Here's the thing; I'm going to give you two examples, and you're going to tell me why people screw up.
1.) kitsune is NOT fox DEMON! KITSUNE are fox MESSENGERS to the God/goddess INARI! WE SERVE HIM! Granted, some don't. But WE ARE NOT DEMONS.
2.) A Tanuki isn't a simple raccoon. NOR is it a WEASEL! (How do you get those two things confused? <.<;) A tanuki is simply a raccoon-dog. Nothing else works in describing it, so stop already!!!
3.) (This rarely happens, but occasionally...) Kami. Is. Not. Synonymous. To. Demon. It's closer to GOD THAN IT IS DEMON! <.<; It's really offensive to be asked what gods I pray to, say Inari-kami-sama (I occasionally throw the kami in) and have someone ask why I pray to a DEMON! =.= So please enlighten me as to why these mixups occur. Thanks.
~Kuro
2007-01-19 00:22:36 · 7 answers · asked by Maddy 3 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Ignorant or hateful people often say (or repeat) things that are not true. Thanks for educating them, even though it probably won't make a difference!
2007-01-19 00:28:31 · answer #1 · answered by gelfling 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
1. Ok, I never knew it meant messenger. I always thought that a kitsune was a fox demon.
2. You have to admit, the statues of the tanuki do look like racoons. I did know it meant racoon-dog, but I have no idea what a racoon-dog is.
3. As someone who has studied a small bit of Japanese language and culture, I know that Kami means a god.
However, to point at number one, I was told that the japanese view "demon" differently then the western culture. When they say demon, it's not always an agent of evil like we think of it. I did not know that calling a kitsune a demon was so offensive. Ten to one, my friends who breathe Japanese culture to the point where they shun their own American roots, probably don't know this either. Thank you for sharing.
2007-01-19 00:31:12 · answer #2 · answered by sister steph 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I wonder if everyone translates Japanese words incorrectly. First of all, there is the question of whether everyone translates Japanese words at all, and then, among those who do, I wonder if they're all incorrect in their efforts. Since you seem to regard your translations as correct, there is at least one person who translates Japanese words correctly.
I wonder why people punctuate English so badly, as in; "Kami Is. Not. Synonymous. To. (should be with, shouldn't it?) Demon.
Perhaps language is trickier than we thought.
2007-01-19 00:30:43 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
Arigato
2007-01-19 00:41:09 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
When you're talking about which mythical beasts you pray to, does it really matter? It's not as if there are any real gods or demons.
2007-01-19 00:28:10 · answer #5 · answered by nondescript 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I'll answer you in Chinese.....I tink day hav sum ting wong!
2007-01-19 00:29:30 · answer #6 · answered by lookn2cjc 6 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Wait.
What? Which religion is this?
2007-01-19 00:31:32 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋