Father's Day with We're All Stories

Thi is a transcript for the We're All Stories Podcast. The full episode can be heard in all its glory here: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1685008/8721961

We are taking a break from La Chanson de Roland to take some time to honour our fathers with stories about fathers from around the world.

Our first story is pretty well known, it comes from the Bible, Luke chapter 15 to be exact. Most of you have likely heard it but here goes:

The story of the prodigal son. Once there was a wealthy man with two sons who would inherit all his wealth when he was gone. The younger son asked for his share of the inheritance now so he could make his own way. The father conceded and the son left him to do his own thing. The son lived lavishly, spent freely and partied hard.

One day famine struck and the son found his money was gone. With nothing left he found work feeding the pigs of a nearby farmer. He sees the pigs are eating better than him and he is so hungry that those slops the pigs are eating are starting to look like a feast.

He starts reminiscing about home, thinking to himself that even the servants in his father's household have all they can eat and more. He decides to pack up and move back home, begging his father for a job as a servant because he is no longer worthy to be called his son.

The boy sets off and while he is still a ways off, his father sees him in the distance and the old man runs full speed to meet him, weeping and throwing his arms around his lost son. The son starts to give the speech he had prepared about how he had erred and was no longer worthy of being called his fathers son and is about to beg to be hired on as a servant when he is interrupted by his father calling for his servants to bring the finest robe he has to clothe his wayward son, rings for his fingers and sandals for his feet. He calls for the fatted calf to be slaughtered and prepared for a feast to celebrate his son returning home.

The other son, seeing this becomes angry, he had stayed at home and was the good son but he never got any parties like this. The old father goes out to him to ask him to join in the celebration. When the elder son tells his father why he is boycotting the party, his father replies: "...you are always with me and all I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found." Though the younger son had hurt his father by leaving as he did, the father forgave him and welcomed him back home again with open arms. He did not love thw older son any less, he was just ecstatic that his younger son had returned.

The next tale is from Jewish tradition and is called the story of the Half Blanket.

Once there was a wealthy man. He had one son whom he loved dearly and cherished every moment of watching his son grow up, teaching him the art of his business, seeing him grow to a man right before his eyes with fatherly pride.

One day, when the father was quite old, he decided to retire. He gives over the business andball he owned to his son, trusting that, just as he had provided for the boy, his son would care for him. The son was thrilled. He thanked his father profusely and took over the business.

The son cared for his father and honoured him. At the end of every day he would come home and tell his father all that had happened, keeping him updated on how the business was going and listening to his father's advice.

As time went on, the son talked to his father less and less. He grew angry whenever his father tried to offer him advice saying he knew what he was doimg and how no use for the thoughts of an old man. This went on until one day the son says look, i don't need your advice and i already own everything you had so i really have no use for you. It is time for you to go. The father at this point is quitw old and feeble and can no longer care for himself. He asks his son 'where should i go?' He is too old and feeble to make his own way in the world. The son only responds by saying he had better be gone by morning or he will have the man thrown out.

So the old man left and took to begging. One especially cold day, the old man happened to notice his grandson playing in thw yard and begged the boy for a blanket so he would not freeze to death. The little boy runs to his father and tells him about the old beggar who claims to be his grandfather and asks his dad for a blanket to give his so he will not freeze.

The man says fine, whatever. And tells the boy to get that one old, motheaten blanket from the attic to the beggar. The boy thanks him and runs up to do as he was told.

After a while, when the boy had still not returned from his errand in the attic, the man went up to check on him. He saw the boy with a knife, struggling to cut the blanket in half. He asks the child what the heck are you doing? His young son replies he is cutting the blanket in half so he can give half the blanket to the poor old beggar and keep the other half to give his own father when he is old and forced to beg.

Moved, the man rushed out to where thebold man was waiting he hugs him and says:

"“Forgive me, my father, for what I have done to you. You deserve my gratitude and honor for what you have done for me all these years. I have forgotten the honor that you deserve. Please come in and be in your home once again,”

The old man forgives him and follows his son into the house.

That night, the old man is sitting, warming himself by the fire. His grandson comes over, holding the two halves of the blanket. The child climbs on to his grandfather's lap. The old man takes the pieces of blanket and lays one across his lap to keep himself warm while he wraps the child up in the other. He holds his grandson close and tells him stories until the boy falls asleep. This Is how it was all the rest of the days of the old man's life.

My final story comes from Japan and tells of the perils of disobeying your parents.

A long time ago in Nara, Japan there was a man named Koma no Yukimitsu. He was a dancer devoted to the Kasuga Shrine. He had learned the Katen dance from his father when he was a boy of fifteen. He had listened well to his father, honouring him as he danced for the god of the Shrine in his father's stead.

One day, Yukimitsu fell terribly ill. His breathing was laboured, each breath harder than the last until breath ceased.

The boy was taken to the palace of Emma, the lord of hell. When he arrived there, a majestic looking man came in and declared that the boy had served him well since he was a child and asked for his release. Emma accented and released the boy's spirit to the resplendent gentleman.

As they were leaving the boy thanks the man and asks who he is. The man replies that he is the god of Kasuga Shrine, the same deity whom the boy had been dancing for all these years. On their way back to the mortal realm, the god asks the boy if he would like to stop and see hell before they returned, to which the boy responded 'yes please!'

He goes with the god for a tour of hell. He witnesses so much pain, suffering and torture that he can take no more. He begs the god to tell him how this place can be avoided. The god replies: "Be good to your mother and father! ...That's the highest virtue. If you cultivate it, you won't fall into hell."

Whether Yukimitsu was real or not, Kasuga Taisha (shrine) is a real place on Nara, Japan. It was originally built in 768 but has been rebuilt many times over the years. It and the surrounding deer park are a unesco world heritage site. It is famous for its lanterns, over three thousand Stone lanterns leading up to the shrine, then inside are fabulous bronze lanterns.

These inner lanterns are donated by individual people and families. Their names and the name of the kami they are an offering to can be seen written on them.

These lanterns are only lit twice a year for lantern festivals. The first is setsubun mantoro. Mantoro is made up os the kanji 'man' meaning ten thousand and 'toro' meaning lantern. So mantoro means literally ten thousand lanterns Setsubun is from the kanji setsu meaning season and bun meaning division. This is the last day of the old season and is a celebration of the new one to come. Setsubun now typically refers to the transition into risshu or spring on February third.

The second mantoro is chugen mantoro celebrated on august 14 and 15. The lanterns are lit in honour of Obon, the ghost featival or festival of the dead. During this time, the souls of the departed return to visit their families. Traditionally lanterns are lit, including those at the kasuga shrine to illuminate the way for the dead and provide a guiding light to help rhem fimd their families. This day is also recognized by the traditional bugaku dance and courtly music. The second day of the festival, lanterns are agaim lit to help the spirits find their way back to the spirit world. For this day, the shinto ritual kagura dance is performed.

The Shrine is devoted to four Shinto Kami, (divine spirits) Ame no Koyane, Himegami, Futsunushi no Mikoto and Takemikazuchi no Mikoto.

During the Asuka Period (6th cen) Buddhism makes its way to Japan from China. Up til then, the Japanese had only followed the Shinto religion. When they heard the teachings of buddhism they accept both religions as true. Many shrines are linked to both Shinto and Buddhist deities. This is referred to as Shinbutsu-Shugo, or the syncretism of Kami and Buddha. Syncretism is a merging of different religions or philosophies.

Kasuga Taisha at some point becomes devoted to a great spirit called Kasuga-Daimyojin (Daimyojin literally means a great spirit) this combines the kami of the shrine into one great spirit as well as their Buddhist counterparts. Later, a fifth spirit, Ame no Oshikumone, said to be the child of Ame no Koyane and Himegami.

Syncretism was the way of life in Japan until the end of the 19th century when the Meiji government passed laws allowing a separation of shinto kami from buddhist buddha.

i made mention earlier that there was a deer park linked to the shrine. So what is up with that? Well according to Shinto, deer are considered sacred messengers of the kami. So this sacred forest was set aside as a preserve where these messengers of the gods are free to wander.

In fact, this shrine when it was originally built in 768 was to honour Takemikazuchi when he rode to the top of Mount Mikasa, being borne there on the back of a white deer. It is said that this Kami rode there from Kashima Jingu Shrine in Ibaraki in the Kanto region of northern Japan. He travels there to be protector of Nara. He becomes the first kami of Kasuga Shrine.

Takemikazuchi is a god of thunder and of swords and martial arts. He is also said to be the inventor of sumo wrestling. The first sumo match is said to have been between Takemikazuchi and the kami Takeminakata to decide who would rule Japan in Izumo. Takemikazuchi easily wins and takes control of Izuma. This story is recounted in a Kojiki (account of ancient matters) scroll dated to 712. These scrolls were collection of the oral traditions including genealogies, historic and semi historic events as well as myths and legends, set to paper and recorded for the first time in writing. Similar to what we see with the sagas and eddas of scandinavia and the chansons of the french.

Remember to respect and honour your fathers and father figures. And to all of you fathers out there, have a happy father's day!