Why did you choose your RAT-name ???

[Narukami]

btw, Narukami, you "forgot" to tell us about your name.

Well...

This is my "Nome de digital" so to speak for many years now on many web sites.

Narukami is a character in the kabuki play "Saint Narukami and the God Fudo" which is rarely performed in its entirety, though several individual acts are still very popular. (Narukami, Kenuki, and Fudo)

The name Narukami literally means "Thunder God" however like Libitina I have no divine aspirations -- I just like the name.

In short, Narukami is a powerful Buddhist monk who imprisons the rain gods to force the Emperor of Japan to pay him for a debt he is owed. The Emperor dispatches Princess Taema who seduces Narukami. As he sleeps after a night of wild passion Princess Taema takes her tanto and cuts the sacred rope thus freeing the rain gods from their captivity. Realizing that he has been had (so to speak) and lost his sainthood Narukami in his rage changes into a thunder god. His acolytes try to restrain him but to no avail and the act ends with Narukami vowing revenge.

http://www.kabuki21.com/narukami.php


It is a fun play and a good example of the aragoto style of acting popular with Edo audiences in feudal Japan.

Shades of that "Scottish Play" Narukami too has been plagued by problems in years past...

Was "Narukami" a cursed play during the Edo period? Ichikawa Ebizô II's adopted son fell ill and died while his father was performing the role of Narukami. Ichikawa Danjûrô VIII collapsed on stage when he performed the role of Narukami for the first time. Many incidents occurred when "Narukami" was staged. Superstition might explain the reluctance of Ichikawa Danjûrô IX to stage "Narukami". So far, it seems that the old curse is no more here to plague nowadays actors. from the kabuki21 web site


Thanks for asking.

:wink:

Narukami