Image via Wikipedia
Ebisu: this is another of
my occasional reminders that there are many different gods worshipped on this
strange but wonderful planet we inhabit. Ebisu is a Japanese god in the Shinto
tradition. A fat and smiling deity with a beard, he is generally depicted with
a fishing rod in one hand and sea bream in the other. He's considered a god of
luck and has been worshipped since ancient times, especially by fishermen. More
recently, he's become associated with profit and his picture adorns the many
commercial premises. Because he's deaf, apparently, he doesn't join the rest of
the gods for the October festival held at Izumo, which seems to be another
instance of the peculiar prejudices surrounding so many religious figures.
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