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Ethnic Folklore Project proposal |
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Describe a project you would undertake to document and present a particular kind of ethnic folklore. Discuss the tradition as well as the medium of presentation you would use (Written report, CD, Video Document, Museum exhibit, etc.) Discuss the issues you would like the presentation to highlight and what pitfalls you foresee that would need to be avoided. One example of cross-cultural exchange in the realm of ghost stories is the presence of beliefs in Hawaii that are strikingly similar to Okinawan beliefs. Growing up in Hawai`i one is very familiar with the presence of the supernatural in the form of stories, and superstitious practiced by just about every ethnic group that comes to the islands. It has been said that a large part of this belief in the spirit realm comes from the various immigrant root cultures that found similarities with the Native Hawai`ian folklore. To the Okinawans, “Kami” refers to a supernatural element that embodies all things, in the form of deities, forces, or presences. It is a similar to the concept of “Mana” in Hawaiian tradition. Okinawan religion is shamanistic, with most holy persons being women, who perform certain rituals or rites, while the Hawaiians had Kahunas, or holy persons who practiced a number of different rites tapping into the power of the unknown. With reference to the supernatural, there is a sense of universal justice, or way of things, being a sort of Karma involved with one’s actions, especially in honoring one’s ancestors and the dead. Not surprisingly, there is a number of ghost folklore that has arisen and is passed on through the generations. A known talisman to ward off evil spirits is a jar of salt and a knife. Native Hawaiian superstition calls for a similar practice (rock salt and a Ki leaf). Further research in this area would focus on This project would analyze the cross-cultural adaptations of Okinawan folklore that has arisen due to the transmigrations of Uchinanchu from the Ryukyu island chain to Japan, Hawaii, and the Americas (US, Brazil) as well as the U.S. forces currently stationed in Okinawa. Although there are many different forms and styles of Okinawan folklore, an area in which I would like to focus on is in the realm of ghost stories. Okinawan religion can be described as animism (believing that all have a spirit, or living force in them), and shamanism (belief that some of these powers and spirits could be manipulated and channeled by a holy person, or shaman), holding a wide range of superstitions and beliefs in the spirit world, and the supernatural. The nature of small island societies and communities seems to reinforce these beliefs in the supernatural aspects of the land and nature, as the people living on a small island are solely dependent on the land for survival. Okinawa is an interesting place to study ghost stories as the civilization has a long history of folklore, and Okinawans have adapted a tradition of ancestor worship. Some have claimed that Uchina of Okinawa hold a sort of “sixth sense” being able to detect the presence of a spirit, and sometimes be able to communicate. Ghost stories are very prevalent in Okinawa even today. Although in recent times following the second world war, the introduction of Christianity has not caused the old demons and spirits of Okinawa’s ghost stories to disappear. Rather, they have evolved in existence and in translation as the newcomers to Okinawa, members and families of the United States military stationed there. There is a saying, that the spirits of the dead follow those who believe in them, even if they are never to return to their homeland. The Okinawans who traveled across the oceans to begin new lives in different countries brought along their ghosts and spirits; just as they followed the military back home to America. Background, Okinawa Okinawa is the southernmost prefecture of Japan, a string of islands located within 1,500 kilometers from Taipei, Shanghai, Tokyo, Seoul, as well as other major cities in Asia. Although today Okinawa is officially a prefecture under Japan, the island chain is in fact closer in distance to Taiwan and China than the main Japanese island of Kyushu. Formerly known as the Ryukyu kingdom, unified under Sho Hashi in 1429 the islands of Okinawa contain their own distinct culture, language, customs, and folklore. A special kind of Sake spirit called Awamori was brewed in the Ryukyus hailed as one of the finest in the world. Ryukyu martial arts such as Karate were imported to Japan where they are now integrated into the culture. Holding onto a long tradition as pacifists, the kingdom paid tribute to several of the Dynasties of China, Taiwan, and Korea as well as the warring Daimyos of Japan for over 400 years. The Ryukyus were claimed under the Satsuma clan in the southern Japanese island of Kyushu in the 1600s through which the Ryukyus paid a tributes to the Shogun in exchange for continued trading rights. During the isolationist period of Japanese history under the Tokugawa shogunate, the Satsuma clan allowed the Ryukyu king to stay in power, for the purposes of allowing both clans to benefit from the international trade that was allowed in the Ryukyus were not considered part of Japan. During the Meiji restoration the Ryukyu Kingdom lost its sovereignty when it was officially annexed by Japan in 1879, then served as a bloody battlefield for the United States in 1945 close to the end of the second World War. The battle itself was horrific, with Americans losing almost 50,000 soldiers in claiming a foothold to the Japanese empire. It is estimated that more than 94% of the buildings in Okinawa were destroyed, along with almost 2/3 of the civilian population. There are several sites on the main island that are connected with sad stories of the tremendous loss of life. Virgin’s cave is where a group of about 120 young nurse trainees were killed during the Allies mop-up efforts after the battle of Okinawa was won. Suicide Cliff is another site where the last defending group of Japanese soldier plummeted to their death rather than being captured. Although returned to Japan in 1972, Okinawa is still is home to about 75% of all US occupying forces in Japan. Okinawa remains a strategic military site for the United States in Asia. Cross-Cultural Exchange in Okinawa Thus much of modern 20th century culture and customs of Okinawa has been tied closely to the United States. An interesting story is that of the USS Owen, a cargo ship manned by 2nd generation Uchinanchu who had served in the US army during WWII from the west coast to Okinawa to deliver a shipment of pigs; the Okinawan pig population had been almost decimated during the battle, and many Okinawans were starving without their staple food. The voyage itself was a dangerous one, fighting typhoons, as well as remaining Japanese and US mines. The ship made it safely, with all but a few pigs surviving the trip. To this day there are descendents of those American pigs in the livestock of the island. From almost total destruction during WWII, the United States invested large amounts of resources and manpower in rebuilding the islands. As an ethnic group in America there can feasibly be two distinct groups of Uchinanchu, descendents of Okinawan immigrants from the turn of the century, as well as descendents of American Servicemen who stationed in Okinawa and brought home Okinawan wives. This cross-cultural exchange continues today as Okinawa is still home to US servicemen. There are a few places where Okinawan culture flourishes outside the Ryukyu Island chain: the Hawai`ian Islands, select cities in California, and areas of Brazil. The sojourners are called “Uchinanchu” and still hold strong ties to the mother country. In Hawaii Okinawan immigration began in 1900 and have developed into a distinct community within the melting pot of Hawaii. Okinawans make up a significant part of Hawaii’s population, in the US census Okinawans are included with the total “Japanese” population which is at about 30%, however there are distinct differences in the culture, language, and customs of Okinawa. Ryukyu Glass holds an interesting example of cross-cultural interaction. The art of glass work that thrived in Okinawa was destroyed during WWII, leaving the remaining artists with just about no material or means to continue the art. What resulted was the improvisation of using discarded coke bottles from the newly established US military bases as a supply for raw glass. This tradition continues today as the glass works of Okinawa continues. Ryukyu Pottery and Laquerware, Ryukyu Textiles Bingata, and Ryukyu weavings are rare, but still practiced. Festivals such as New Years, Dolls Day, Boys Festival, and O-bon Festival “Day of the Dead” are practiced very similarly as they are in Japan. Also included are festivals that are observed in groups from Chinese ancestry such as the Dragon Boat festival, and the Moon festival, many of which are practiced annually in Hawai`i. Many of the traditional Okinawan foods that continue to be enjoyed in the Uchinanchu generations are very similar to those of Japanese and Chinese ancestry, showing the influences by other cultures onto Okinawa. However some of the uniquely Okinawan foods include purple Okinawan sweet potatoes, fried andagi (Okinawan doughnuts), bitter melon, squash, and several pork dishes. Okinawan’s like to eat pork. So characteristic is the presence of pork, in the early plantation days in Hawai`i the Japanese children would make fun of the Okinawan children by saying “Okinawa ken, butta kau kau” a mix of Japanese and Hawai`ian translated as “Okinawans eat pork”. It might be argued that contemporary Hawaiian’s fascination with SPAM may come from the traditional palate of Uchinanchu, as well as other groups who came to Hawai`i who share similar tastes in meat. Okinawan culture has a series of traditional fairy tales that both hail from Japanese tradition, as well as uniquely Okinawa. One of the many customs practiced by members of Okinawan heritage revolve around the oral tradition of song, dance and poetry that is seen both in ancient traditions that continue today in popular “Uchina” music. Many Okinawan contemporary musicians have broken into the mainstream commercial music world in J-pop charts. Significant is that many of the traditional instruments have been retained, along with much of the native Okinawan style. Artists such as the Rinken Band, Champoloos, and Shouichi Kina have made international impressions. Particularly interesting was Kina’s “White ships of Peace” tour that came to the United States in the mid-90s, a musical tour with political implications referring back to the “Black ships of war” that brought Commadore Perry to Okinawa after opening Japan in 1858. Examples of Okinawan Superstitions and beliefs that have cross-cultural references: Kami, spirits Okinawan belief is that all things are alive, and have some sort of a life force, or spirit. This is very similar to the concept of “Mana” as seen in the Hawaiian islands. Kami are believed to exist in forests, groves, rocks, as well as living things such as people, or animals. This type of belief system has been termed by western standards as animism. “Choking Ghost” or pressing spirit The presence of a choking ghost, or pressing spirit is quite common and widespread in many cultures around the world. The classic example of an encounter with a choking ghost is one that occurs when the witness is sleeping. An entity or presence approaches a person while they are sleeping, and presses their chest, making it difficult for the sleeper to breathe. Upon realizing the discomfort, the sleeper attempts to rise, and realizes that they cannot move. As the now terrified person struggles, they also realizes that they are unable to call out for help, the weight of a person crushing them to their bed. Some people who have experienced this said that the choking experience is accompanied by the sound of breathing, or the apparition of a ghost in front of them, while others have described having a darkness over their eyes. The Japanese name for this spirit is the Kanashibari, in Scotish lore it is called the “Sitting Hag,” even in Judeo Christian traditions this choking spirit may be the presence of a demon such as Incubus or Succubus. Native Hawaiian superstition also describes a version of this spirit, that sometimes chokes the sleeper, sometimes walks on top of them. In Okinawan folklore this spirit is called kijimung, a spirit that is known to live in Indian banyan trees, and likes to pounce on people’s chests while they sleep. Superstition says that if one is visited by a kijimung, then you need to pound a nail into a nearby banyan tree to make it go away. Fireballs Another phenomenon that has been accredited to the supernatural is the presense of fireballs. Spirits can take the form of fireballs that fly through the air, especially associated with places that are presumed to be haunted by ghosts. Japanese call these apparitions Hinotama, and it a similar apparition also seen in Hawaiian belief. In Okinawa, these fireballs are called Fiidama. I have heard one modern western explanation has been suggested for this phenomenon, that they can be explained by pockets of phosphorus that accumulate in the graves due to the decaying corpse. Sites of spirit activity As the battle of Okinawa was a bloody one with severe amounts of destruction and loss of human life, there have been several stories told about the spirits from the war that still haunt the island today. Many of these stories refer to the sites of battle, and ghost stories have arisen from both the natives as well as American servicemen and their families. Noted is the reports of several empty apartment buildings and homes that are left vacant year round. No Okinawans will rent these places, no matter how reasonable the rent prices, and they usually are rented to foreigners such as Americans. These new occupants usually move out shortly when strange things start happening. Methodology proposal: Literature review Extensive research on the Ryukyus has been conducted by the University of Hawaii-Manoa in Honolulu. This has been done in joint with the University of the Ryukyus, with much exchange in the history, culture, language and traditions of Okinawa. Establishing a foundation for the religion and beliefs of Okinawa revolving the spirit world would create a good background for analyzing the cross-cultural adaptations of the ghost stories. Some of the problems anticipated in this area would be the fact that many of the resources and research done in this area are in Japanese, which presents a problem with translations. Yet another level of this possible obstacle is that some of this research is also done in Okinawan, a dialect that is similar, but very different than Japanese. Internet searches Utilizing the advances in information technology, there are a number of networks that have arisen on the world wide web keeping former residents (mostly US military) in touch with loved ones and friends regardless of where they call home. Occasionally in the newgroup postings or personal webpages, there is mention of supernatural occurrences that happened in Okinawa. With issues of validity in internet sources, this area of research would have to be used for finding starting points of possible recourses rather than actual references. On site research If time permits, embarking on a trip to Okinawa for on-site research would be ideal, to explore the actual existence of ghost stories in present day. Locating resources on ghost stories in the community would be the key. The military bases I Okinawa are scattered all over the island, gathering the perspective of ghost stories on the base culture would also be another good place to start with the American perspective. In Hawaii a famous ghost story teller is Glen Grant of Tokai University and the University of Hawaii-Manoa. He has specialized in the ethnic folklore of the Hawaiian islands with specific interest in the areas of ghost stories. He has already noted and studied the large presence and influence of the various cultures that immigrated to Hawaii to the already established Hawaiian superstitions. He has already published several compilations of ghost stories collected from the islands, as well as conducting ghost tours of Honolulu and Waikiki aboard a ghost trolley in the middle of the night. Also in Hawaii are the various Okinawan community centers and organizations that focus on the traditions and cultures of Okinawa. Various temples, sacred sites, shrines, are still standing, as well as many of the famous haunted sites both in the outskirts of the cities as well as in the countryside. Work with the local cultural boards and universities should provide more information about the ghost stories of Okinawa, as well as the local villages. Of course issues of language and organizing a field study would prove to be problematic in itself. Presentation The final presentation of the finding sin this research project would attempt to track the adaptation and transferring of Okinawan folklore in the form of ghost stories. This would probably be done in the form of a written report contrasting three major perspectives: American sojourners who had spent time living and working in Okinawa, American Uchinanchu in Hawaii and the Mainland, decendents of Okinawan immigrants, and present day Okinawans, and to compare these stories with Okinawa’s past, traditional ghost stories and folklore. If possible, it might be interesting to get the actual recordings of stories be told from the different perspectives provided that a representative story teller could be located in each area. |