Tennin

A depiction of a Tennin.

Tennin (天人), which may include tenshi (天使), ten no tsukai (天の使い, lit. heavenly messenger), hiten (飛天, lit. flying heaven) and the specifically female tennyo (天女) are spiritual beings found in Japanese Buddhism that are similar to western angels, nymphs or fairies. They were seemingly imported from Chinese Buddhism, which was itself influenced by the concepts of heavenly beings found in Indian Buddhism and Chinese Taoism.

History

Tennin are mentioned in Buddhist sutras, and these descriptions form the basis for depictions of the beings in Japanese art, sculpture, and theater. They are usually pictured as unnaturally beautiful women dressed in ornate, colorful kimonos (traditionally in five colors), exquisite jewelry, and flowing scarves that wrap loosely around their bodies. They usually carry lotus blossoms as a symbol of enlightenment or play musical instruments such as the biwa, or flute.

Religion

Tennin are believed to live in the Buddhist heaven as the companions to the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. Some legends also make certain tennin solitary creatures living on mountain peaks. Pilgrims sometimes climb these mountains in order to meet the holy spirits.

Powers

Tennin can fly, a fact generally indicated in art by their colored or feathered kimonos, called hagoromo (羽衣, lit. feather dress). In some legends, tennin are unable to fly without these kimonos (and thus cannot return to heaven). More rarely, they are shown with feathered wings. In a Noh play Hagoromo, which bears a number of similarities to the Western swan maiden legends, tennyo come to the earth and take off their hagoromo. A fisherman spies them and hides their clothes in order to force one to marry him. After some years he tells his wife what he did, and she finds her clothes and returns to heaven. The legend says it occurred on the beach of Miho no Matsubara, now a part of the city of Shizuoka. The Legend similar to the Legend that can be found on Legenda_Jaka_Tarub and Ratu_Laut_Selatan , The Legend is From Ancient Java and Tennyo is Called Bidadari in Java.

let's Talk About Bidadari in Java. Bidadari has Appear Since Stone Age in Ancient Java and you see the proof in this Video , in Ancient Time in Java Island Human has already living in there and their religion is based Animisme, the proof is a Gunung Padang Megalithic Site Picture of gunung-padang (Ilustration Gunung-Padang-2 ) is Used to Worship the Sun God. Since Human living in Java Insland Tennyo / Bidadari already Exist, then comes Hindu Religion to java , then Bidadari called Widadari / Widodari called by Javanese, but most of them still called them Bidadari ( widadari-bidadari ) , Then Come Buddhist to java and you can find the proof of Bidadari in the relief of biggest Buddhist Temple in The World Borobudur ( Apsara_Borobudur )

So the being called Bidadari in Java has already appear since stone age and this legend and human who bring this legend gone to island that now has become a japan a long time ago around the time Hindu-Buddhist age and the Japanese called this Bidadari a Tennyo in Japanese Language / Celestial Maiden in English, because Bidadari life in her own kingdom in Heaven / Sky where "Ten" in Tennyo also have a meaning of Heaven and Tennyo sound more just Title than a name of Race or Creature like Akuma, Yokai, Yurei, Oni and many others. So you can say Tennyo is a Title give to Bidadari since Ancient time ago by Ancient Japanese People and Then the Legend of Jaka Tarub and 7 Bidadari adapted to Japanese version.

See also

• Apsara
• Angel
• Nymph
• Divine Being
• Ceres, Celestial Legend
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