The Aigiarn Clan of Oshima

[Trinn 2134]

 

The Shrine Maidens of the Aigiarn Clan

 

Living in dedication to the cycle of life and death, alongside all things trapped in between, the Aigiarn Clan are spiritualists descended from the ancient Shogunate of Oyashima. Typically found as Shrine Maidens of different clans, the descendants of Aigiarn serve to conduct rituals of purifications against malevolent spirits – such as that of an Akuryō (悪霊). In their dedication, it is common for an Aigiarn to undertake a personal vow in representation of their service.

 

---

 

The Aigiarn Clan is one that is connected through ties of faith rather than blood, primarily claiming descent from the practices of a woman named Aigiarn Tuya and her husband Kanamaru Keiō. It is said that Keiō created the Aigiarn Clan as a separate branch of the Kanamaru Clan in honour of his wife, who served as a devoted Shrine Maiden until their union.

 

Thus, upon the death of Aigiarn Tuya , Keiō created the Aigiarn Clan to ensure that his wife’s beliefs and practices were protected and further cultivated in the hands of their two daughters. From then on, the name Aigiarn was only passed down unto female descendants of Aigiarn Tuya that had chosen to devote their life as a Shrine Maiden, or Miko.  Any woman that pursues marriage must shed her title of Miko, as well as the name Aigiarn. As a consequence, the Aigiarn clan is often a small one; and it is not unheard of, in fact, for the women of the Aigiarn Clan to opt in adopting daughters into the family. 

 

 

The Aigiarn Clan are led by two Matriarchs, with each representing either the Kami of Life or Death. This is due to the fact that the Aigiarn Clan places a specific focus towards the importance of this cycle in the continuation of the natural world, as well as the fact that these aspects mark the origin and end of all Kami worship. As a result, the symbol of the Aigiarn clan is the Dancing Koi Fish, to represent both the cycle and divergence in life and death.

 

It is also said, though a subject of contention within the clan itself, that Kanamaru Keiō emphasised the acceptance of death as he believed that Aigiarn Tuya had passed to become the Kami of Death. This belief is largely maintained by their direct descendants, who then correspond the Kami of Life to Kanamaru Keiō, as well. 

 

 

 

 

The Shrine Maidens | 巫女 

 

 

 

“We are grasping, clawing and begging to cling on to the mountains of duty in life. And when it is over, the cruellest irony that one could accept is the peaceful lullaby in death that we begged to escape from.” 

 

As Miko, or Shrine Maidens, the Aigiarn take charge in performing ceremonial dances alongside purification rituals. Though there is no strict distinction to which Kami is worshipped within Aigiarn, the matriarchs of the clan are traditionally aligned to represent the Kami of Life and Death. 

 

Within their records, the most experienced and talented Miko of their clan could conduct Kuchiyose (口寄せ), a seance that permitted the Miko to receive the messages of the dead. It must, however, be held during the funeral or anniversary of the death itself. The Miko that conducts this ritual poses the risk of revealing unto her mind the horrors of those beyond the land of the living, enduring the horrors in order to make connection with those that have passed. The risk and difficulty of the Kuchiyose means that the practice is limited and forbidden from many Miko, and the ritual was eventually lost and abandoned in totality. 

 

Instead, most Miko take part in ceremonial dances and purification rituals, or in the creation of talismans or plaques, rather than seances to contact the dead. The most prominent of these dances is that of a Kagura (神楽 ). There are many reasons and ways to conduct a Kagura; it can serve as a purification ritual, or simply a celebratory dance upon holy days. In some cases, the dance is conducted to attract the attention of a deity, forcing the dancing Miko to enter a trance and serving as a vessel for the dances’ duration – though this, like the Kuchiyose, is a ritual limited and closely guarded.

 

Each Miko of the Aigiarn Clan is most commonly prepared in the creation of talismans and plaques, specifically that of the Ema-Fuda and the Ofuda.

 

Ema-Fuda | 絵馬

The Aigiarn participate in the distribution of Ema-fuda, wooden plaques with illustrations drawn upon them that are displayed within Shrines and temples with illustrations. These are often given to worshippers, as wishes are written unto them in a hope that it will reach the temple spirits. 

 

Ofuda | 御札

The Ofuda are talismans created with the power of the Kami imbued within them. Typically, the Ofuda showcases the name of the Kami its power is derived from and the seal of the shrine it originates from. To create an Ofuda, the shrine must have a Miko that represents the Kami that is desired as its power will be channelled through that medium. The Ofuda can have many purposes, such as protection and purification, depending on its corresponding Kami. 

 

 

---

 

The Aigiarn Miko of Oshima

 

Upon the migration, both Sayana and Masako were awarded the title of Matriarchs for the branch of Aigiarns within Oshima. Separated from the main Aigiarn clan, both Sayana and Masako must take on the mantle to represent the Kami of Life and Death, respectively.

 

Aigiarn Sayana, The Matriarch to the Kami of Life | @Trinn

As the Matriarch to the Kami of Life, Aigiarn Sayana has sworn an oath to never draw blood until her service as a Miko is completed. As such, she must never take part in drawing blood, even if it comes in defence of her own life. It also means, then, that she can never consume livestock. 

 

Aigiarn Masako, The Matriarch to the Kami of Death | @Axelu

As the Matriarch to the Kami of Death, Aigiarn Masako has sworn an oath to never create nor cultivate life until her service as Miko is completed. As such, she must never have children nor care for farmlands or livestock.

 

Aigiarn Hatsumomo, Miko to the Kami of Fertility | @MissAnneDrey

As Miko to the Kami of Fertility, Hatsumomo has sworn an oath to stay chaste throughout her life, even once her service as a Miko is completed. As such, she can never carry out romantic interactions or produce children, additionally she must wear symbols of her virtue and purity.