Concept in Definition ABC

Shinigami is a Japanese term and it refers to the gods or supernatural spirits that attract men to death.

In Japanese popular culture

In most civilizations and cultures there are beings or gods associated with death. Remember that the grim reapers of the mythology Roman, the moiras of Greek mythology or the norms of Norse mythology are beings that control the destiny of men and condition life and death. In Mexican culture, the Catrina character is the personification of death.

They invite death because the time has come for someone to abandon life or because they want to take over a person's soul.

From a historical point of view it is believed that the concept of shinigami appeared in Japanese culture around the century XVlll when western beliefs mixed with the vision of death in Shintoism and Taoism Japanese.

In some accounts of the literature Japanese these creatures are described as spirits of deceased people who influence the living so that they want to end their life. On the other hand, according to one of the most deeply rooted popular superstitions in Japan before going out on the street at night you have to have tea or a plate of rice, otherwise you can receive a visit from a shinigami.

In the anime world they have an important role

This type of belief has been incorporated into current Japanese literature, video games and, in a very special way, anime and manga culture. In the anime world they appear with human appearance and for this reason they are not easily identified. These gods of death have become main characters in anime stories.

Some of the most famous shinigamis are Ryuk, Ichigo Kurosaki, Zarame and Momo. Each of them has a personality defined and a specific way to punish humans. In the case of Momo, it is presented with appearance as a child, wearing white, carrying a scythe in her hand and that she is accompanied by a black cat named Daniel.

Sometimes these figures are directly related to suicide

In Japan there are very high suicide rates in comparison with other countries. For the Japanese they are a species of demons that incite people to end their lives.

Through their powers the shinigamis take over the mind of men and provoke them emotions negatives that finally lead to committing the tragic act.

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