The Ryukyuan religion (琉球信仰), Ryūkyū Shintō (琉球神道), Nirai Kanai Shinkō (ニライカナイ信仰), or Utaki Shinkō (御嶽信仰) is the indigenous belief system of the Ryukyu Islands.
While specific legends and traditions may vary slightly from place to place and island to island, the Ryukyuan religion is generally characterized by ancestor worship and the respecting of relationships between the living, the dead, and the gods and spirits of the natural world.
Some of its beliefs, such as those concerning genius loci spirits and many other beings classified between gods and humans, are indicative of its ancient animistic roots, as is its concern with mabui (まぶい), or life essence.
Over time, Ryukyuan religious practice has been influenced by Japanese Shinto, Buddhism, Confucianism, and Taoism.[1] It has also been shaped by other Chinese religions (White Lotus, Chinese Manichaeism, and folk beliefs), along with Christianity.[citation needed] One of its most ancient features is the belief in onarigami (おなり神), the spiritual superiority of women derived from Amamikyu, which allowed for the development of a noro (priestess) system and a significant following for yuta (female mediums or shamans).
- ^ Bollinger, Edward E. (1969). "The Unity of Government and Religion in the Ryukyu Islands to 1,500 AD". Contemporary Religions in Japan. 10: 1–2, 24 – via Nanzan Institute for Religion and Culture.