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'K, now that my internets are back on, here is what the good and deserving Alhandra has recommended...
Kojiki (The Record of Ancient Matters) -- I have this. My translation, which is the Basil Hall Chamberlain, and I *think* is the most recent, dates from 1882. O_O Amusingly, all of the "naughty bits" are translated in Latin, so that only proper scholars can read them. *wry grin*
Nihongi -- I don't have this, and need to get around to getting it.
Secondary Texts:
Shinto: the Kami Way by Sokyo Ono. If a person can get only one book, this is probably the one to get. It's a good and fairly straightforward overview of all aspects of the religion.
The Meaning of Shinto by J.W.T. Mason. This would be the second book to get -- in terms of understanding Shinto as a whole, and its general philosophy.
Shinto Norito: A Book of Prayers by Ann Llewellyn Evans. This book is a translation of the prayers used at Tsubaki Grand Shrine of America. They can definitely be used at home. Really cool -- it has the kana and romaji on one page, and the English translation opposite. So you can read the romaji even if you can't read the kana, and say the prayers as they are intended, and also know what the prayers mean. The proper vibration of the words is important to the faith, so using the romaji is important if you can't read Japanese.
Norito: A Translation of the Ancient Japanese Ritual Prayers by Donald L. Philippi. I don't like this one quite as well as the other. It's a chunkier read, and it doesn't have the Japanese alongside.
A Year in the Life of a Shinto Shrine by John K. Nelson. Describes the workings of Suwa Shrine throughout an approximate year, through the eyes of a non-native who observed and participated in the shrine's celebrations during that time. This is a great read. It's more about people and sort of day-to-day stuff than the underlying philosophies, though those can be found in it as well.
I also have A Popular Dictionary of Shinto by Brian Bocking, though I haven't needed it too terribly much.
To Be Continued...
(She also linked some websites. I'll come back and post those when I can be bothered doing all the href= stuff.) |
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