What are Marebito?
The term ‘Marebito’ can be translated as ‘rare person’ or ‘unusual visitor’. In Japanese mythology and Shinto belief, Marebito are spirits or gods that come from afar, from a different world or realm. They are considered to be ephemeral visitors, coming to our world for a short period of time.
According to the Japanese scholar and folklorist Orikuchi Shinobu, Marebito spirits come from “everlasting world” (tokoyo in Japanese), and periodically visit village communities to bring happiness and good fortune.
There are many tales in Japanese folklore of mysterious travelers who visit a village or household and are revealed to be gods or spiritual beings in disguise. These figures are treated as Marebito, honored guests who bring blessings or wisdom.
Marebito and their connection to the Japanese Paradise
The concept of Marebito is strongly connected to Tokoyo (常世), sometimes referred to as Tokoyo no Kuni (常世の国).
Tokoyo, often translated as the “Eternal World” or “Everlasting World,” is a mythical realm in Japanese mythology that is described as a kind of eternal paradise, existing in contrast to the transient, fleeting world in which we live.
Just as Tokoyo is described as a place of abundance and peace, Marebito are thought to bring blessings and prosperity from that realm. Their periodic visits to the human world mirror the idea of a connection between the physical realm and the perfect world of Tokoyo.
Some interpretations of Tokoyo also link it to the realm of ancestors, a place where the spirits of the dead reside.
Marebito, sometimes associated with ancestral spirits, may thus be viewed as coming from Tokoyo to visit their living descendants during special times of the year.
Marebito were connected to seasons and religious events
Medieval Japan was an agrarian society where peasants and rulers alike had a keen interest in the agricultural seasons and the natural cycle.
Marebito were thus integrated within this context, and their periodic arrivals and departures represented the flow of these cycles and how rich (or poor) the annual harvests were.
Examples of these Marebito include:
Mountain Spirits: In some traditions, spirits or gods from the mountains are seen as Marebito. They descend to the villages at certain times, often bringing with them the vitality of nature or the changing of the seasons.
Agricultural Deities: They visit communities to ensure bountiful harvests and are appeased with festivals and offerings.
Toshigami (年神): These are deities that are believed to visit during the New Year, bringing blessings for the coming year. They were often considered to be Marebito, as they were welcomed into homes and communities with special rituals and offerings.
In some interpretations, Marebito are also linked to ancestral spirits. They are sometimes seen as the returning souls of ancestors or heroes who visit the living, bringing blessings or omens. This can be particularly noted during the Obon festival, a time when the spirits of ancestors are said to revisit the household altars.
The Marebito were often human travelers
The belief in Marebito is strongly tied to the living conditions in pre-modern Japan.
During that time, many village communities were isolated in faraway parts of the country and generally knew very little of what happened to the rest of the country.
Outside visitors were therefore regarded with a mixture of suspicion (an outsider could be a threat, a robber, or a tax gatherer), mixed with respect (outsiders were often powerful and dangerous), and a touch of hope (visiting doctors and kebozu were often the only providers of news, medicine, and emotional palliatives).
By treating them as Marebito, the isolated Japanese communities of old could place these visitors within a spiritual context that made their presence less threatening and more controlled.
Marebito and the cult of hospitality
Marebito are connected to the idea of hospitality and the Japanese ritual of omotenashi that governs the relationship between guest and host.
Their visits were traditionally seen as sacred events, and the hosts were expected to offer generous hospitality to these esteemed visitors.
On a practical and secular level, this form of ritualized hospitality was meant as a way to make visitors and merchants from faraway lands feel welcome during their stay.
In this way, hopefully, they would be generous with the community and when selling their products or services, especially if they were doctors.
However, these travelers were to be cherished even if all they brought was new information, stories, or technologies from afar. These contributions could be invaluable to isolated communities, and thus they were given special status.
Finally, the arrival of a stranger in a village could also be seen as an omen. The response to such visitors could be informed by divinatory practices or the consultation of local deities, similar to how the appearance of a Marebito might be interpreted.
References:
- The Mythology of all races – Japanese by Louis Herbert Gray and Masahuru Anesaki
- Legend in Japanese Art by Henry L. Joli
- Kojiki
- Manyoshu
- Nihongi
- Myths of China and Japan by Donald Alexander Mackenzie
- Myths and legends of Japan by F. Hadland Davis
- Old-world Japan : legends of the land of the gods by Frank Rinder
- Gods and heroes of old Japan by Violet M Pasteur & Ada Galton
- Ancient Tales & Folklore of Japan by Richard Gordon Smith
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