mortuary-tablets

Updated: May 20, 2025

For Lares and Penates there were only the mortuary-tablets of the ancestors, and certain little tablets bearing names of other gods tutelar gods .... The presence of these frail wooden objects still makes the home; and they may be, of course, transported anywhere. To apprehend the full meaning of ancestor-worship as a family religion, a living faith, is now difficult for the Western mind.

Lafcadio Hearn - Japan: an Attempt at Interpretation