#shiisaa

Race: Holy

Arcana: Hierophant

Alignment: Light-Neutral

August 5th, 2024

Okinawa's culture is utterly fascinating for several reasons. As a rather out of the way and small island, being separated from mainland Japan by miles of ocean, the largest Ryukyu island of the Kyushu region is almost like a completely different world from most prefectures people are familiar with in Japan's cluster. The island is completely separate from the rest of Japan, and its humid and temperate climate completely contrasts with the generally dry winters and sweaty summers that the mainland experiences. This, along with the rest of its separation, has given way to a community which bolsters tradition and values legend, and the most standout example of this has to be today's Demon of the Day, the godlike guard dog, Shisa.

The concept of a Shisa can be traced back to roughly the 14th century, deriving from the Chinese Guardian Lions likely brought over as a result of immigration attempts from China at the time. However, as time went on, Shisa began to overtake the lion statues, being a separate, unique spin on the Chinese concept that the Okinawan people adapted into their own. However, this deviation wasn't one very far removed from the original concept- while Shisa and Guardian Lions have several differences, they both invoke the same things- good will, good spirits, and protection from evil. In effect, the Shisa were like a remix of the traditional lions in China, as the original idea was changed into a new form to fit with Ryukyu's sunny skies.

Shisa are observed all over the place in Okinawa, and they traditionally come in pairs of two, placed to either side of the building they are protecting- the one on the left traditionally has its mouth closed, and the one on the right has its mouth open, representing keeping good spirits in and warding them off respectively. Similarly to the lions, both Shisa also have separate genders, though this seems to change with different interpretations. For the most part, one is male and the other is female, though which Shisa is which gender and why often changes from place to place. It's generally agreed that the left one with the closed mouth is female, and the right one with the open mouth is male, but sometimes it's vice versa- it really just depends on who you ask. Often, though, the gender doesn't even matter- it's really just a way to distinguish each Shisa from the other past the obviously differing poses.

History's bearing on myths has given light to some very fascinating ideas regarding Shisa, though, particularly in the stories regarding them. For the most part, befitting their name as guardian deities, the myths relating to the Shisa are about, what else, but protecting the weak from danger, or otherwise saving people in times of need. One such example of this is in a story relating to a small seaside village in the Okinawa islands, one that had been under constant attack by a dragon. Several people had perished, their crops had been stolen, and they were desperate for a savior- that is, until the king of Ryukyu paid them a visit, with the necklace holding the image of a Shisa.

Curiously tying into history, the amulet had actually been a gift from a Chinese diplomat, likely being a Guardian Lion originally. While the king had only taken it due to finding it charming, it became a vital aspect of survival when, yet again, the dragon attacked. Terrified, a priestess nearby granted with a prophetic dream- to raise a necklace to the heavens- begged the king to do just that, and when he did, lightning struck... him. Worry not, though, dear reader- the lightning had stricken the amulet, bringing to life none other than the Shisa itself. The Shisa defeated the dragon by crushing its tail under a boulder before leaving it to die, and as it would do just that, a forest would sprout from its corpse.

Here's Atsushi's OC, Lion. A peculiar servant bound to the temple, he may secretly have another form…

(Hidden Shiisaa in image, guardian lions for the win)

This piece was done in my special art style, inspired by Kazuma Kaneko. Kaneko is the artist behind old-school Persona and Shin Megami Tensei.

I drew this for Art Fight 2024, an online OC art trade event that takes place through the month of July.

2022.11 壺屋

Haisai, gusuuyoo. I hope everyone is safe and doing well. I teamed up with Nami Oshiro, a fantastic Shimanchu American artist based in Virginia, to create the first three items in an ongoing effort to raise funds for independent Shimakutuba practitioners and projects.

Many Shimanchu creators and educators are doing the work on their own time and out of their own pockets, so I'm hoping that this (and future fundraisers) can be a small show of support and gratitude.

This 3" sticker, 2.25" button, and 1.25" acrylic pin set features a Ramones logo-inspired design with an open-mouth shiisaa symbolizing the sharing of good things, i.e. our indigenous languages. There are several distinct languages throughout the Ryūkyū Islands (all of which are endangered), so we decided to go with the six regions recognized by UNESCO: Amami, Kunjan (Kunigami), Uchinaa (Okinawa), Myaaku (Miyako), Yaima (Yaeyama), Dunan (Yonaguni).

Please visit the Ko‑fi shop today! All proceeds (minus item production costs and shipping fees) will be donated to individuals/groups and I'll post receipts once the donations are made.

P.S. I'm still selling items through the Shimanchu Dushi-nu-chaa Online Sale, if you're interested in combining shipping.

Shiisaa illustration by Nami Oshiro