The Heavenward Path (25 page)

    Tengu, the mischievous shape-shifters of mountains and forests, are from Shinto folktales. As with any myth, I had to reconcile many conflicting stories as to the nature of the tengu and select the most consistent. There is no Tengu-Do in the stories; however, it is said that tengu were teachers of master swordsmen and shared their magical knowledge with the ubasoku.

    The Kofun culture, known by the enormous grand tombs their nobility left behind, flourished several centuries before the Heian period. Some of these tombs are believed to contain ancestors of the Japanese imperial line, and they remain protected and unexcavated to this day. But those that have been opened are much as I have described Lord Chomigoto's tomb, and some are regarded with such reverence that locals believe kami live within them. It is true that the Fujiwara were once called Nakatomi and that their women were said to have been great healers and sorceresses, a legend that fit perfectly into the story I was telling in
The Heavenward Path
.

    For those interested in reading more about the Heian Japanese, I recommend (in addition to the monogatari mentioned above)
The World of the Shining Prince: Court Life in Ancient Japan
by Ivan I. Morris.

    

    

    
Amaterasu
: Shinto goddess of the sun.

    
Amida
: One of the names for the Buddha, the Japanese version of Amitabha (which means "Boundless Light").

    
bosatsu
: In Buddhism, a spiritual being who, out of compassion, delays entering nirvana in order to give spiritual assistance to mortals. In some regions, they are worshipped as saints or minor deities.

    
-chan
: A diminutive suffix used between members of a family or loved ones, indicating affection.

    
daikon
: A large white radish usually harvested in winter.

    
Enoshima (Eno)
: Formerly an island, now a peninsula on the north coast of Sagami Bay, southwest of Tokyo. In folklore, it was believed there was a cave on this island that led all the way to the heart of Mount Fuji.

    
Enryakuji
: The temple complex at the top of Mount Hiei, founded by the monk Saicho early in the Heian period. Over time, the complex grew to nearly thirty buildings.

    
Fujiwara
: The most powerful and influential clan (other than that of the Emperor) throughout the Heian period. The name means "wisteria."

    
gimmu
: Duty or obligation. Sometimes confused with karma, gimmu also refers specifically to those actions that cause one to earn a better or worse fate in the next life.

    
go
: A game of skill played with black and white stones, similar to the modern game Othello.

    
haniwa
: Red-painted clay figures of men, women, houses, and animals, found in Japanese tombs of the Yayoi period (A.D. 300-600).

    
hapi
: A short upper garment with short, wide sleeves.

    
Heian Kyo
: Modern-day Kyoto, this city was the capital of Imperial Japan from A.D. 798 to 1867, although the actual center of political power shifted from Heian Kyo to Kamakura in 1199.

    
Jizo
: A Buddhist saint or bosatsu thought to intercede for troubled souls before the Judge of the Dead, especially on behalf of children.

    
kami
: Usually defined as god or spirit, kami is that force that produces awe. Often associated with natural features such as mountains or rivers, it also can be associated with persons, weather, buildings, etc.

    
kappa
: A mythological creature with the shell of a turtle, the head of a monkey, and the arms and legs of a frog. They are said to live near rivers and ponds and pull children in to drown them. On the top of a kappa's head there is a hollow filled with water-if the water is spilled, they lose their strength.

    
karma
: An individual's fate, determined by the moral quality of that individual's actions earlier in life or in a previous reincarnation.

    
kicho
: Sometimes translated as "curtain of modesty," this furnishing consists of a cloth hung on a low frame, behind which ladies of the Heian court would sit when in the company of men to whom they were not related or married.

    
kirin
: A creature of Chinese mythology, sometimes described as having a deer's body and a dog's or lion's head, and flames on its shoulders. It is regarded as a divine messenger.

    
koto
: A stringed instrument, usually described as a zither. It is a box with a curved roof over which thirteen strings are stretched. It is played by plucking the strings, either with fingers or plectrum.

    
Miroku (The Buddha Who Is Yet to Be)
: The Buddha who is supposed to arrive on earth 5,670 million years after the present Buddha has entered nirvana.

    
monogatari
: A written narrative, sometimes fictional, sometimes historical, or a diary. A common literary form written primarily by noble women of the Heian period.

    
mono no ke
: Evil spirits that were thought to be the cause of illness, both mental and physical.

    
Mount Hiei
: Mountain to the northeast of Heian Kyo, on which was founded a major Buddhist temple, Enryakuji. As the temple complex grew to cover the whole mountaintop, it became more common to refer to the mountain itself when indicating the temple complex.

    
neh
: An interrogative, such as "isn't it?"

    
Noh
: Japanese drama form arising out of a blend of Buddhism and Japanese harvest-song traditions, consisting of chanted poetry and symbolic dances to tell a story.

    
oni
: A demon, depicted either with an animal head or with three eyes and two horns. They are sometimes guardians for temples or great kami.

    
sakaki
: A tree sacred in Shinto belief. Sakaki are planted within every shrine area and branches of the tree are often used in rituals.

    
sake
: An alcoholic beverage made from rice, usually served warm.

    
-sama
: An honorific suffix used in addressing someone of very high status (i.e., "Lord").

    
-san
: An honorific suffix, sometimes used as "Mister," indicating respect.

    
sensei
: Teacher or master.

    
Shingon
: ("Pure Word") A sect of Buddhism that believed that mystery lies at the heart of the universe. It tended to blend the beliefs of Shinto and Buddhism.

    
Shinto
: The original folk religion of Japan and the basis of much of its culture, Shinto beliefs centered around the worship of kami and ancestors.

    
shoji
: Sliding door, usually made of wood and paper.

    
Shrine at Ise
: A major Shinto religious center.

    
sutra
: A long religious poem recited as a part of Buddhist worship.

    
Tendai
: A sect of Buddhism, named after a mountain in China, followed by the nobility of Heian Japan, in which the Lotus Sutra was the primary sacred text.

    
tengu
: In Japanese folklore, a shape-shifting goblin or demon who lives in the forests and mountains. They are said to take the shape of birds or people with very long noses. They are masters of magic and illusion and love to harass monks.

    
Tokaido
: A major road connecting the cities of eastern Japan.

    
torii
: A symbolic gateway consisting of two pillars and one or more crosspieces, indicating entry into a sacred place.

    
ubasoku
: Wandering monks of the mountains and forests. They were often thought to have great magical powers.

    
wasabi
: Horseradish, usually in the form of a fine, green powder.

    

    

    
KARA DALKEY
is the author of many short stories and eight novels, including
Little Sister
,
the first novel about Mitsuko and Goranu. Her historical novel
The Nightingale
is, like
Little Sister
and
The Heavenward Path
, set in ancient Japan. In addition to writing, she plays electric bass guitar, paints, dabbles in community theater, and practices
shotokan
karate and tae kwon do.

    Ms. Dalkey lives with her husband and three cats in Gunnison, Colorado.