Shimenawa - The Sacred Rope
The straw ropes that demarcate sacred spaces and prevent impurity from entering.
Shimenawa are the twisted straw ropes hung at shrine entrances, around sacred trees, and other holy sites. They mark the boundary of sacred space, keeping impurity out and sanctifying what lies within. Their presence indicates the dwelling place of kami.
The shimenawa encircles the sacred, protecting the pure from the impure.
Shimenawa demonstrate the Shinto concern with maintaining sacred boundaries.
Kojiki
Written about in
- What Shinto says about conflict with people close to you
Shinto traces the first shimenawa to that cave, and what a rope does is mark a line that impurity does not cross. Reconciliation here comes with a boundary attached; it does not mean everything is thrown open again.