[Goldfish Spells] Vol.3: Mysterious Legends of the Sea and Mountains Alive in Various Regions

Spells and beliefs related to goldfish were not limited to large cities like Edo, but spread to villages throughout Japan in unique forms.Adapting to the climate of each land and what they wanted to protect, goldfish sometimes became prophets and sometimes scapegoats, staying close to people's lives.

Silent Prophet Informing of Anomalies

In regions near the sea or areas prone to earthquakes, there has long been a custom of reading the movements of goldfish as "signs of nature". Seeing goldfish jumping violently on the water surface or staying still at the bottom, people tried to detect sudden changes in weather or shaking of the earth as quickly as possible.

Beyond scientific grounds, people trusted goldfish because they were living in "water", which is the place closest to the source of life.Capturing the flickering in a small bowl as a microcosm of great nature.Such a humble perspective existed naturally in rural life.Goldfish were quiet messengers who delivered the voices of nature that humans could not hear.

Scapegoat Red Taking Over Misfortune

Also, depending on the region, there remains a sad but warm legend that goldfish "take over the family's bad luck instead".When someone in the family fell ill, if a goldfish suddenly lost its life, it was thought that the goldfish took on the person's illness or bad luck and left on a journey.

Burying the goldfish that ended its life carefully in the soil and joining hands.That act was not just a superstition, but an expression of deep respect and gratitude for living things.Knowing that small lives are with us to protect our lives.That realization took root in the culture of cherishing goldfish throughout Japan.

Nobuyuki Yoshida "Goldfish Spring and Autumn Cultural History"(Nippon Animal Pharmaceutical, 2014): Records of goldfish traditions remaining in various parts of Japan and folklore episodes regarding disaster prediction.

"Dictionary of Japanese Folklore": Items related to faith in fish in each region and scapegoat beliefs.

Katsumi Suzuki "Goldfish and Japanese"(Kodansha Academic Paperback, 2019): Consideration of the role of goldfish in the spiritual life of Japanese people, not just for appreciation.