民間巫者の思想・言説から見る現代沖縄の先祖観の諸相 : 先祖イメージの変容と都市シャーマニズム研究への布石

Based on an analysis of interviews conducted with yuta shamans, this paper considers the changing perception of ancestors in Okinawa. In earlier studies of Okinawan society and religion it was held that people regard mainly their genealogically distant patrilineal and male lineage ancestors as their actual ancestors, not their direct parents or grandparents. These studies also showed that ancestors in Okinawa were thought to possess special powers which could deeply influence their descendants, such as granting protection to them./However, rapid social change has occurred in Okinawa since the island reverted back to Japan in 1972. This paper discusses how views of ancestors have changed in response to these social changes. As the result of my research, the following two conclusions can be drawn: first, most people identify their deceased parents, grandparents, or people they had been close to in life as their ancestors, and not exclusively their patrilineal or male lineage ancestors. Second, in contemporary Okinawa, ancestors are not necessarily thought to have special powers. These changes in the way ancestors are viewed were caused by a process of individualization, something which has occurred in modern societies around the world. I think these conclusions raise the need to reconsider Okinawan society and religion./This paper also considers the modern forms of shamanic séances found in Okinawa. As shamans have been concerned mainly with ancestor worship, changing views of ancestors necessarily have a major impact on how shamanic séances are performed. In fact, the forms of shamanic séances this paper discusses are quite different from the ones previously practiced and described in the earlier studies.論文/Article