Lifamy: Is this channel a Kami? Well yes. Me: so I guess Everything is a kami which explains why the game Cuphead is based on Japanese Folklore about Yo-kai, Kami and other stuff.🙏
My mother-in-law tells the story of how my husband, as a little boy, told her that he was talking to his recemtly deceased grandfather at night, until one night he cried and told his mom tnat Grandpa said that they couldn't talk anymore.
That sounds creepily similar to my experience when my grandmother died. I wasn’t a kid, it was two years ago. She kept “visiting” me at night, my dreams were almost like normal daily life. In the dreams said she came home from the hospital. The dreams went on for over a month. Then they started getting more strange, other family members not noticing her in the dream. The last time, the closer I was to her the sicker she looked. I asked “What are those wounds?” She said “Decay. I don’t belong here.” I hugged her and said “I’m sorry, I know.” And suddenly woke up. It was really, really traumatizing. I’m not much of a spiritual person, just very sensitive. Weird coping mechanism, I thought. Just my mind comforting me, then trying to tell me to move on. And that would be all, but... few days later, I saw a robin outside my window. I had NEVER seen a robin in our neighborhood, (and none since then) so like any freshly-gone-insane person, I looked up what seeing a robin means spiritually. Hope, rebirth, dead loved ones, moving on... That’s oddly specific. I considered it being a hallucination, but I didn’t know of the meaning of robins before so why would my mind make it up..? So I’d like to believe this all means something.
@@yYSilverFoxYy I am fairly certain signs like that mean our dead loved ones are trying to comfort us. When I was little my mom told me if I stood really still butterflies would land on me so I would do my best statue imitation in the yard for hours but never had a butterfly land on me. After my mom died suddenly I was a butterfly magnate. I would be walking my dog or taking out the trash and butterflies would tag along for the ride damn near daily for weeks. I feel like its her way of comforting me since she can't hug me anymore. You aren't crazy or if you are then we both are and I am ok with that.
Linfamy : “Is this channel a kami? Yes and you must pray to it!” My prayers for this channel : May this channel flourish and chiah khì góa li siōn tè (eat well my Lord In Hokkien)
As a child weird things happened to me that lined up with Japanese folk lore, so I always enjoyed learning about the subject and that drew me to this channel
@@Linfamy In Australia the holding your breath near cemeteries has transferred across. I remember doing that as a kid. We also lifted our feet crossing railway tracks. I don't know if that's related.
I first watched Spirited Away as a late teen by checking out the dvd of it from my local library in my rural hometown. I sat with my mouth agape for the whole movie, genuinely not knowing what would happen next, and was spirited away myself, in a way, in watching it. It further got me interested into Japanese folklore and magic. Spirited Away never gets old no matter how many times I watch the film and takes me away to an enchanting place where, after watching it, you think spirits live all around you. Will you do a video on Hausu? Yubaba reminds me a lot of the aunt who lives in the old house that the protagonist and her friends go to visit!
😅 😅 😂 "gods who haven't gained enough subscribers to qualify for a check mark, so they only get small shrines." your ability to explain is legendary, i am not ready to forget this one 😊
It's interesting how some underworld/spirit realm tropes seem to transcendent cultures. After all in Greek mythology the dead also have to cross a river (or several) to reach Hades and being trapped in an otherworld after you eat the food there is also a part of (at least) Greek and Celtic mythology, as is the idea that time passes differently between the human and spirit world (be in fairy land for a few days and come back to learn that centuries have passed and such)
There could be some bleeding of cultural ideas. Greeks used to conquer parts of India (around the Indus Valley) and transmit aspects of Greek mythology to adjacent areas, all the while Buddhism is emerging from India.
@@mfaizsyahmi Yeah it's also interesting to note that modern depictions of the Buddha have elements that go back to the Indo-Greek kingdoms. Would be interesting to know when those elements entered Japanese mythology. Whether it was through the Indo-Greeks or whether it's something much older.
It's so interesting the parallels in the West, like crossing the River Styx after you die and when I was growing up, we thought we had to hold our breath when walking or driving past a graveyard. I'm not sure what would happen if we didn't but it would be bad, lol. Thanks for this video!
pharaoh before:worship me or i will kill your family and torture u and rob your land pharoah now:is this channel a kami??yes and u should pray to it dont if its against your personal beliefs dont
6:44 reminded me of Austrian culture. We do have the Perchtenlauf and the Krampus. The prior has some hags and Oni-like creatures dressed in shabby clothes, at times straw-coats and they are driven through the town. The Krampus is a single demon, quite often depicted all black and with chains attached to him and occasionally a bundle of branches and a bag on his back. He'll use those branches for reminding children to obey their parents. The bag is for the lost causes, where the parents have given up... As a demon, he does eat humans after all... The chains symbolize that he's been enslaved and now serves the good guys (thank Christianity for that). Originally, he was however a servant of a hag/Witch named Perchta. She was someone like Baba Yaga, a powerful witch, but never a human, but more something akin to a Kami who could be described as chaotic neutral. When you're lost she may show you the way out of the forest and offer you a roof above your head, a warm fire, and some food, but when she doesn't like your character, she may punish you in any way she sees fit... and her morals don't necessarily align with human morals! Even many centuries after we Austrians have been forced to convert to Christianity, the belief in these two creatures held stubbornly in remote mountain villages, so much so that the Church gave in and adopted them as regional customs, but with a Christian slant... Another powerful witch worth mentioning would be Frau Holle, who ruled over the underworld and gave us the name Hell/Hölle for her realm, though it was originally not a penitentiary... Lastly, I'd like to point out that in our superstition we are highly discouraged from accepting gifts from spirits, or to follow them, as that would give them power over us so that they could possess us or spirit us away (not to fun places, but for eating us or enslaving our souls). The exception are mostly fairies, gnomes, and goblins, who are chaotic neutral. The scene in Spirited away with the river monster handing out gold also reminds me of a local legend. We have the story of a lesser noble who had riches beyond his status, but only a few servants and no remaining family. He was a greedy misanthrope and thus no-one wanted to stay at his small castle. Fate went against him when he installed one of the first tresor-rooms in our lands with a steel door that could only be opened from the outside and for some reason the heavy door swung shut and trapped him with his riches... As you all know you can't eat gold... Now, you may find an old guy dragging a huge chest on abandoned mountain paths. He may offer you gold coins, jewels, or the like, but most people are so scared of him that they just ran off, but legend has it that he can only find peace after he gave away the last of his worldly possessions... I'd gladly help him, but I fear that those trinkets would be cursed like him... and my life has been already hard enough...
@@Linfamy Thanks. That's what he was meant to do! You know that Christian parenting was always about instilling terror and if all else failed, they would be punished physically in ways which would be considered white torture today... Both my parents went through it and it definitely left its marks on them... My mother was forced to kneel on a broom handle with her outstretched arms holding a bucket of water, or she was locked into a dark storage room, etc. When someone sexually harassed her she got beaten for reporting it, as she shouldn't make up such depraved lies! My father was likely molested by a priest, but he refuses to talk about it. That's typical catholicism! I've seen so much worse than that and that's why I left that organisation. If you want to really hear terrifying stories, look up how the catholic church handled adoptions inside the Franco-regime (I think thousands of parents are still searching for their stolen kids), or look up why the catholic orphanage in the 1960s of Vienna (my place of birth) was colloquially known as Vienna's biggest brothel (SPOILER: despite the catholic church being the richest organization and being paid with tax money, they made a little extra by renting the girls out to the high-society and using the ugly ducklings in medical experiments, cops were at least indirectly complicit as they returned those that fled and refused to believe the kids!) I forgot where it was, but in an English speaking place, an Orphanage had a long history of abusing children to the point that they were unfit to work or fit into society due to PTSD. After it shut down, they discovered an illegal graveyard with kids that had disappeared...
Do you play DnD at all? Because the old man who can only find peace by giving away his worldly possessions, is giving me flashbacks to a certain NPC in a certain Feywild Adventure.
I watched this movie for the first time a little over a week ago (how serendipitous). I know some about Shinto and Buddhism, so it made sense, but your video helped fill in many details. There is a similar concept to kamikashuki in European folklore involving faeries. In fact, the word "glamor" In English has its origins in reference to the faeries' magic, and their ability to enchant people (usually children or young people) and take them away into a magical realm.
Not saying your actual name is still an ongoing tradition in Thailand though. Often their nicknames are something short or/ and has a literal meaning (objects, flowers, animals). But on the documents is of course their real name. For example, the teacher will call you by your actual name (that stands on your official documents) while your classmates call you by your nickname. Which make no sense at all! :D
That's interesting! I do know Japan seems to have kept some of this thinking, because only close friends and family call you by your first name, while everyone else calls you by your last name.
12:29 "The inspiration for the Triforce existed long before Zelda. In the 12th and 13th centuries, the Hojo clan, powerful family that dominated Japanese politics at the time, used a similar-looking symbol called Mitsuuroko, or “three scales,” and it is still a popular symbol used throughout Japan today." Nice!
I consider myself pretty blessed to have found your channel. Your narration is a perfect combination of fascinating facts, meticulous work and just the right amount of sarcasm and witty remarks. Highly entertaining. Thank you for the hard work.
Brilliant analysis with lots of folk background! More Ghibli, please! ***Further random thoughts: I've always wondered when will Chihiro and Haku meet again as well... Even if it's after Chihiro dies (snif), I don't know if she would go to Yubaba's land as it seems to me that only the 'kamis" are more common there. Alternatively, becoming one of those shadowy creatures doesn't seem to be an afterlife exciting prospect either... They will meet when she goes hiking and decides to swim in a river (?) :))
@@Linfamy Right? It would be lovely :)) Indeed, I don't understand how the contract breaking works as well... But in the end, Haku says he'll be able to leave because Chihiro remembered his actual name. She remembered having been saved by him when she was a toddler (?) and almost drowned in Haku's river... So, maybe, she can meet him again when she returns to Haku's river some day (yay!) *** Sorry for further random thoughts :))
I don't think Haku could return to the human world, because he said his river was filled in to build apartments. So imo they're probably talking about when she dies
I'm curious about this now: since Haku is still under Yubaba's contract and since his river has been destroyed due to construction, how the heck is he now "free" just because she told him his name? Chihiro would have forgotten her real name after just one day if she didn't read it in that note (from her classmate at the beginning.) I read that Miyazaki confirmed that Chihiro forgets about everything that happened once leaving (at least consciously) so she cannot remind him or anything (even after he dies.) So how is he free and how would they even know each other, even and especially after she eventually dies? Normally I'd say I'm overthinking this. However, knowing Hayao Miyazaki, I bet he thought this through (*with* the expectation that he is/will be free) especially since the emotional peak/triumph of the entire movie is directly tied to her successfully remembering his name. (It is even the only shared flying scene in the entire movie...less flying than almost every other movie he has ever made.)
@@yurkdawg Makes sense... Exactly, the emphasis seems to be on the name and - at the end - the celebration of remembering Haku's name. So, perhaps, there's a chance he can cross the tunnel by taking some sort of ethereal form? Since she was able to remember everything after crossing the tunnel - whereas her parents didn't remember anything, I think she'll be able to remember Haku and the adventures in Yubaba's world. Maybe it's a stretch but the movie seems to emphasize the importance of writing as well (Chihiro's friend's note and the writing of her name on the paper), so she might keep some sort of record in a notebook so that she doesn't forget?
That's the first Ghibli movie I watched and bought on DVD for myself :3 Still love to watch it 🥰! That spiriting away of small children by gods/ God plays a part in European folklore, too, who knows, that's probably a a case of parallel evolution of story tropes with.the same reason of child mortality being higher in ye olden days. ..🤔 The night of 100 demons seems to be akin to the Grest Hunt in western story telling traditions, too :3 Oh and the Namahage remind me of Austrian/Southern German Perchten :)
I loved this video, as I really like Spirited Away. I just wanna mention one thing about the train: while it is true that the river represents a liminal space between worlds, the fact that the train moves on tracks in the river is also significant. When Westerners brought the first trains to Japan and the Meiji government began constructing railways, they were always built near water, as there was the belief that trains could catch fire spontaneously. I don't know the reason for this belief but you can see it, for instance, in some anime set in the Meiji Era (Rurouni Kenshin, for example). I think that the train running on water was a neat detail and it signals that the railway between worlds is very, very old indeed. Keep these videos coming, man. They are a treat. Also, thanks for coming to my TEDtalk.
Me and my friend were watching horror movies and thought we needed to decompress, so we put this movie on. I usually don't like movies with symbolism, but Spirited Away is a major exception. I love this movie and love watching and rewatching it. As a random thought of my own, do you think Haku's river was what Chihiro's house was built on top of? She said that it was all apartments now.
I remember reading that the soot balls were supposed to be the explanation of the visual you can get when entering a dark house/room from outside during bright day.
I first saw this film when it was yet new - it immediately became my favorite film of any genre, and it still is. I have seen it many times and I love introducing it to those who haven’t yet seen it. Thanks for this exploration of the sources of its imagery. What an amazing creation this film is.
Some traditions really do transcend culture. In our tradition, the child turning 8 is celebrated because they 'escape' all disasters and misfortunes apparently more active when you're 1-7 years of age. When a child is below 7 or is 7 years old, people are more cautious around them because they're 'much more likely to die'.
Indeed. In Japan of the past, so many children couldn't make it, so the children up to 7 years old were regarded as "not human yet" and "borrowed from Gods." "Kami-kakushi/sprited away by Gods" of children is "sent back to Gods." (Though the term is also used for anyone who is just missing without any trace.)
I do love how you explain all the context for those new to your channel but not so boring for the ones that have watched all your vids. I'm even thinking of tattooing the Fujiwara daughters phrase in my lower back
Eating something on a place and having to remain there is part of so many mythologies and fairy tales around the world I wonder what core instinct this relates to :D
I love your sneak-it-in-there sense of humor! Keep up your excellent work! 👏 I also am surprised at the many similarities to belief in the fae. (I have mostly Irish ancestry).
I have loved this movie for so long and recently got to share it with both my mom and my son. My mom was asking about the demons/spirits and what they were, more in relation to Japanese folklore. I just have to thank you for this video as it explains better than I ever could.
I remember when watching this as a kid, alone. I was a little scared of the masked ghost, and the whole movie was weird and confusing at the same time. I don't understand a thing, but I was relieved at the end
The depiction of the 'formless' Kami could have been used to show the viewer that 'yes the Kami are here and doing there thing" And our main character just reacting to the feeling of them. Basically a visual plot device to make showing the setting more easy.
The traditional-style play adds some interesting details. Ex. on the ghost train Chihiro sees and momentarily freezes face to face with the shadowy form of a young girl and mother exiting the train. The two end up bowing faintly to each other and the child and mother exit the train. Gave a nice chilling reminder that this world and new friends is means death for Chihiro. Kumaji and Zeniba both also fondly tease and remark about Chihiro and Haku being girlfriend and boyfriend. Sad I can't remember other details and I very much want to see the recording of the play again. They used traditional puppetry and scene dynamics.
Even thpugh I didnt know the cultural backround at all at the time, I really liked this film when I was young and hearing all this info is really nice. Thanks fir your work ^^
I got a shoutout! That's so sweet. ❤️ I love No-Face and I don't know why. He's creepy and ambiguous, kind of like that eerie mask character named Satan in the Adventures of Mark Twain claymation.
Thank you so much for making this video, you really give me interesting perspective about the movie that i love the most. When you mentioned about Chihiro and Haku promises to meet again, i thought that it's the most logic and reasonable explanation yet me still in denial. Why am i even crying a lil bit? I don't know :')
Ive a character in mine who forgets their name and who they are and needs to journey to recover what was lost. Happy accident that it has a basis in Japanese mythology.
I have a story experience which sorta relates to The concept of kotodama. My grandmother tells me that when I was a few months old, I will cry nonstop whenever I hear others calls me using my birth name (the word means leader or ruler) and its was difficult to soot my crying. Then my grandmother thought of using a nickname (one that's is a common nickname & it rhymes with my big sister's name) he called me ATAN , which is a shorten name for the word 'man child' in Malaysian language. By then, I wasn't crying anymore. So yeah I could say that words can possess powerful aspects
@@Linfamy please don't think like that. The way I see it sorta like, leader are those who others expect to to do greats things, leads others etc. But too much expectation can make some people feel pressure or stress. Im very scared of being the center of attention, even now. so it's like from early infancy the weight of name was already scare me. Just like you said, some people believe names/ words have certain power on things and it sometime have effects in real life.
I only have two questions 1.Why are you so good at describing yokai and kami (or just anything in general, no seriously love your content). 2. Is the enenra even a yokai? Because ive rarely seen it in any content revolving around japanese folklore. And all the research i can do leaves me confused. (Sorry if this question is random)
Don't know why, but the parts where you mentioned Chihiro's and Kohaku's names being taken by Yubaba made me tear up a little. Names really do have power, I guess. Also 16:01 made me want to cry like a little bitch.
To me your name is one of the last things you leave behind on this world. Immediate friends and relatives would remember your personality, but later generations could only remember you by name, or the stories people wrote about you. Once enough generations pass on even your name will be forgotten, and with that you are truly gone from this world, with no remnants of you left behind (beside your bones of course).
Btw, I wonder if u hv done or will do some homework like this on ‘demon slayer’ it takes some effort bcuz it’s only subtitles no Thai or English dub like spirited away. But it’s highly ranked on both Netflix and viu. Watched around 5 episodes so far...feels ok
Damnnnn.... 4:30 even in Hindu Mythology or to be specific in Garuda Puran the spirits have to cross a river "Vaitarani Nadii" to go to afterlife or the kingdom of death called Yama/ Yamaraj
Have you read Taichi Yamada's "Strangers"? It's a ghost story about a man who starts entering the world of the dead after eating with his parents' ghosts. He doesn't realize that he's dying -- he's told about it by people who are still living. Your explanation helped me understand this book more deeply, so I am grateful!
Even though I've watched other people go into the folklore of Spirited away, the fact you're doing should be much more interesting since you do videos about japanese folklore and yokai, so i believe this would include more than what they've said; personally, cause i want more context XD But I'll watch and see, either way thank you for making this!
Its interesting to see the parallels that Japanese mythology has in common with that of the European fairy folk. Children being stolen away, or even replace with a mimic, not eating the foods offered to you, keeping your true name a secret, and "lost time" are all common motifs found in both myth cultures.
That breathing thing is weird. I grew up in a lily-white area but we had a superstition as a kid that you should hold your breath by graveyards so you don't get possessed by the ghosts.
you know what's funny? new orleans is one of the most haunted cities in america- there are so many stories of ghosts, vampires, werewolves, zombies, etc. a new orleans hyakki yagyo wouldn't be out of the question
In Japan today, "Kaonashi (No Face)" is a discriminatory slang that refers to otaku who donate to Virtual UA-camr. The reason for this is that the act of trying to attract young girls with money is similar to the bad-mouthed Kaonashi. It is also common to not show your face.
Can’t remember where I read this, The radish spirit represents modern agriculture. Where vegetables used to be smaller, human intervention and selection caused them to be giant versions of themselves and grown en masse. The spirit is kind to Chihiro since if it weren’t for humans, vegetables wouldn’t be as numerous as they are now. (Compare nerima to miura daikons)
How about talking about Satoshi Kon's Millennium Actress sometime? There's plenty of history tied up in it, along with various ways one could interpret the plot.
i love how japanese folklore and ancient culture inspires me for my writing and worldbuilding :D im a fantasy writer and am currently cooking up a highly fantasy alternative-reality world where a lot of the magic world building is inspired by folklore from lots of different cultures, though lately, most ive built into it has been inspired by your channel, and thusly, by japanese culture and folklore!
I brushed off Spirited Away before even watching it. Shame on me because the movie was beautiful and magical. I’m a huge fan of his work and anime now.
Ghost stories similar to tsurube otoshi are also found here in Indonesia particularly in Java island all the way to the modern era, especially in small villages. They would fall on random person as he walks in the dark at night. He would think that the loud thud came from a fallen coconut or a jackfruit but turned out to be a human head.
I really enjoyed this film, but I do think Princess Mononoke is my favorite film from this studio. Did you see that new CGI Lupin The 3rd film? Any thoughts on the upcoming Inuyasha sequel anime?
Love adoraballs :3
Folklore behind Princess Mononoke: ua-cam.com/video/rjYWqWJRBtA/v-deo.html
More info on "spiriting away": ua-cam.com/video/8DruHmMXheg/v-deo.html
Please consider supporting the channel =)
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Lifamy: Is this channel a Kami? Well yes.
Me: so I guess Everything is a kami which explains why the game Cuphead is based on Japanese Folklore about Yo-kai, Kami and other stuff.🙏
12:48 I recall hearing that Tara A. Devlin's channel.
Am I just thick or did your channel gain over 100k in a little while. Please answer senpai linfamy..
Linfamy who's chihiro ogino?
I thought this might interest you.
ua-cam.com/video/GI-w_R7CqR8/v-deo.html
“You lost your child?!”
“No... he uh- got taken away by a spirit!”
Seems legit.
My mother-in-law tells the story of how my husband, as a little boy, told her that he was talking to his recemtly deceased grandfather at night, until one night he cried and told his mom tnat Grandpa said that they couldn't talk anymore.
Barbara. Who's chihiro?
@@keishareginahoestiawan5834 Um, why are you asking me?
That sounds creepily similar to my experience when my grandmother died. I wasn’t a kid, it was two years ago. She kept “visiting” me at night, my dreams were almost like normal daily life. In the dreams said she came home from the hospital. The dreams went on for over a month.
Then they started getting more strange, other family members not noticing her in the dream. The last time, the closer I was to her the sicker she looked. I asked “What are those wounds?” She said “Decay. I don’t belong here.” I hugged her and said “I’m sorry, I know.” And suddenly woke up.
It was really, really traumatizing. I’m not much of a spiritual person, just very sensitive. Weird coping mechanism, I thought. Just my mind comforting me, then trying to tell me to move on.
And that would be all, but... few days later, I saw a robin outside my window. I had NEVER seen a robin in our neighborhood, (and none since then) so like any freshly-gone-insane person, I looked up what seeing a robin means spiritually. Hope, rebirth, dead loved ones, moving on...
That’s oddly specific. I considered it being a hallucination, but I didn’t know of the meaning of robins before so why would my mind make it up..? So I’d like to believe this all means something.
@@yYSilverFoxYy That's deep 😪
@@yYSilverFoxYy I am fairly certain signs like that mean our dead loved ones are trying to comfort us. When I was little my mom told me if I stood really still butterflies would land on me so I would do my best statue imitation in the yard for hours but never had a butterfly land on me. After my mom died suddenly I was a butterfly magnate. I would be walking my dog or taking out the trash and butterflies would tag along for the ride damn near daily for weeks. I feel like its her way of comforting me since she can't hug me anymore. You aren't crazy or if you are then we both are and I am ok with that.
"Night Parade of 100 Demons"
Damn, that name is metal af
ikr?
I heard this in an anime called Nurarihyon no Mago or Nura- Rise of the Yokai Clan.
@@412Shivangi same
Agreed
@@Linfamy that’s called Mardi Gras in New Orleans
Linfamy : “Is this channel a kami? Yes and you must pray to it!”
My prayers for this channel : May this channel flourish and chiah khì góa li siōn tè (eat well my Lord In Hokkien)
I accept your offering.
Is this channel actually the God Emperor of Mankind?
@@Gruntvc yes
ohh your pfp is that sensei from Asobi Asobase XD
As a child weird things happened to me that lined up with Japanese folk lore, so I always enjoyed learning about the subject and that drew me to this channel
What weird things happened to you?
Please tell us, you got our attention and just vanished!
He was just answering the question by demonstrating. Obviously he was taken by a god.
@@angryshavige1020 It was just a teaser trailer in case he ever wants to write a biography. He obviously won't spoil his story before it's published.
@@Linfamy In Australia the holding your breath near cemeteries has transferred across. I remember doing that as a kid.
We also lifted our feet crossing railway tracks. I don't know if that's related.
I first watched Spirited Away as a late teen by checking out the dvd of it from my local library in my rural hometown. I sat with my mouth agape for the whole movie, genuinely not knowing what would happen next, and was spirited away myself, in a way, in watching it. It further got me interested into Japanese folklore and magic.
Spirited Away never gets old no matter how many times I watch the film and takes me away to an enchanting place where, after watching it, you think spirits live all around you.
Will you do a video on Hausu? Yubaba reminds me a lot of the aunt who lives in the old house that the protagonist and her friends go to visit!
I like how watching the movie spirits you away too =)
😅 😅 😂
"gods who haven't gained enough subscribers to qualify for a check mark, so they only get small shrines."
your ability to explain is legendary, i am not ready to forget this one 😊
Spirited Away made me feel an emotion I never knew I had.
The Anime HellGirl did that to me also.
It's interesting how some underworld/spirit realm tropes seem to transcendent cultures. After all in Greek mythology the dead also have to cross a river (or several) to reach Hades and being trapped in an otherworld after you eat the food there is also a part of (at least) Greek and Celtic mythology, as is the idea that time passes differently between the human and spirit world (be in fairy land for a few days and come back to learn that centuries have passed and such)
Maybe some story ideas are just universally interesting.
There could be some bleeding of cultural ideas. Greeks used to conquer parts of India (around the Indus Valley) and transmit aspects of Greek mythology to adjacent areas, all the while Buddhism is emerging from India.
@@mfaizsyahmi Yeah it's also interesting to note that modern depictions of the Buddha have elements that go back to the Indo-Greek kingdoms.
Would be interesting to know when those elements entered Japanese mythology. Whether it was through the Indo-Greeks or whether it's something much older.
Common themes pop up in completely isolated peoples too
Some think that all pantheons are the same gods through different lenses basically
Fairy's who were once God's in Irish mythology were always spiriting away children too. Replacing them with shapeshifters.
WTF, I justed watched it yesterday and thought: "What we're the inspirations to this movie?"
Perfect timing.
Maybe I made it because I knew you watched it :O
That is just creepy.
The Channel-Kami heard you and answered! 0.o
It's so interesting the parallels in the West, like crossing the River Styx after you die and when I was growing up, we thought we had to hold our breath when walking or driving past a graveyard. I'm not sure what would happen if we didn't but it would be bad, lol. Thanks for this video!
You should also explain "My Neighbor Totorou" on the whole children thing
Miyazaki is a masterful storyteller and everyone is chasing how he does it.
Loving these videos and your channel. Would be interested to know if there's any folklore behind Castle in the Sky or Nausicaa.
Castle in the sky is my comfort film I love it so much 🥺💕
I heard they got inspiration from Indian mythology and Ramayana
"is this channel a kami?? yes and you should pray it"
youtube:- hold my adsense
cry
pharaoh before:worship me or i will kill your family and torture u and rob your land
pharoah now:is this channel a kami??yes and u should pray to it
dont if its against your personal beliefs dont
Yubaba remains Baba Yaga, The Wicked Witch of Slavic folklore but sweeter in appearance. Great video!
Yubaba killed three people with a pencil. A fucking pencil.......by writing their names down.
6:44 reminded me of Austrian culture. We do have the Perchtenlauf and the Krampus. The prior has some hags and Oni-like creatures dressed in shabby clothes, at times straw-coats and they are driven through the town. The Krampus is a single demon, quite often depicted all black and with chains attached to him and occasionally a bundle of branches and a bag on his back. He'll use those branches for reminding children to obey their parents. The bag is for the lost causes, where the parents have given up... As a demon, he does eat humans after all... The chains symbolize that he's been enslaved and now serves the good guys (thank Christianity for that). Originally, he was however a servant of a hag/Witch named Perchta. She was someone like Baba Yaga, a powerful witch, but never a human, but more something akin to a Kami who could be described as chaotic neutral. When you're lost she may show you the way out of the forest and offer you a roof above your head, a warm fire, and some food, but when she doesn't like your character, she may punish you in any way she sees fit... and her morals don't necessarily align with human morals!
Even many centuries after we Austrians have been forced to convert to Christianity, the belief in these two creatures held stubbornly in remote mountain villages, so much so that the Church gave in and adopted them as regional customs, but with a Christian slant...
Another powerful witch worth mentioning would be Frau Holle, who ruled over the underworld and gave us the name Hell/Hölle for her realm, though it was originally not a penitentiary...
Lastly, I'd like to point out that in our superstition we are highly discouraged from accepting gifts from spirits, or to follow them, as that would give them power over us so that they could possess us or spirit us away (not to fun places, but for eating us or enslaving our souls). The exception are mostly fairies, gnomes, and goblins, who are chaotic neutral.
The scene in Spirited away with the river monster handing out gold also reminds me of a local legend. We have the story of a lesser noble who had riches beyond his status, but only a few servants and no remaining family. He was a greedy misanthrope and thus no-one wanted to stay at his small castle. Fate went against him when he installed one of the first tresor-rooms in our lands with a steel door that could only be opened from the outside and for some reason the heavy door swung shut and trapped him with his riches... As you all know you can't eat gold... Now, you may find an old guy dragging a huge chest on abandoned mountain paths. He may offer you gold coins, jewels, or the like, but most people are so scared of him that they just ran off, but legend has it that he can only find peace after he gave away the last of his worldly possessions... I'd gladly help him, but I fear that those trinkets would be cursed like him... and my life has been already hard enough...
Nice, thanks for sharing this Austrian folklore. Krampus sounds terrifying for kids 😂
@@Linfamy Thanks. That's what he was meant to do! You know that Christian parenting was always about instilling terror and if all else failed, they would be punished physically in ways which would be considered white torture today...
Both my parents went through it and it definitely left its marks on them... My mother was forced to kneel on a broom handle with her outstretched arms holding a bucket of water, or she was locked into a dark storage room, etc.
When someone sexually harassed her she got beaten for reporting it, as she shouldn't make up such depraved lies!
My father was likely molested by a priest, but he refuses to talk about it.
That's typical catholicism! I've seen so much worse than that and that's why I left that organisation.
If you want to really hear terrifying stories, look up how the catholic church handled adoptions inside the Franco-regime (I think thousands of parents are still searching for their stolen kids), or look up why the catholic orphanage in the 1960s of Vienna (my place of birth) was colloquially known as Vienna's biggest brothel (SPOILER: despite the catholic church being the richest organization and being paid with tax money, they made a little extra by renting the girls out to the high-society and using the ugly ducklings in medical experiments, cops were at least indirectly complicit as they returned those that fled and refused to believe the kids!)
I forgot where it was, but in an English speaking place, an Orphanage had a long history of abusing children to the point that they were unfit to work or fit into society due to PTSD. After it shut down, they discovered an illegal graveyard with kids that had disappeared...
@@edi9892 and here I thought Asian myths and occasional broomstick hit was hard 😅
Do you play DnD at all? Because the old man who can only find peace by giving away his worldly possessions, is giving me flashbacks to a certain NPC in a certain Feywild Adventure.
@@idlewaifu3286 No. DnD isn't popular in my country. AFAIK, it's something you play in a group, right? At least before it became a video game...
I watched this movie for the first time a little over a week ago (how serendipitous). I know some about Shinto and Buddhism, so it made sense, but your video helped fill in many details.
There is a similar concept to kamikashuki in European folklore involving faeries. In fact, the word "glamor" In English has its origins in reference to the faeries' magic, and their ability to enchant people (usually children or young people) and take them away into a magical realm.
Very interesting how different cultures come up with similar beliefs :)
Aww. I’m being reminded of Nura series of 100 Yokai Night parade.
Thank you for sharing this wonderful time together and I love you too.
On this video I shall also comment:
1. I love your channel.
2. WHEN ARE YOU GOING TO MAKE A JAPANESE SWEAR WORDS VIDEO? I'M WAITING FOR OVER A MONTH.
hmm... 🤔
Linfamy: "These heads seem like normal bouncing heads, though".
Me: Of course.
I’m so glad you’re doing these! It’s nice to hear about the origins my childhood favorites. It satisfied my child self.
I'm glad you like it :D
@@Linfamy 👍
Not saying your actual name is still an ongoing tradition in Thailand though. Often their nicknames are something short or/ and has a literal meaning (objects, flowers, animals). But on the documents is of course their real name. For example, the teacher will call you by your actual name (that stands on your official documents) while your classmates call you by your nickname. Which make no sense at all! :D
That's interesting!
I do know Japan seems to have kept some of this thinking, because only close friends and family call you by your first name, while everyone else calls you by your last name.
thanks for sharing
12:29
"The inspiration for the Triforce existed long before Zelda. In the 12th and 13th centuries, the Hojo clan, powerful family that dominated Japanese politics at the time, used a similar-looking symbol called Mitsuuroko, or “three scales,” and it is still a popular symbol used throughout Japan today."
Nice!
I'm delighted to see you cover this! Thank you!
I'm delighted that you're delighted ;)
I am so serious when I say I NEVER knew why I held my breath when passing a cemetary but I've been doing it since elementary school.
I consider myself pretty blessed to have found your channel. Your narration is a perfect combination of fascinating facts, meticulous work and just the right amount of sarcasm and witty remarks. Highly entertaining. Thank you for the hard work.
Brilliant analysis with lots of folk background! More Ghibli, please!
***Further random thoughts: I've always wondered when will Chihiro and Haku meet again as well... Even if it's after Chihiro dies (snif), I don't know if she would go to Yubaba's land as it seems to me that only the 'kamis" are more common there. Alternatively, becoming one of those shadowy creatures doesn't seem to be an afterlife exciting prospect either... They will meet when she goes hiking and decides to swim in a river (?) :))
Yeah, it'd be nice if Haku was able to leave. He signed the contract though, so I don't know how he'd leave. A river reunion sounds awesome though ;)
@@Linfamy Right? It would be lovely :)) Indeed, I don't understand how the contract breaking works as well... But in the end, Haku says he'll be able to leave because Chihiro remembered his actual name. She remembered having been saved by him when she was a toddler (?) and almost drowned in Haku's river... So, maybe, she can meet him again when she returns to Haku's river some day (yay!) *** Sorry for further random thoughts :))
I don't think Haku could return to the human world, because he said his river was filled in to build apartments. So imo they're probably talking about when she dies
I'm curious about this now: since Haku is still under Yubaba's contract and since his river has been destroyed due to construction, how the heck is he now "free" just because she told him his name? Chihiro would have forgotten her real name after just one day if she didn't read it in that note (from her classmate at the beginning.) I read that Miyazaki confirmed that Chihiro forgets about everything that happened once leaving (at least consciously) so she cannot remind him or anything (even after he dies.) So how is he free and how would they even know each other, even and especially after she eventually dies?
Normally I'd say I'm overthinking this. However, knowing Hayao Miyazaki, I bet he thought this through (*with* the expectation that he is/will be free) especially since the emotional peak/triumph of the entire movie is directly tied to her successfully remembering his name. (It is even the only shared flying scene in the entire movie...less flying than almost every other movie he has ever made.)
@@yurkdawg Makes sense...
Exactly, the emphasis seems to be on the name and - at the end - the celebration of remembering Haku's name. So, perhaps, there's a chance he can cross the tunnel by taking some sort of ethereal form?
Since she was able to remember everything after crossing the tunnel - whereas her parents didn't remember anything, I think she'll be able to remember Haku and the adventures in Yubaba's world. Maybe it's a stretch but the movie seems to emphasize the importance of writing as well (Chihiro's friend's note and the writing of her name on the paper), so she might keep some sort of record in a notebook so that she doesn't forget?
That's the first Ghibli movie I watched and bought on DVD for myself :3 Still love to watch it 🥰!
That spiriting away of small children by gods/ God plays a part in European folklore, too, who knows, that's probably a a case of parallel evolution of story tropes with.the same reason of child mortality being higher in ye olden days. ..🤔
The night of 100 demons seems to be akin to the Grest Hunt in western story telling traditions, too :3
Oh and the Namahage remind me of Austrian/Southern German Perchten :)
I loved this video, as I really like Spirited Away. I just wanna mention one thing about the train: while it is true that the river represents a liminal space between worlds, the fact that the train moves on tracks in the river is also significant. When Westerners brought the first trains to Japan and the Meiji government began constructing railways, they were always built near water, as there was the belief that trains could catch fire spontaneously. I don't know the reason for this belief but you can see it, for instance, in some anime set in the Meiji Era (Rurouni Kenshin, for example). I think that the train running on water was a neat detail and it signals that the railway between worlds is very, very old indeed.
Keep these videos coming, man. They are a treat.
Also, thanks for coming to my TEDtalk.
Me and my friend were watching horror movies and thought we needed to decompress, so we put this movie on.
I usually don't like movies with symbolism, but Spirited Away is a major exception. I love this movie and love watching and rewatching it.
As a random thought of my own, do you think Haku's river was what Chihiro's house was built on top of? She said that it was all apartments now.
That'd be nice, if he was able to return to his river and meet her at her home.
I remember reading that the soot balls were supposed to be the explanation of the visual you can get when entering a dark house/room from outside during bright day.
I first saw this film when it was yet new - it immediately became my favorite film of any genre, and it still is. I have seen it many times and I love introducing it to those who haven’t yet seen it. Thanks for this exploration of the sources of its imagery. What an amazing creation this film is.
Some traditions really do transcend culture. In our tradition, the child turning 8 is celebrated because they 'escape' all disasters and misfortunes apparently more active when you're 1-7 years of age. When a child is below 7 or is 7 years old, people are more cautious around them because they're 'much more likely to die'.
Indeed. In Japan of the past, so many children couldn't make it, so the children up to 7 years old were regarded as "not human yet" and "borrowed from Gods." "Kami-kakushi/sprited away by Gods" of children is "sent back to Gods." (Though the term is also used for anyone who is just missing without any trace.)
I do love how you explain all the context for those new to your channel but not so boring for the ones that have watched all your vids. I'm even thinking of tattooing the Fujiwara daughters phrase in my lower back
Where is Infamy enshrined so I can give a 1 yen coin every month
I will pray to Linfamy's channel every time he uploads a video.
I hear your prayers.
Thank you for doing these! Love Miyazaki. Would love to see one of these for even more ghibli movies or even for Samurai Champloo!
Eating something on a place and having to remain there is part of so many mythologies and fairy tales around the world I wonder what core instinct this relates to :D
in Latinamerica the movie was called "Chihiro´s journey".
yeeees xd
To pray to the Linfamy kami, the ritual is to put a thumb up and ring a bell.
I accept these offerings.
And becoming a patreon? That must please you the most 🤔😜
Great video! I watched several vids explaining the spirit world of Chihiro, but yours is the most accurate and most complete one. Very well done!
This and your Princess Mononoke video are ur best videos, I really love this concept! Keep it up!!!!!!
I love your sneak-it-in-there sense of humor! Keep up your excellent work! 👏 I also am surprised at the many similarities to belief in the fae. (I have mostly Irish ancestry).
I’m glad your doing more of these and it is not just Mononoke
This brings back so many memories of my childhood. Glad I know the inspiration for this anime now.
I have loved this movie for so long and recently got to share it with both my mom and my son. My mom was asking about the demons/spirits and what they were, more in relation to Japanese folklore. I just have to thank you for this video as it explains better than I ever could.
I remember when watching this as a kid, alone. I was a little scared of the masked ghost, and the whole movie was weird and confusing at the same time. I don't understand a thing, but I was relieved at the end
I learn a lot from your videos : )
The depiction of the 'formless' Kami could have been used to show the viewer that 'yes the Kami are here and doing there thing" And our main character just reacting to the feeling of them. Basically a visual plot device to make showing the setting more easy.
The traditional-style play adds some interesting details. Ex. on the ghost train Chihiro sees and momentarily freezes face to face with the shadowy form of a young girl and mother exiting the train. The two end up bowing faintly to each other and the child and mother exit the train.
Gave a nice chilling reminder that this world and new friends is means death for Chihiro. Kumaji and Zeniba both also fondly tease and remark about Chihiro and Haku being girlfriend and boyfriend.
Sad I can't remember other details and I very much want to see the recording of the play again. They used traditional puppetry and scene dynamics.
Spirited Away *inspired* the Greatest Sith Force Ever created *Darth Nihilus* and I would be ever grateful for that(!) :^]
I love your stuff Linfamy!!!!
Well, thank you :D
I absolutely looooved this video and the other one on Mononoke ! I hope you will do other similar videos! Thank you for your awesome work !
this is your best video by ver far. Id love to see more stuff like that
Great analysis of one of my favorite movies of all time!
Even thpugh I didnt know the cultural backround at all at the time, I really liked this film when I was young and hearing all this info is really nice. Thanks fir your work ^^
I got a shoutout! That's so sweet. ❤️
I love No-Face and I don't know why. He's creepy and ambiguous, kind of like that eerie mask character named Satan in the Adventures of Mark Twain claymation.
He's just wants some friends 🥺😄
Thank you so much for making this video, you really give me interesting perspective about the movie that i love the most. When you mentioned about Chihiro and Haku promises to meet again, i thought that it's the most logic and reasonable explanation yet me still in denial. Why am i even crying a lil bit? I don't know :')
Hayao Miyazaki is my spirit inspiration when I write my novel
Ive a character in mine who forgets their name and who they are and needs to journey to recover what was lost. Happy accident that it has a basis in Japanese mythology.
Miyazaki is one of the best anime creator of all time. His works always affect me and leave a huge mark in my hearth.
Really well made video, ty
Thanks for watching ;)
There is a folklore about 'don't look back'. You can never return to the normal world from the spirit world if you look back.
Your description of おしら様 is so oddly accurate that I couldn’t help but laugh out loud.
The fact that I watch Nurarihiyon no Mago just makes this channel more interesting for me
I have a story experience which sorta relates to The concept of kotodama.
My grandmother tells me that when I was a few months old, I will cry nonstop whenever I hear others calls me using my birth name (the word means leader or ruler) and its was difficult to soot my crying. Then my grandmother thought of using a nickname (one that's is a common nickname & it rhymes with my big sister's name) he called me ATAN , which is a shorten name for the word 'man child' in Malaysian language. By then, I wasn't crying anymore.
So yeah I could say that words can possess powerful aspects
Interesting! That could also be called shaming 😂
@@Linfamy please don't think like that. The way I see it sorta like, leader are those who others expect to to do greats things, leads others etc. But too much expectation can make some people feel pressure or stress. Im very scared of being the center of attention, even now. so it's like from early infancy the weight of name was already scare me. Just like you said, some people believe names/ words have certain power on things and it sometime have effects in real life.
thank yu for this video! I've always wanted to understand more about the cultural context of so many things in this movie!
:D
I only have two questions
1.Why are you so good at describing yokai and kami (or just anything in general, no seriously love your content).
2. Is the enenra even a yokai? Because ive rarely seen it in any content revolving around japanese folklore. And all the research i can do leaves me confused. (Sorry if this question is random)
Don't know why, but the parts where you mentioned Chihiro's and Kohaku's names being taken by Yubaba made me tear up a little. Names really do have power, I guess. Also 16:01 made me want to cry like a little bitch.
To me your name is one of the last things you leave behind on this world. Immediate friends and relatives would remember your personality, but later generations could only remember you by name, or the stories people wrote about you. Once enough generations pass on even your name will be forgotten, and with that you are truly gone from this world, with no remnants of you left behind (beside your bones of course).
@@mfaizsyahmi Well said, I agree.
13:40 What happens if I sign my name but not in Kanji, Hiragana but in English on Yamauba's contract?
My grandma is 60 today! Wish her happy birthday 🎂
Mine is 98.
Happy birthday random persons grandma
@@lablimpet Thank you! And wow your grandma is really old
The happy of the birthday!
Happy birthday to your grandma! 💗
I’ll check it out on Netflix . Mononoke was not bad.
Yababa reminds me of Poland’s babayaga (re hellboy) even the names sounds alike.
Glad you enjoyed Princess Mononoke =)
@@Linfamy well it’s got English dub so not too much effort watching. Hopefully same case of spirit
Btw, I wonder if u hv done or will do some homework like this on ‘demon slayer’ it takes some effort bcuz it’s only subtitles no Thai or English dub like spirited away. But it’s highly ranked on both Netflix and viu. Watched around 5 episodes so far...feels ok
my mum absolutely adores this movie, because of her, i was able to witness such a masterpiece :’)
Omg it's Chihiro. You witnessed it because you were there.
@@Linfamy lmao
Damnnnn.... 4:30 even in Hindu Mythology or to be specific in Garuda Puran the spirits have to cross a river "Vaitarani Nadii" to go to afterlife or the kingdom of death called Yama/ Yamaraj
Yeah!
New subscriber! I love your videos, going through them slowly because I want to learn more about the Japanese mythos.
Hope you enjoy :)
@@Linfamy I stayed up because I got stuck binging he videos!!! Lol thank you for making them 😌
Thank you so much! Very enlightening!
Have you read Taichi Yamada's "Strangers"? It's a ghost story about a man who starts entering the world of the dead after eating with his parents' ghosts. He doesn't realize that he's dying -- he's told about it by people who are still living. Your explanation helped me understand this book more deeply, so I am grateful!
Even though I've watched other people go into the folklore of Spirited away, the fact you're doing should be much more interesting since you do videos about japanese folklore and yokai, so i believe this would include more than what they've said; personally, cause i want more context XD But I'll watch and see, either way thank you for making this!
One of my favourite movies. Thank you.
Its interesting to see the parallels that Japanese mythology has in common with that of the European fairy folk.
Children being stolen away, or even replace with a mimic, not eating the foods offered to you, keeping your true name a secret, and "lost time" are all common motifs found in both myth cultures.
Perhaps because kids were dying all the time?
Oh they are definitely cautionary tales aimed at the young.
I loved this and your accompanying Princess Mononoke videos. They were great!
That breathing thing is weird. I grew up in a lily-white area but we had a superstition as a kid that you should hold your breath by graveyards so you don't get possessed by the ghosts.
you know what's funny? new orleans is one of the most haunted cities in america- there are so many stories of ghosts, vampires, werewolves, zombies, etc. a new orleans hyakki yagyo wouldn't be out of the question
In Japan today, "Kaonashi (No Face)" is a discriminatory slang that refers to otaku who donate to Virtual UA-camr. The reason for this is that the act of trying to attract young girls with money is similar to the bad-mouthed Kaonashi. It is also common to not show your face.
it fits well, if you do such stupid things you really look like a ghost. No life I would say.
なるほど。
Simps
Thank you so much for these amazing videos!
Best Studio Ghibli film ever
Oh I'm excited to watch this! Interesting, and you do a great job of explaining and telling stories 🙂
Can’t remember where I read this, The radish spirit represents modern agriculture. Where vegetables used to be smaller, human intervention and selection caused them to be giant versions of themselves and grown en masse. The spirit is kind to Chihiro since if it weren’t for humans, vegetables wouldn’t be as numerous as they are now. (Compare nerima to miura daikons)
How about talking about Satoshi Kon's Millennium Actress sometime? There's plenty of history tied up in it, along with various ways one could interpret the plot.
i love how japanese folklore and ancient culture inspires me for my writing and worldbuilding :D im a fantasy writer and am currently cooking up a highly fantasy alternative-reality world where a lot of the magic world building is inspired by folklore from lots of different cultures, though lately, most ive built into it has been inspired by your channel, and thusly, by japanese culture and folklore!
Awesome video. Loved it.
Hello everyone hope all if you have a great day
Well I hope you have a great day
I brushed off Spirited Away before even watching it. Shame on me because the movie was beautiful and magical. I’m a huge fan of his work and anime now.
Please do Natsume Yuujinchou
Ghost stories similar to tsurube otoshi are also found here in Indonesia particularly in Java island all the way to the modern era, especially in small villages. They would fall on random person as he walks in the dark at night. He would think that the loud thud came from a fallen coconut or a jackfruit but turned out to be a human head.
Fascinating! Thank you
That was interesting and entertaining, thank you 🙂
I love it when people explore Japanese folklore for Anime. It helps the story make more sense.
I remember this movie so well and wanting one of those little black fuzzballs. The Adroaballs. So cute yet so weird!
Could you please also do "my neighbor Totoro"?
Cool! My daughter loves this movie.
I really enjoyed this film, but I do think Princess Mononoke is my favorite film from this studio.
Did you see that new CGI Lupin The 3rd film?
Any thoughts on the upcoming Inuyasha sequel anime?