Noro (priestess)

Noro (祝女, sometimes 神女 or 巫女) (Okinawan: ヌール, romanized: nuuru)[1] are priestesses of the Ryukyuan religion at Utaki.The kikoe-ōgimi was charged with conducting rituals and ceremonies on behalf of the entire kingdom, and traveled with the king to Sefa-utaki to worship Amamikyu.Upon taking the throne in 1469, King Shō En made his sister the Chief noro of his home of Izena, and his daughter kikoe-ōgimi.[4] During the reign of Shō Shin (r. 1477–1526), the priestess system was centralized under the kikoe-ōgimi's authority and a noro was assigned to every village in the kingdom.After Japan annexed the Ryukyu Kingdom in 1879, the Meiji government began attempts at absorbing the Ryukyuan religion into State Shinto.[citation needed] The kikoe-ōgimi (聞得大君) (Okinawan: chifi-ufujin) served as the priestess for the Ryukyu Kingdom and the royal family.
A noro priestess in traditional clothes
OkinawanpriestessesRyukyuan religionChūzan SeikanChūzan SeifuAmamikyukikoe-ōgimiRyūgū-jōSefa-utakiShō EnShō ShinShuri CastleSonohyan-utakiinvasion by SatsumaShō ShōkenState ShintoHibi ShigeakiBattle of OkinawamagatamaKudaka IslanddistrictsmagiriKing of RyukyuYukatchuUeekataPekumiSatunushi PechinChikudun PechinSesseiSanshikanMilitary of RyukyuRyūkyū-kanKumemuraTributary systemRyukyuan missions to Imperial ChinaRyukyuan missions to EdoRyukyuan missions to JoseonFirst Shō dynastySecond Shō dynasty