Superstitions of Okinawa

TheNoNamedOne · 06-19-2007, 02:43 PM

What Okinawan superstitions do you know of or find interesting?

I will begin:

It is said that childless couples who cut off a piece of the rope from the Naha Tsunahiki (tug of war rope) and place it, and keeping it under their bedding, will soon become pregnant and have a child.

This stems from the fact that the Tsunahiki is a fertility festival. When the two ropes are joined together and the peg holding them is inserted, it sympolizes the physical union of man and woman. Good rain and good sperm makes for a good reaping. Like a barren field that does not bring forth crops, a barren woman, too, will not bring forth child.

If you have an Okinawan friend or spouse, and you want to hear some Okinawan superstitions,
just ask them in Japanese, "Okinawa no meishin o oshiete kudasai" and then share them here with us.

P_chan · 06-19-2007, 05:57 PM

Thats really interesting, I never knew that! Hmm me and my wife will have to try it!

TheNoNamedOne · 06-24-2007, 01:47 PM

Do you have yamori(gekko) scampering up and down your walls and on the ceiling hanging around light fixtures looking for buggy snaks? Well, don't kill them! They are good luck.

The syllable "ya" means "house", and "mori" comes from the verb mamoru "to protect" or "mamori" i.e. protection. So, they are "house protectors".

We have a lot on the outside walls of our house and a lot on the inside. We never kill them on purpose, but occassionally they will get killed in the sliding rails of windows or door frames when closing. We also find their small white eggs laying around here and there.

Yamori poop is kind of cute looking. Looks like a mini grub that sticks to a surface -- be it vertical or horizontal. Dries real fast. I've heard a few people say that yamori poop dust is dangerous if breathed or injested.

Before when we lived in an apartment, the occassional cockroach would be spotted, but since living in a house with lots of yamori, we have never had cockroaches.

I like their chirping sounds when they get to calling one another.

dk · 06-24-2007, 01:49 PM

My old house when I was a kid had lots of gekkos. To this day, I've always loved gekko's because of that house. Their chirping sound is cute and strangely comforting.

Boost · 06-24-2007, 01:50 PM

Always got a kick out our free roaming pet geckos. Figured they eat bugs so why bother them!

Tempestuous · 06-24-2007, 01:50 PM

Yeah, I knew someone who got creeped out cause we had one that lived in the bathroom.
It liked to come out every time they showered & it totally bugged them.

Boost · 06-24-2007, 01:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tempestuous

Yeah, I knew someone who got creeped out cause we had one that lived in the bathroom.
It liked to come out every time they showered & it totally bugged them.

Yeah, so anyone getting ready to go to Oki, beware of the peeping tom geckos! They like to watch you while you are nekkid!

TheNoNamedOne · 06-24-2007, 01:59 PM

And when you notice a few have been hanging around your shoe box by the genkan, be sure to tap your shoes before inserting foot. My wife squished one once and it wasn't a pretty site. Oh, and it made a grossly loud chirp when it was squished -- just like they usually do when a window slides over them on the rail or when the door squishes them. Poor guys.

Tempestuous · 06-24-2007, 01:59 PM

Bluck!!!
Yet another gross visual!!!
Poor wife!

Boost · 06-24-2007, 02:02 PM

I used to really enjoy when the base newspaper would do an article on local hauntings around Halloween. Not that I ever wanted to see a ghost, just like to read about em.

06-19-2007, 02:43 PM	#1
TheNoNamedOne Ban Cannon GO!!! Join Date: May 2007 Posts: 7,466 Thanks: 0 Thanked 464 Times in 297 Posts Groans: 0 Groaned at 76 Times in 74 Posts Credits: -389	Superstitions of Okinawa What Okinawan superstitions do you know of or find interesting? I will begin: It is said that childless couples who cut off a piece of the rope from the Naha Tsunahiki (tug of war rope) and place it, and keeping it under their bedding, will soon become pregnant and have a child. This stems from the fact that the Tsunahiki is a fertility festival. When the two ropes are joined together and the peg holding them is inserted, it sympolizes the physical union of man and woman. Good rain and good sperm makes for a good reaping. Like a barren field that does not bring forth crops, a barren woman, too, will not bring forth child. If you have an Okinawan friend or spouse, and you want to hear some Okinawan superstitions, just ask them in Japanese, "Okinawa no meishin o oshiete kudasai" and then share them here with us.

06-24-2007, 01:47 PM	#3
TheNoNamedOne Ban Cannon GO!!! Join Date: May 2007 Posts: 7,466 Thanks: 0 Thanked 464 Times in 297 Posts Groans: 0 Groaned at 76 Times in 74 Posts Credits: -389	Yamori Do you have yamori(gekko) scampering up and down your walls and on the ceiling hanging around light fixtures looking for buggy snaks? Well, don't kill them! They are good luck. The syllable "ya" means "house", and "mori" comes from the verb mamoru "to protect" or "mamori" i.e. protection. So, they are "house protectors". We have a lot on the outside walls of our house and a lot on the inside. We never kill them on purpose, but occassionally they will get killed in the sliding rails of windows or door frames when closing. We also find their small white eggs laying around here and there. Yamori poop is kind of cute looking. Looks like a mini grub that sticks to a surface -- be it vertical or horizontal. Dries real fast. I've heard a few people say that yamori poop dust is dangerous if breathed or injested. Before when we lived in an apartment, the occassional cockroach would be spotted, but since living in a house with lots of yamori, we have never had cockroaches. I like their chirping sounds when they get to calling one another.

06-24-2007, 01:50 PM	#5
Boost Rock Star Tournaments Won: 2 Join Date: May 2007 Location: U.S. -O- A Posts: 995 My Mood: Thanks: 28 Thanked 67 Times in 47 Posts Groans: 0 Groaned at 10 Times in 9 Posts Credits: 2,307,257	Always got a kick out our free roaming pet geckos. Figured they eat bugs so why bother them! __________________ I went to a bookstore and asked the saleswoman, "Where's the self-help section?" She said if she told me, it would defeat the purpose.

06-24-2007, 01:50 PM	#6
Tempestuous Forum Moderator Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: USA Posts: 2,601 My Mood: Thanks: 94 Thanked 484 Times in 312 Posts Groans: 1 Groaned at 20 Times in 20 Posts Credits: 6,160,243	Yeah, I knew someone who got creeped out cause we had one that lived in the bathroom. It liked to come out every time they showered & it totally bugged them. __________________ P.C. for Heinous B*tch Because two wrongs make a right.

06-24-2007, 01:59 PM	#9
Tempestuous Forum Moderator Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: USA Posts: 2,601 My Mood: Thanks: 94 Thanked 484 Times in 312 Posts Groans: 1 Groaned at 20 Times in 20 Posts Credits: 6,160,243	Bluck!!! Yet another gross visual!!! Poor wife! __________________ P.C. for Heinous B*tch Because two wrongs make a right.

06-19-2007, 05:57 PM	#2
P_chan アホ Join Date: May 2007 Location: The land of incest and wannabe Amish people! Posts: 15,687 My Mood: Thanks: 8,592 Thanked 6,216 Times in 3,927 Posts Groans: 1,018 Groaned at 882 Times in 772 Posts Credits: 1,663,815,255	Thats really interesting, I never knew that! Hmm me and my wife will have to try it!

06-24-2007, 02:02 PM	#10
Boost Rock Star Tournaments Won: 2 Join Date: May 2007 Location: U.S. -O- A Posts: 995 My Mood: Thanks: 28 Thanked 67 Times in 47 Posts Groans: 0 Groaned at 10 Times in 9 Posts Credits: 2,307,257	I used to really enjoy when the base newspaper would do an article on local hauntings around Halloween. Not that I ever wanted to see a ghost, just like to read about em. __________________ I went to a bookstore and asked the saleswoman, "Where's the self-help section?" She said if she told me, it would defeat the purpose.

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