Since it is so frightening even for us modern men, ancient people must have been terribly frightened by thunderbolts. Thunders are thought to be an act of God everywhere in the world. Zeus, the All-father of Greek Gods, had a reputation for shooting lightning bolts.

Even in Japan, it was believed that thunderbolts were set off by Ikaduchi-no-kami (God of Thunder). Hono-ikaduchi-no-kami, Wake-ikaduchi-no-mikoto, Raikou, and Takemikaduchi-no-onokami. Many Gods hold names with the word Ikaduchi (thunder).

But the most famous Ikaduchi-no-kami in the history of Japan must be Sugawara-no-Michizane who became the ghost Dava. Sugawara-no-Michizane who died bearing a heavy grudge after being trapped and exiled to Kyushu, threw his fierce anger in form of thunderbolt. In 930, Seiryoden of the Court was struck by a large thunder. Master of Onmyo (ying-yang) told that this misfortune was the work of the vengeful spirit of Sugawara-no-Michizane. Those who trapped Sugawara trembled with fear and tried to placate the curse by dedicating his vengeful ghost. And thus led to the construction of Kitano Shrine.

What is interesting is that people of such era chanted "Kuwabara, Kuwabara" once they hear the rumble of thunder, to shy away from getting struck by it. This saying often appears in literatures of Heian period such as "Tsureduregusa" as the spell to cast away thunder.

But how did "kuwabara, kuwabara" become the spell to save oneself from getting struck by thunder?

The surname of Sugawara-no-Michizane, if read by on-readings (Japanese approximations of the Chinese pronunciation) becomes "Kanbala". Corrupted "Kanbala" becomes "Kuwanbara" and then "Kuwbara". Is it too unlikely?

In fact, "Kuwabara" is written __ in Chinese characters, which means mulberry field. Considering its meaning, it can also be read "Kuwabata".

This traces back to the Chinese Legend. In the folk beliefs of China, thunders never strike mulberry field. Therefore, people believed that one can save oneself from getting struck by thunder by reciting "Kuwabara Kuwabara".

Then why does thunder never strike mulberry field? The reason is none other than the mulberry field being something special. In Chinese legend, there were two giant mulberry trees that were called Fuso . The sun we see rises to the sky through this Fuso. In this respect, Fuso is the symbol of Sun. On the other hand, thunders are lightning storms that are antithetical to the sun that brings fair weather. Fuso, in other words, mulberry is, so to say, the arch-foe of thunder. Therefore, thunders would never hit mulberry fields.

This legend, however, somehow resembles the Garden of Eden that appears in the Genesis of the Old Testament. The Jewish mysticism Kabbala describes its esoterica as "the Tree of Life". The symbolic figure of "the Tree of Life" consists of three pillars. The Chinese character Fuso comprises three __s. Furthermore, zigzag shaped bolts of lightning are sometimes depicted in this symbolic figure.

And what is more, the Japanese Kuwabara resembles Kabbala. Someone who knew that the Chinese legend of Fuso and the Kabbala were of the same origin may have spread the spell "kuwabara" as Kakekotoba (a type of pun through which a series of syllables take on double meaning).

That someone must have been the Hata-clan.

Hata-clan's name "Hata" comes from Hataori (weaving) since Hata-clan was a thane encouraging new business whose regular vocation had always been sericulture since antiquity.

Sericulture, as you may know, grows silkworms. And silkworms live on mulberry leaves. This leads us to assume that most mulberry farms of ancient times were under the control of the Hata-clan.

And one further point is the Onmyodo (the way of ying-yang). Most of the ancient magic derives from Onmyodo. Onmyodo was a system of magic introduced from the Continent. And those who performed it were the immigrants, most of them being Hatas.

It was the master of Onmyo who told the fortune of the vengeful sprit of Suwagara-no-Michizane. Master of Onmyo was how they were called publicly. But they were also called Kanbala from the insiders. The etymology of Kanbala is Kabbala.

I previously mentioned that Sugawara, if read by On-reading would become Kanbala. Maybe this was a cipher. It is possible that Sugawara-no-Michizane himself may have been a brilliant master of Onmyo, a kanbala.

AS you can see now, we can safely say that the spell "Kuwabara" was started by the Hata-clan. We, Japanese had been reciting Hatas' spell without knowing so.

Translated by Rie Ishida