Shide (Shinto)

Shide (紙垂, 四手) are zigzag-shaped paper streamers, often seen attached to shimenawa or tamagushi, and used in Shinto rituals in Japan. A popular ritual is using a haraegushi, or "lightning wand", named for the zig-zag shide paper that adorns the wand.[1] A similar wand, used by miko for purification and blessing, is the gohei with two shide.[2] A Shinto priest waves the haraegushi over a person, item, or newly bought property, such as a building or a car. The wand is waved at a slow and rhythmic pace, but with a little force so that the shide strips make a rustling noise on each pass of the wand. For new properties, a similar ritual known as jijin sai is performed with a haraegushi, an enclosed part of the land (enclosed by shimenawa), and sake, or ritually purified sake known as o-miki.

For the poet, see Shide (disambiguation).
A Shinto shrine with shide made out of unprocessed hemp fibre.
Types of shide

The haraegushi has been used for centuries in Shinto ceremonies and has similarities in Ainu culture. In Ainu culture, a shaved willow branch called an inaw or inau closely resembles the Shinto haraegushi, and is used in similar blessing rituals.

References
  1. "Shrines: Shimenawa". Japan Guide. Retrieved 15 June 2021.
  2. "Shinto Symbols: The Meanings of the Most Common Symbols Seen in Japanese Shinto Shrines". Tsunagu Japan. Retrieved 15 June 2021.
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