I found this line of jizo statues, those guardian statues often seen along roads, standing adjacent to one another. One of them struck me as a little odd: a jizo comprised of a pair of twins.
Luckily, while scouring through what literature still survives on this estate, I found some documentation on this jizo statue. Or should I say, statues.
This region of Japan has a unique culture that specially venerates twins, including a ritual that they carry out themselves.
Once this ritual is complete, a new twin jizo statue is carved out somewhere in the village.
The ritual in question used to take place on a cyclical basis once every few decades, and the sheer number of twin statues indicates this practice has gone on for quite a long time.
Strangely, all of the twin jizo statues that I've managed to find in the village are damaged, with one of the individuals in each statue being completely headless.
In some cases it even looks like only one of those heads was ever carved in the first place.
Maybe there's no particular significance to what I'm seeing, but it sure is eerie to look at regardless.
I'm getting the feeling that maybe it wasn't a good idea for me to leave Miyako behind.
As for the specifics of what went on with these twin-based rituals, unfortunately, I haven't been able to uncover any detailed explanations.
Regardless, I need to find a way for us to get out of this village, ASAP.
Village Report 1 (FF2R)
 This page contains spoilers for a recent release. |
For the version of this note that appears in Fatal Frame II, see Village Report 1 (FF2).- For the version of this note that appears in Deep Crimson Butterfly, see Village Survey Notes 1.
Village Report 1 | |
| |
| Kanji | 村の調査記録 一 むらのちょうさきろく いち |
| Game | Crimson Butterfly Remake |
| Author | Masumi Makimura |
| Chapter | Chapter 2: The Twin Maidens |
| Located at | Fork in the Road |
| Obtained | As part of Masumi's side story |
| Description | A note left behind by a missing geological surveyor, recording their discoveries about twin jizo statues in the village. |
| Related Notes | Village Report 2, Village Report 3, Village Report 4, Village Report 5 |
立ち並ぶ地蔵の中に、なぜか一つだけ双子の描
かれた地蔵が置かれていた。
屋敷に残されていた文献の中に「双子地蔵」に関
する記述がある。
この地方には双子を特別視する習わしがあり必
ず双子の兄弟、もしくは姉妹が参加して、その儀
式を執り行う。
そして儀式が終わるたびに、村のどこかに新しい
双子地蔵が作られるらしい。
儀式は、数十年に一度という周期で行わてれい
たようだが、双子地蔵の数をかぞえる限り、その
歴史は相当に古いようだ。
村で見つけた双子地蔵は、なぜか全て片方の首
から上が破壊されている。
中には元から作られていないものもあった。
そのこと自体にはあまり意味は無いのかもしれな
いが、何か不気味なものを感じる。
やはり、美也子を置いてくるべきではなかったか
もしれない。
双子を使った儀式というものがどういったものな
のか、詳しく書かれたものは、残念ながらまだ見
つからない。
早く外に出る方法を見つけなければ・・・