CHAPTER II
THE RELIGIONS OF JAPAN FROM THE DAWN
OF HISTORY TO THE ERA OF MEIJI
BY WILLIAM ELLIOT GRIFFIS, D.D.
SHINTO: MYTHS AND RITUAL, PAGE 35
Japan is young beside China and Korea.—
Japanese history is comparatively modern.—
The oldest documents date from A.D. 712.—
The Japanese archipelago inhabited before
the Christian era.—Faith, worship and ritual
are previous to written espression.—
The Kojiki, Manyōshu and Norito.—
Tendency of the pupil nations surrounding China
to antedate their civilization.—
Origin of the Japanese people and their religion.—
Three distinct lines of tradition from Tsukushi,
Idzumo and Yamato.—War of the invaders against
the aborigines—Mikadoism is the heart of Shintō.—
Illustrations from the liturgies.—
Phallicism among the aborigines and common people.—
The mind or mental climate of the primæval man.—
Representation of male gods by emblems.—
Objects of worship and ex-voto.—
Ideas of creation.—The fire-myth, Prometheus.—
Comparison of Greek and Japanese mythology.—
Ritual for the quieting of the fire-god.—
The fire-drill.
