lecture on Japanese mythology at Sophia University
Scheid, Bernhard
Dear list,
please allow me to make a personal announcement: Next Thursday, April 16, I have the honor to give a talk at Sophia University, entitled:
Deities of Heaven, deities of Earth, and foreignness in Japanese origin myths
Date: April 16, 2026
Time: 18:00–19:30 (Japanese Time)
Venue: Room 301, 3F, Building 10, Sophia University
Organizer: Prof. Bettina Gramlich-Oka, Institute of Comparative Culture
Further details: https://www.icc-sophia.com/post/deities-of-heaven-deities-of-earth-and-foreignness-in-japanese-origin-myths
Unfortunately, the format is in person only but anyone in or near Tokyo is heartly invited to participate.
Abstract: This talk is part of a current book project of mine dealing from various angles with the relationship of Japanese mythology and Shinto. In my talk, I will focus on apparent continental influences in the origin stories of the Tennō dynasty. In the mythical episodes of the official chronicles (Kojiki and Nihon shoki), a well-known implicit hierarchy exists between “heavenly” and “earthly” deities (rulers). I will demonstrate that, in this case, “Heaven” can be read as a cipher for the continent, thus favoring rulers of foreign origin. However, in the subsequent “historical” episodes following the inception of Tennō rule, foreigners are no longer associated with heavenly origins, but rather with specific and frequently hostile neighboring countries. In this context, although foreignness is still associated with an advanced culture, it becomes an obstacle to entry into the ruling circles. I will argue that this double standard regarding foreignness in the annals was a novel feature of Japanese mythology originating from narratological strategies in the context of early state formation.
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Dr. Bernhard Scheid
Austrian Academy of Sciences
Institute for the Cultural and Intellectual History of Asia (IKGA)
Office: Georg-Coch-Platz 2, 4 floor, 1010 Vienna, Austria
Post address: Dr.-Ignaz-Seipel-Platz 2, 1010 Vienna, Austria
Tel: +43-1-51581-6424
Internet: www.oeaw.ac.at/ikga