Crap, I'm still up

[omorka]

This is a problem. However, I've been lying in bed for an hour and not getting any sleepier. So rather than ruminate incessantly lying down, I'll try spilling it here and see if that helps.

So a while back, I was having a minor bout of confusion over the fact that the Japanese word for "angel," tenshi, is not an English loanword. Are there native winged-beings in Japanese mythology? Does the term predate the advent of Christianity in Japan? If the answer to the latter two questions is "no," where does the term come from? It doesn't seem to be related to "messenger," the original root meaning of "angel."

memeslayer, wileras, or anyone else who knows more Japanese than I do - what are the kanji for tenshi? And does the Chinese "Tien Shi," which apparently means something like "heavenly teacher," possibly have any relationship? I'm intrigued by the idea that it might be a loanword from Chinese, but I have no idea how to go about testing this hypothesis.

No, I have no idea why I'm obsessed with this word . . .

Comments

[memeslayer.livejournal.com]

The word is written 天使.

天 - Heaven
使 - Messenger

Japanese didn't start acquiring English loanwords like it does now until fairly recently(post-WW2). Don't have time for research at the moment, but I think it's more likely that the word was created by whoever introduced Christianity to Japan. I'll check a Japanese Bible later and see if the word pops up there, and post a question to a forum I know.

[wileras.livejournal.com]

Tenshi can be rewritten in romanji as てんし. (て-te, ん-n, し-shi)

This is the romanji for at least different kanji.

天使, Heavenly Messenger

天子, Heavenly child/Child of Heaven (refers to the emperor)

天賜, Heavenly gift

天資, Nature/elements of nature

天使, Heavenly Messenger, is clearly the kanji that is being translated to angel. While the use of the term does predate the introduction of christianity all references I can find to it have the 天使 being messengers of the gods. I think what happened is when christianity came it was just logical for them to take the already existing messengers and declare them angels.

I can't find any references to the 天使 doing anything other than carry messages and try to convince humans of anything though. Also no references to appearance that I can find yet, so no idea on the wings for them. However, most mythogical creatures in Japan are animalistic. So odds are if a creature has wings they will also have other birds parts, such as a beak or claws, as well.

I'll keep poking around and see whatI can find though.

[wileras.livejournal.com]

Poking around some more I'm having difficulties locating many myths where tenshi actually appear in. It's mainly one that gets reposted on every site... doesn't even have the wording changed. Grr. It references a tenshi coming to the kobo Daishi and talking him out of throwing himself off a cliff, and to return to a life of teaching the lore of Buddha.

Now as this is the internet who knows how accurate any of the mythology I find is anyway.

[wren-chan.livejournal.com]

As to the humanesque-with-wings thing, there are the tengu...