Shikon no Tama
The Shikon no Tama are jewels that feature in InuYasha.
Contents |
History
The Shikon no Tama (Japanese: 四魂の玉, Hepburn: Shikon no Tama, Translation: Jewel of Four Souls)
The jewel had come into existence five hundred years before, during the Heian period, a time when the court nobility were still in control of Japan, by the battle of the great human priestess Midoriko and a powerful dragon yōkai. She was able to seize the souls of yōkai and purify them, this power coming from having a positive balance of the four souls within her heart. Her spiritual power alone paled that of any other person alive, and it was said she could purify and destroy ten thousands yōkai at once. Her final adversary and the one that claimed her life was created, as a Kodoku spell, by many yōkai joined and anchored within the evil heart of a human who secretly lusted for her, similar to how Onigumo lusted for Kikyō and created Naraku. After seven days and seven nights of fighting, Midoriko realized that she would be unable to fight off her hateful nemesis. Being drawn into the creature's massive jaws, she seized the soul of the yōkai and bound it within her own with the last of her power, killing both of them and creating the Shikon Jewel, which burst from her chest. Within the jewel's dimension, her soul and the souls of the yōkai she bound within it still battle on. The state of this battle is influenced by the person who possesses the jewel.
The jewel was controlled by various humans and yōkai for several centuries and at some point, was in the hands of Kirinmaru and Zero, prophesying that he would be slain by an existence neither human nor demon, and an impossible entity that surpasses time. Following the demise of the Tōga, Zero wished for the jewel to rid of her demonic power, heart and grief so she would never shed tears again. As a result, the Rainbow Pearls were created. One hundred and fifty years later after the hands of Kirinmaru and Zero prior the events of the original series, the jewel ended up being rediscovered by the leader of the yōkai taijiya Shako in the body of a demon. The demon slayers entrusted Kikyō with the guardianship of the jewel due to her purifying powers, but it leads to her untimely demise as Naraku deceived Kikyō and Inuyasha, who had fallen in love with her, into hating each other by making them believe they had betrayed one another. The purpose of his plan was to steal the jewel and corrupt it with their hatred and bitterness. Inuyasha was sealed to a tree for fifty years, and Kikyō was killed by Naraku, although she believed Inuyasha to be responsible for her death. As per Kikyō's last wish, Kaede and the villagers burnt the Jewel along with her body as it was her intention to take it with her into the netherworld. This fate may have been brought about by a curse from Tsubaki, who proclaimed that should Kikyō ever fall in love, she would lose her powers as a priestess and have an unnatural and untimely death.
Overview
In appearance, the Shikon Jewel was a sphere seemingly made of some sort of crystalline material prior to the accident that shattered it. When purified, the jewel is a soft pink to purple color, however the more tainted the soul and wishes of the person holding it, the more the color turns to a lurid black-violet. It is somewhere between a marble and a ping-pong ball in size when complete, but the shards of the Jewel of Four Souls are irregular in size and shape.
The Shikon Jewel was produced from the souls of priestess Midoriko and many demons. Their spiritual power and demon power were condensed into it, thus it can provide power to both people and demons who possess it. Midoriko and the demons have endless battled inside the jewel since its creation. Depending on its user's soul, the Shikon Jewel's characteristics may be good or bad: when the jewel is pure being held by ones with pure heart, it turns a soft pink color with "Naohi" (the goodness within, represented by Midoriko), meaning she is winning. While the jewel is held tainted by the soul of an evil/greedy human or yōkai, it turns a lurid black-violet (the evil within, represented by Magatsuhi or the dragon demon), meaning he was winning.
The four souls described are referenced as the four Mitamas from the Shintō philosophy of Naohi (直霊): Aramitama (荒魂, "Courage, lit. Wild Soul"), Nigimitama (和魂, "Friendship, lit. Harmonious Soul"), Kushimitama (奇魂, "Wisdom, lit. Wondrous Soul") and Sakimitama (幸魂, "Love, lit. Fortunate Soul"). All these together form one essence in the flesh and live inside the heart. When a person contains these four spirits at their maximum, such as Midoriko, they unite to form a really powerful balance within the soul that can be used for either good or evil.
Users
- Naraku :
Notes
- The Shikon no Tama was created by Rumiko Takahashi where it featured in the setting of the InuYasha universe.
In other media
Television
Appearances
- InuYasha:
External Links
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