Monday, September 29, 2014

Critters at the Shrine



With the sculptures of various creatures around the shrine (including the ox previously featured), it felt a bit more like the many Hindu temples of India. True, the creatures at Hindu temples often were of gods or their avatars, but their presence at both added a little dynamism to the scene.

The entrance at most Shinto shrines are guarded by stone statues of a Chinese-like lion or Korean-like dog. Typically appearing in pairs, the curly "dog" with its mouth open is supposed to spit out good luck, while the other paired member has its mouth closed to catch evil.  

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