19/10/2023
Shinigami from Japanese folklore.
To start, in Western belief, the Grim Reaper is regarded as a terrifying being and is the personification of Death itself. In Japanese folklore, on the other hand, death is seen less as an individual, and more as a part of the natural cycle of life . Thus, the Shinigami are regarded as agents who facilitate the smooth running of this cycle.
In one tale, a man who is fed up with his life prepares to commit su***de. Before he could do so, however, he is visited by a Shinigami, who tells him that his time has not yet come. The Shinigami also explains that each life is measured on a candle, and once the flame burns out, the person dies. To stop the man from committing su***de, the Shinigami tells him an easy way to make money.The man is told that he could pretend to be a doctor who could cure any form of disease. By speaking some magic words, a Shinigami can be forced back into the Underworld, thus lengthening a personโs life. The man is also informed that this would only work if the Shinigami is sitting at the foot of the bed. If the Shinigami is sitting at the head of the bed, however, it means that the sick person must die. One day, the man is called to a house to cure someone. When he enters, he sees that the Shinigami is sitting on the head of patientโs bed, indicating that death was certain. The family offers him a large amount of money to cure them. Consumed by greed, the man decides to take a risk, and when the Shinigami dozes off, he quickly switches the orientation of the patientโs bed, thus saving his/her life. The Shinigami is obviously unhappy with what he did, and when the man reaches home, the Shinigami suggests that they go out for a drink to celebrate his earnings. The man falls for the trick, and the Shinigami brings him to a building that is filled with candles. The Shinigami then shows the man his candle, which is nearly burnt our for what he did. The man is then offered a chance to extend his life by transferring the wick and wax of his candle to anotherโs. The man fails in this attempt, as he drops his candle and dies.
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