. cintamani; the "wish-granting jewel"), sometimes found on Daikoku's mallet or belt, represents the themes of wealth and unfolding possibility; said to give its holder the ability to see all things (like a crystal ball). The precious jewel is one of the seven symbols of royal power in Buddhism.

 

[Countess Erzebeth Bathory]

Bishamonten

Quote:

Male. The god of war and warriors, Bishamonten is usually clad in armor, with a spear in one hand and a pagoda in the other. He is the scourge of evil doers, and the most powerful among the Four Buddhist Guardians of the Four Directions (Shitenno). When portrayed among the Shitenno, he is known as Tamonten. He is also one of Japan's Seven Lucky Gods.

The small pagoda he often carries symbolizes the divine treasure house. He is both a protector of and dispenser of its treasure -- he shares the pagoda's vast treasures with only "the worthy." Also called Tamonten (Listens to Many Teachings), for he protects the places where Buddha preaches and listens always to Buddha's teachings. Said to live halfway down the north side of Mount Sumeru, Bishamon protects the north, and commands two classes of mythical spirits and demons -- the Yasha (Yaksa) and the Rasetsu (Raksha).

ANIMAL ASSOCIATIONS
Unknown, but Bishamon is also sometimes referred to as the warrior Hachiman, and Hachiman's animal is the pigeon. In the Kamakura Era, Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine was the main shrine for warriors to pray for victory prior to battle. Even today, hundreds of pigeons congregate daily on the roofs of the shrine complex.

 

[Countess Erzebeth Bathory]

Benzaiten

Quote:

Female. The sea goddess Benzaiten is the sole female among the Seven Lucky Gods of Japan. Her temples and shrines are almost invariably in the neighborhood of water -- the sea, a river, or a pond. She is the patroness of music, the fine arts (dancing, acting, visual), and good fortune in general, and is often shown carrying a biwa (Japanese mandolin) or playing a lute. She is often represented as a beautiful woman with the power to assume the form of a serpent, or shown seated on a dragon or serpent and playing a lute. In fact, the snake is almost always associated with Benzaiten, who was originally a Hindu deity (Sarasvati) who represented learning, music and poetry. Such artistic learning and wisdom often bring prosperity, hence her inclusion in the Japanese group of seven luckies. She also has a jewel that grants desires. Some say it is a jade, while others say it is a pearl.

In India, she was named after an Indian river with the same name (Sarasvati). She arrived in Japan soon after the introduction of Buddhism to this island in the 6th century, and her worship was based largely on her attributes as described in the Sutra of Golden Light.

On days of importance to the serpent in Japan, one can find many festivals at the numerous Japanese shrines and temples dedicated to Benzaiten (Benten), in which votive pictures with serpents drawn on them are offered. It is also said that putting a cast-off snake skin in your purse/wallet will bring you wealth and property. Finally, during the Kamakura Period, artists for the first time began to create "naked" sculptures of Buddhist and Shinto deities. The object of their artistic talents was often Benzaiten, although other deities, like Jizo Bosatsu, were also sculpted in the nude.

 

[Countess Erzebeth Bathory]

Fukurokuju

Quote:

Male. The god of wisdom, wealth, and longevity, the bearded Fukurokuju has an unusually high forehead, and is typically holding a cane with a sutra scroll (hebi) attached to it. He may also have a crane or a tortoise near him (both creatures are signs of longevity). Fukurokuju originated from an old Chinese tale about a mythical Chinese hermit (Sung Period) renowned for performing miracles. In China, this hermit was considered to embody the celestial powers of the south polar star. To some, the scroll is thought to contain all the wisdom of the world, while to others it contains a magical scripture. He is sometimes pictured with a tokkuri (drinking vessel) in his left hand, but I'm not sure about the meaning of this object. Often associated with Jurojin. The two are said to inhabit the same body.

ANIMAL ASSOCIATIONS
Fukurokujin -- crane or deer, stag, tortoise.

 

[Countess Erzebeth Bathory]

Hotei

Quote:

Male. The god of contentment and happiness, Hotei has a cheerful face and a big belly. He is supposedly the only member of Japan's Seven Lucky Gods based on an actual person, and he is also probably the most widely recognized outside of Japan. He carries a large cloth bag over his back, one that never empties, for he uses it to feed the poor and needy. Indeed, the Japanese spelling of "Ho Tei" literally means "cloth bag." He also holds a Chinese fan called an oogi (said to be a "wish giving" fan -- in the distant past, this type of fan was used by the aristocracy to indicate to vassals that their requests would be granted). Hotei is based on an eccentric Chinese Zen beggar priest, said to be an incarnation of the Bodhisattva Miroku (Maitreya in Sanskrit).

Hotei is sometimes shown surrounded by a group of small children, romping and squealing in delight around his rotund shape.

In recent times, Hotei is also referred to as the patron saint of restaurateurs and bartenders. When one over eats and over drinks, one may sometimes jokingly attribute it to Hotei's influence.

ASSOCIATIONS
Small human children near his feet

 

[Countess Erzebeth Bathory]

Jurojin

Quote:

Male. The god of longevity, Jurojin is another god from China. Depicted as an old man with a long white beard, he carries a holy staff with a scroll tied to it, on which is written the life span of all living things. The deer, a symbol of longevity, usually (but not always) accompanies him as a messenger, as do other long-lived animals such as the stag, crane and tortoise. Jurojin is often identified with Fukurokuju. The two are said to inhabit the same body.

ANIMAL ASSOCIATIONS
Tortoise, crane, deer, stag

 

[AeternalSnow]

kool 4laugh  

[SinOfCats]

Countess Erzebeth Bathory

Jurojin

Quote:

Male. The god of longevity, Jurojin is another god from China. Depicted as an old man with a long white beard, he carries a holy staff with a scroll tied to it, on which is written the life span of all living things. The deer, a symbol of longevity, usually (but not always) accompanies him as a messenger, as do other long-lived animals such as the stag, crane and tortoise. Jurojin is often identified with Fukurokuju. The two are said to inhabit the same body.

ANIMAL ASSOCIATIONS
Tortoise, crane, deer, stag

Santa!!