Harae

Harae or harai (祓 or 祓い) is the general term for rituals of purification in Shinto. Harae is one of four essential elements involved in a Shinto ceremony. The purpose is the purification of pollution or sins (tsumi) and uncleanness (kegare). These concepts include bad luck and disease as well as guilt in the English sense.

Harae is often described as purification, but it is also known as an exorcism to be done before worship.Harae often involves symbolic washing with water, or having a Shinto priest shake a large paper shaker called ōnusa or haraigashi over the object of purification. People, places, and objects can all be the object of harae.

Harae stems from the myth of Susano-o, the brother of the Sun goddess Amaterasu. According to the myth, while Amaterasu was supervising the weaving of the garments of the gods in the pure weaving hall, Susano-o broke through the roof and let fall a heavenly horse which had been flayed. This startled one of her attendants who, in her agitation, accidentally killed herself with the loom's shuttle. Amaterasu fled to the heavenly cave Amano-Iwato. Susano-o was subsequently expelled from heaven and Amaterasu’s sovereignty resumed. The traditional Shinto purification ritual harae is represented when Susano-o is removed from heaven.

There are various ways in which harae is practiced. In Ise, “the holiest of all Shinto shrines”, wooden charms named o-harai, another name for harae or harai, are hung all over the shrine.

In all Shinto religious ceremonies, harae is performed in the beginning of the ritual to cleanse any evil, pollution or sins away before anyone gives offerings to the kami. Often, water and salt are used for the ceremonies to rinse hands and the face, as well as the shrine before it is prepared with offerings of goods and food. Then the priest, along with the rest of the participants of the ritual chant a solemn liturgy before the assistant priest purifies the offerings using a wand called haraigushi.

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