1.
curse; divine punishment; wrath of a spirit or deity
Supernatural punishment or misfortune believed to be caused by an angry god, spirit, or deceased person. A core concept in Japanese folk religion.
これは祟りだ。
This is a curse.
神の祟りを恐れる。
To fear divine retribution.
村人たちは、古い祠を壊したことが祟りの原因だと信じていた。
The villagers believed that destroying the old shrine was the cause of the curse.
2.
bad consequences; ill effects; retribution
Negative consequences resulting from a past action, used figuratively without literal supernatural meaning.
夜更かしの祟りだ。
It's the consequence of staying up too late.
無理をした祟りで体を壊した。
I ruined my health as a result of overworking myself.
若い頃の不摂生の祟りが今になって出てきた。
The ill effects of an unhealthy lifestyle in my youth are showing up now.
Deeply rooted in Japanese folk religion and Shinto belief. A 祟り is understood as punishment from a supernatural being — a god, spirit, or the dead — that has been angered or disrespected. It is distinct from a deliberate curse cast by a person.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 祟りがある: there is a curse
- 祟りを受ける: to suffer a curse
- 神の祟り: divine punishment
- 怨霊の祟り: curse of a vengeful spirit
- 祟りを恐れる: to fear a curse
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 呪い: curse — a curse intentionally cast by a person, unlike 祟り which comes from supernatural beings
- 罰: punishment — general punishment, not necessarily supernatural
- 天罰: divine punishment — emphasizes punishment from heaven for moral wrongdoing
CULTURAL NOTE:
Famous examples include the 祟り of 菅原道真, the exiled scholar whose angry spirit was believed to cause disasters in Kyoto, and the curse associated with disturbing ancient burial sites.