Culture and Cosmos is a peer-reviewed academic journal in the history of
astrology and cultural astronomy published by the
Sophia Centre Press in
partnership with the Sophia
Centre for the Study of Cosmology in Culture, Faculty of Humanitiies and the
Performing Arts, at the University
of Wales Trinity Saint David
We are currently seeking submissions for future volumes of Culture and Cosmos.
We are currently seeking submissions for future volumes of Culture and Cosmos.
Volume 10
The Imperial Shrines of Ise: An Ancient Star Cult?
Mark Teeuwen
Abstract
Japan's ancient imperial cult has consistently been understood to revolve around the figure of the sun-goddess and imperial ancestor Amaterasu. The symbolism of Amaterasu's shrine in Ise has been interpreted on the basis of this same premise. There is, however, one dissenting voice: the work of Yoshino Hiroko, who argues that behind the solar façade, imperial worship of Ise reflected an ancient star cult of Chinese origin. This paper finds arguments both for and against this daring hypothesis.
