Tennin: The Japanese Celestial Beings
Tennin is a terminology that means “Heavenly Beings” or “People of Heaven.” These beings are considered servants of the Devas in Japanese mythology.
Who Are The Tennin?
Many legends about these winged creatures originated in India, having their belief spread throughout much of Asia, and incorporated into some religions, including Japanese Buddhism.
The same type of beings exists in Greek mythology as nymphs.
These celestials inhabit the Buddhist sky as Buddha companions and enlightened beings; however, some legends portray the Tennins as solitary creatures living in mountain peaks.
Many pilgrims have already climbed high mountains in an attempt to find these sacred beings.
According to myth, the Tennin is divided into several classes: “Tenshi” (Angels), “Ten no tsukai” (Heavenly Messengers), and the “Tennyo” (Heavenly Maidens).
These spiritual beings found in Japanese culture are very similar to what we know as Western angels, nymphs, or fairies.
Tales about the “people of heaven” are part of the ancient popular narratives of Japan, known as “Mukashi banashi” (Ancient Japanese Narratives).
Tennin: Origins of the Legend
According to ancient records, these beautiful, winged creatures were imported from Chinese Buddhism, influenced by the concepts of celestial beings found in Taoism and Indian Buddhism.
Tennin is mentioned in Buddhist sutras, and their descriptions form the basis for performances in Japanese art, paintings, sculptures, and plays.
According to belief, Tennin is a more powerful creature with more extended longevity than humans and other celestial beings, such as the “Yaksha” (class of spirits of nature responsible for maintaining the roots of trees and natural treasures hidden in the earth).
The Tennin and Their Many Myths
The “Tennyo” (heavenly maidens) are portrayed as beautiful women wearing colorful kimonos perfectly adorned with exquisite jewelry and scarves fluttering around their bodies. In addition, they usually carry lotus flowers symbolizing spiritual purity or musical instruments, such as the “Biwa” (traditional Japanese string instrument) and the flute. Although all Tennin is able to fly, in the case of tennyo, many legends say that this ability is due to their clothing; they cannot fly without their kimonos called “Hagoromo” (a suit made of sacred feathers).
Many legends about celestial beings remain to this day.
The most famous is Kaguya Hime, “The Princess of the Moon,” dating from the tenth century.
The old tale tells the story of an old bamboo cutter who one day finds a little girl inside a bud without knowing that she was, in fact, a princess of the Moon.
Kaguya Hime grew very fast, and every day looked more beautiful. No one could believe that such a beautiful person belonged to this world. The girl had the purity of an angelic face, unmatched in the whole world. Her presence illuminated the house with an intense light that left no corner in the dim light. Finally, however, Kaguya, one day, wearing a Hagoromo (sacred mantle of feathers), returned to her kingdom of the Moon.
Hagoromo: The Sacred Mantle
This is an ancient legend about “Hagoromo,” the mantle of feathers of the heavenly maidens, the “Tennyos.”
Once upon a time, in a bygone era, a young fisherman from the village of Miho named Hakuryo.
Young Hakuryo always went out to try his luck in sand fishing near the Miho-no-Matsubara pine forests.
There he was very accustomed to the dazzling scenery of the white sandy beach surrounded by magnificent pine forest.
But that morning, the view of the Fujisan (Mount Fuji) rising above the bay’s waters was especially beautiful. Coming out of nowhere, an exquisite perfume filled the air.
The perfume called Hakuryo in the direction of the trees, and next to one of the Matsu pines, tapping softly in the breeze, a mantle hung, different from anything he had ever seen.
“How beautiful,” said the fisherman to himself. “I’ll take it home.”
As he picked up the mantle, he heard a sweet and melodious voice.
“That mantle belongs to me.”
The Beauty of the Sky People
Hakuryo, surprised, turned and came across a beautiful woman coming out of the shade of the tree.
“I am a maiden of heaven; I am one of the Sky People. My mantle of feathers is of no use to you. Please return him to me, for I cannot return to heaven without him.”
Hakuryo was shocked to think that he had one of the Divine mantles in his hands, but once he saw the expression of suffering in the maiden, he decided to return the precious mantle.
“I’m going to give it back, but first, dance for me, the Dance of Heaven.”
The heavenly maiden felt great relief and agreed with the fisherman’s terms but said, “I cannot dance without my mantle. Give it back to me first.”
Hakuryo was nervous. “If I give the Mantle of Feathers first, you will return to Heaven!”
The young woman looked at the man sharply and said, “Lies and deceptions are human creations. They do not exist in the World Above.
Hakuryo felt ashamed of those words and spread his cloak with trembling hands.
The heavenly maiden wrapped herself in her cloak of feathers, and her sleeves began to flutter, vibrating, then she began a soft, elegant dance. But once more, the scent of the perfume of roses filled the air, and with it, I saw the sound of whistles and drums.
Stunned by such beauty, Hakuryo watched in admiration as the maiden spun and spun. Finally, her delicate feet stopped touching the sand, rising in the air more and more, the white feathers of her cloak gleaming until she finally disappeared into the mists of the waters around the Fujisan; she was finally ascending to heaven.
The Tennins and the Apsaras
Apsaras are known as vidhya dhari or tep apsar in Khmer, achara (Pali) or bo sa la tu (Vietnamese), bidadari (Indonesian and Malay), biraddali (tausug), hapsari / apsari or widadari / widyadari (Javanese). ) and aapson (Thai). English translations of the word “Apsara” include “nymph,” “celestial nymph,” and “celestial maiden.”
In Indian mythology, apsaras are beautiful and supernatural female beings. They are young and elegant and superb in the art of dancing. They are frequently wives of the Gandharvas, the court musicians of the God Indra. Thus, they are also known as sky dancers.
They dance to music made by the Gandharvas, usually in the gods’ palaces, entertain, and sometimes seduce gods and men.
As ethereal beings who inhabit the heavens and are frequently portrayed in flight, or the service of a god, they can be compared to angels.
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