Five Gods Shrines
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These five Shinto shrines each represented one of the Five Gods worshipped in the Himuro Mountain area. Each shrine also housed one of the Mirrors of the Five Gods. It was believed in the Himuro Mountain area that these mirrors were left behind by the Five Gods as a means of protection.[1]
Even after the Calamity occurred in 1837, these shrines continued to function without interruption. In 1986, all five of the holy mirrors located in these five shrines were destroyed in a great earthquake.[2]
Ceremonial Roles
Every 10 years, the five holy mirrors (not to be confused with the "True" Holy Mirror) housed in these shrines would be gathered in an unspecified shrine to fend off a huge disaster in a ritual known as the Five Gods Festival.[2] During the Strangling Ritual, the ropes that bound the Rope Shrine Maiden's limbs were pulled in the directions these five shrines were located on, in which Himuro Mansion was centered.[3] In other words, the five shrines were laid out in a five-pointed star fashion around Himuro Mansion. This placement is also reflected in the sliding stone puzzles around the mansion, where the stone carvings represent the five mirrors.[4]
Notable Visitors
Also Known As
- Five-Pedestal Shrine[3]
Misc. Info
- The shrines of the Five Gods and the Mirrors of the Five Gods have been around for centuries.[2]
- These shrines are only mentioned in Fatal Frame, and are never shown.
- Junsei Takamine believed that the Mirrors of the Five Gods in these five shrines "watched over" the True Holy Mirror and they shattered as a warning that the seal on the Hell Gate was broken.[5]