The proprietor of Tanemura Antique Store is wrapping up Mary Jo's purchases, including a surprisingly charming carved wooden set of the Seven Gods of Fortune. She borrowed $50 to buy these guys and we hiked more than a mile uphill to get to the antique store, not to mention (oops, I just did) the hours of research and distillation I've devoted to sparing Mary Jo the anguish of confusing the Seven Gods of Fortune with the Chinese Kitchen Gods. This is what it must feel like to be a partial owner of an NFL team.
(NOTE TO EMMA: Copy and paste the next couple of paragraphs to Microsoft Word, print, and submit to your Religion teacher for extra credit. Not that you would ever need extra credit, but it never hurts to have some in the bank.)
Dante gave us the expression "in seventh heaven," my Catholic ancestors invented the seven deadly sins, the Brothers Grimm created the Seven Dwarfs, and we have Stephen Vincent Benet to thank for "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers." In Japan, a debt of gratitude is owed to the 17th Century monk Tenkai who created the Seven Gods of Fortune. Tenkai used one indigenous Japanese god, Ebisu, and imported three gods each from China and India to show the Shogun seven virtues Tenkai deemed essential.
Here comes my favorite part. The Seven Gods of Fortune (often referred to in English as the Seven Lucky Gods) are said to sail into Japan every New Year's Eve on their treasure ship to bring happiness to everyone. If you put a picture of the seven gods in their treasure ship under your pillow on the night of January 2nd and happen to have a lucky dream that night, you will be lucky for the rest of the year.
I take that back. This is my favorite part: the Seven Gods of Fortune cell phone charm. Now this is something I can fit into the Norfolk house and, more importantly, our budget.
First let me say thanks for visiting my blog. I just had to pop over and take a look at both of yours. I'm particularly interested because we have a grandson who is a senior in high school this year. He's thinking of joining the Navy after he graduates.
ReplyDeleteCandidly, I still remember with some pain our walk from the New Sanno to Ebisu Station.
ReplyDeleteYou and Katie are both fountains of Japanese information!! Do you possibly have a one-eyed Daruma awaiting fulfillment to receive the other eye??
ReplyDeletegk