{"id":716,"date":"2008-02-06T22:27:44","date_gmt":"2008-02-06T13:27:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/2008-02-06\/716"},"modified":"2010-11-27T21:21:57","modified_gmt":"2010-11-27T12:21:57","slug":"intense-burn-shinto-rite-at-the-heian-shrine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/2008-02-06\/716","title":{"rendered":"Intense Burn: Shinto Rite at the Heian Shrine"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n
<\/a>\nNikon D200 + Nikkor 70-200mm f\/2.8 @ 200mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>1250 sec, f\/4, ISO 640 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span><\/span>\nHot Stuff<\/span>\n
Portrait-Mode Vertical Desktop-Background Versions<\/b>\n\n\n1050×<\/span>1680<\/a>  ·  1200×<\/span>1920<\/a>  ·  1600×<\/span>2560<\/a><\/small>     <\/span>\n<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

You may recall (from my shrine-closing ceremony<\/a>\npost last fall) photos of a Shinto<\/span> rite of hope and good fortune of some\nsort, involving the burning of small sticks that had people's names and\nages on them. As the sticks<\/span> burned, the wishes and hopes of the person rose\nwith the smoke (to the gods, I guess<\/span>).<\/p>\n\n

As I hinted with the Hot\nStuff<\/a> post the other day, this rite was done as part of the Setsubun events at the Heian\nShrine<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D200 + Nikkor 70-200mm f\/2.8 @ 130mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>500 sec, f\/4.5, ISO 400 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span><\/span>\nBundle of Sticks<\/span>\n50 sticks per\n<\/div>\n\n

At the shrine-closing ceremony, perhaps 60 sticks were burnt. At the Heian<\/span> Shrine this past Sunday, about 40,000 were burnt.<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D200 + Nikkor 70-200mm f\/2.8 @ 82mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>1600 sec, f\/2.8, ISO 400 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span><\/span>\nPallet of Bundles<\/span>\n( 1 of 2 )\n<\/div>\n\n\n
<\/a>\nNikon D200 + Nikkor 70-200mm f\/2.8 @ 200mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>500 sec, f\/4, ISO 640 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span><\/span>\nArriving from the Shrine<\/span>\nThe 3rd and 4th priest carry boxes holing flames that will be used\n<\/div>\n\n
<\/a>\nNikon D200 + Nikkor 70-200mm f\/2.8 @ 70mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>320 sec, f\/4, ISO 640 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span><\/span>\nPre-Burn Blessing<\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n

There were two pyres, constructed mostly of wet-looking evergreens, along\nwith a bunch<\/span> of the “hope sticks” (I don't<\/span> know what they're really called)\narranged in a lattice<\/span> for quick combustion, just as seen in the shrine-closing\npost<\/a>. Large logs provided the shell\/support for each pyre.<\/p>\n\n

The pyres were lighted from the flames brought in the two boxes, and\nheavy smoke was soon billowing. The shot below<\/span> was taken just a minute<\/span> and\na half<\/span> after they were lit.<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D200 + Nikkor 70-200mm f\/2.8 @ 82mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>800 sec, f\/4, ISO 640 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span><\/span>\nJust the Beginning<\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n

The first large flames started shooting out less than a minute<\/span> later, and soon after they were a raging<\/span> inferno. The bulk of<\/span> the hope sticks had yet to be added.<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D200 + Nikkor 70-200mm f\/2.8 @ 120mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>2000 sec, f\/4, ISO 500 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span><\/span>\nIntense<\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n

It was at about the time the pyres were really burning full tilt that I\nsuddenly<\/span> remembered the sermon from Mass earlier in the day. The priest<\/span> had\ntalked of a group<\/span> of 50-some Kyoto Catholics that were burnt at the stake\nin October 1618 for committing the offense of being Christian. One of the<\/span>\nfamilies included a pregnant<\/span> mother and six of her other children.<\/p>\n\n

According to a Japanese account of the incident, the guy in charge of\ncarrying out the executions made sure to pile the wood close and high. He knew some<\/span> of the accused, he said, and wanted their deaths to be quick. How\ncivilized.<\/p>\n\n

Anyway, that was 400 years ago; today, the flames were fed only by\nwood.<\/p>\n\n

The priests chanted nonstop, using microphones to broadcast the chant to\nthe wider audience (although no one could understand what they were\nchanting; if it was in Japanese, it was sufficiently archaic to be\nunintelligible even to native speakers).<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D200 + Nikkor 70-200mm f\/2.8 @ 200mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>320 sec, f\/2.8, ISO 500 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span><\/span>\nChanting<\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n

I used a fast shutter for most of these pictures: the “Intense” shot\nabove is at 1\/2000th<\/sup> second. The photo<\/span> on the hot-stuff post<\/a> is even\nfaster at 1\/2500th<\/sup> second. The flames<\/span> were really whipping\nabout, so I tried<\/span> a slower<\/span> shutter to blur the flames a bit.<\/span>..<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D200 + Nikkor 70-200mm f\/2.8 @ 160mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>60 sec, f\/20, ISO 500 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span><\/span>\nFlames at 1<\/sup>\/60th<\/sup> Second<\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n

After about seven minutes of mostly intense, angry flames, came time to\nburn the hope sticks that awaited on pallets. Each pallet had 168 bundles\nof 50 sticks each, yielding 16,800 sticks to be added. The younger<\/span> priests\nstarted throwing them, but from a distance<\/span> because it was really<\/i>\nhot.<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D200 + Nikkor 70-200mm f\/2.8 @ 200mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>640 sec, f\/5, ISO 500 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span><\/span>\nAdding Fuel to the Fire<\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n
<\/a>\nNikon D200 + Nikkor 70-200mm f\/2.8 @ 95mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>160 sec, f\/5, ISO 500 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span><\/span>\nOn Standby<\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n
<\/a>\nNikon D200 + Nikkor 70-200mm f\/2.8 @ 200mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>320 sec, f\/3.5, ISO 500 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span><\/span>\nIn Line<\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n
<\/a>\nNikon D200 + Nikkor 70-200mm f\/2.8 @ 150mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>500 sec, f\/3.5, ISO 500 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span><\/span>\n300+ Bundles, One at a<\/span> Time<\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n
<\/a>\nNikon D200 + Nikkor 70-200mm f\/2.8 @ 190mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>350 sec, f\/6.3, ISO 500 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span><\/span>\nSmokin' Hot<\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n

Two young guys worked the fires with long mental poles, pulling embers\nout so that air could get in, and otherwise tending the fires. They were in\nthe heat and the smoke the whole time, and they did not look like they were\nhaving fun.<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D200 + Nikkor 70-200mm f\/2.8 @ 200mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>60 sec, f\/4.5, ISO 500 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span><\/span>\nTending the Fire<\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n
<\/a>\nNikon D200 + Nikkor 70-200mm f\/2.8 @ 200mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>250 sec, f\/4.5, ISO 500 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span><\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n

Thirty minutes after it started, it was over, and the fire brigade came in to clean up.<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D200 + Nikkor 17-55mm f\/2.8 @ 34mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>640 sec, f\/2.8, ISO 640 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span><\/span>\nAftermath<\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n

Continued here...<\/a><\/i><\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

You may recall (from my shrine-closing ceremony post last fall) photos of a Shinto rite of hope and good fortune of some sort, involving the burning of small sticks that had people's names and ages on them. As the sticks burned, the wishes and hopes of the person rose with the smoke (to the gods, I guess).<\/p>

As I hinted with the Hot Stuff post the other day, this rite was done as part of the Setsubun events at the Heian Shrine.<\/p>

At the shrine-closing ceremony, perhaps 60 sticks were burnt. At the Heian Shrine this past Sunday, about 40,000 [...]","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,10,25],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/716"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=716"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/716\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=716"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=716"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=716"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}