I've noticed while trekking through Minakami Village that these curious white dolls can be found adorning various locations. The local residents refer to them quite simply as "twin dolls," derived from the fact that they come in pairs, bound together by a crimson thread.
The practice of decorating spaces with dolls can be found all throughout Japan. Many of them are placed for purposes such as warding off misfortune, or to ensure that children grow up well.
In the case of Minakami Village, these twin dolls appear to function as guardian deities for the former use case, keeping calamities at bay.
Although by design these dolls are supposed to come in pairs, I've seen some cases of them appearing "alone." According to Ryozo, it's something of a mischievous pastime among the village children to snatch one of these twin dolls and hide it somewhere.
He would know - when he tried to do the same thing during his previous visit, he got scolded, a fact he admitted to with no small amount of sheepishness.
Anyway, the twin dolls themselves are believed to hold the thoughts and feelings of the sacrificial twin maidens. Separating them is believed to invite misfortune. Yet, children being who they are, the fact that it's forbidden is likely precisely why they've turned it into a game.
Twin Doll Findings
 This page contains spoilers for a recent release. |
Twin Doll Findings | |
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| Kanji | 双子人形について⛓ ふたごにんぎょうについて |
| Game | Crimson Butterfly Remake |
| Author | Seijiro Makabe |
| Chapter | Chapter 2: The Twin Maidens |
| Located at | Tachibana House - Back |
| Obtained | On the ground |
| Description | Written remarks from a folklore scholar who came to study Minakami Village, talking about his research on the village's ubiquitous twin dolls. |
| Related Notes | |
皆神村のあちこちで、白い人形が飾られている
のを見かけた。
これは双子人形と呼ばれ、二つで一組らしく紅い
紐で結ばれている。
人形を飾る風習は日本の各地で見られる。
多くは厄除けや、子どもの成長を願って飾られる
ものだ。
皆神村では、双子人形を災厄からの守り神として
飾る風習があるようだ。
二つで一組のはずが、一体だけ置かれている人
形を見かけた。
宗方曰く、子どもたちの間で双子人形の片方を
隠して探す遊びが流行っていたという。
幼い頃にこの村に訪れた宗方は、その遊びをまね
て怒られたことがあると、ばつが悪そうに話してい
た。
双子人形には、いにしえの双子巫女の想いが
宿っていると信じられている。
離すと不吉なことが起きるとされるようだが、禁じ
られるからこそ、子どもはそのような遊びをしてし
まうのだろう。