Norito: a translation of the ancient Japanese ritual prayers

‘Norito; A translation of the ancient Japanese ritual prayers’ by Donald L. Philippi   US: Princeton Univ. Press, 1990 96 pages, small size. ISBN 0-691-01489-2 $19.95

This is a reprint of a 1959 edition and remains the only widely available translation of the Shinto-style norito (prayers). The prayers derive from a variety of ancient sources and provide insight into the relationship of humans to kami. The 32 Norito range from such occasions as a Grain Petitioning Festival, to a Great Exorcism, and the Twenty-year Shrine Moving at Ise Jingu (coming up again in 2013). The big problem here is the loss of kotodama (word magic), for the ancient incantations are supposed to be imbued with a mystical force which the commonplace words used in translation can hardly replicate.  As with the Catholic shift from Latin to English, there may well be those who feel the gain in clarity comes at the loss of mystery. The publishers might have compensated for this by including the original Japanese, or even better a CD of the norito read out by Shinto priests. The book does however come with a preface by Joseph M. Kitagawa, who writes lucidly of the origin and development of norito, as well as the ethnocentric failure of Westerners to evaluate them properly.  That said, the book is unlikely to appeal to those looking for something practical to use in the contemporary world, for whom the book by Ann Evans or Stuart Picken might be a better bet.

Summary: Of interest to students and scholars, but not of practical use for Shinto seekers.