A Living God Summary

A Living God Summary, Theme, Critical Appreciation by Lafcadio Hearn

A Living God Summary

Lafcadio Hearn Koizumi Yagumo wrote “A Living God” in September, 1896, three months after Japan’s Sanriku tsunami. The story was included in Gleanings in Buddha-Fields, published in September 1897 by Houghton Mifflin Company of Boston & New York. Hamaguchi Gohei lived in a Japanese coastal village and was called the “Muraosa” or the Chief of the village.

The livelihood of the villagers depended on cultivation of crops, or rather, peasantry. Hamaguchi was the richest man in the village although there was no marked difference among the farmers in terms of riches. They all lived in perfect peace and happiness. But Hamaguchi was specially respected by the villagers for his prudence and wisdom.

There being a rich harvest, the villagers were going to celebrate it by a dance. The entire village was decorated and they were in a festive mood. Old Hamaguchi was leisurely looking at those from his balcony and suddenly felt a different kind of earthquake. A sixth sense made him look at the sea which was fast receding from the coastal line.

Curious men and children ran towards the beach to discover the hitherto unseen sea-bed and the sand ribs. The sea was still receding. Seemingly, Hamaguchi received an electric shock and asked his grandson to give him a Pine-Torch immediately. His grandson complied and Hamaguchi ran to his stacks of rice and set those on fire.

In no time, it became a towering inferno and drew every villager’s attention. Sensing some imminent danger, the huge bell of the Hill Temple started its gong on seeing the blaze. People came running from every comer of the village suspecting some danger. Some people wanted to douse the fire, but Hamaguchi stopped them.

No sooner did the villagers assemble at the blazing terrace of Hamaguchi, than the sea, like a raging monster and a towering cliff, pounced back on the village. It withdrew and then came back raving over everything in the village again and again. Hamaguchi only said that that was the reason why he had set fire to the rice-stacks.

Finding no time to send alarms to the villagers to escape from the tsunami, he set fire to his rice-stacks as a signal for all. Hamaguchi lost his worldly possessions in order to save the villagers. His sacrifice elevated him from the level of an ordinary man to a divine identity. People started calling him God after this apocalypse.

A Living God About the Author Lafcadio Hearn

Koizumi Yakumo (1850-1904), born Patrick Lafcadio Hearn, was an Irish – Greek- Japanese writer, translator, and teacher who introduced the culture and literature of Japan to the West. His writings offered unprecedented insight into Japanese culture, especially his collection of Legends and Ghost Stories, such as Kwaidan: Stories and Studies of Strange Things. Before moving to Japan and becoming a Japanese citizen, he worked as a journalist in the US, primarily in Cincinnati and New Orleans. His writings about New Orleans, based on his decade-long stay there, are also well known.

A Living God Theme

The theme of “A Living God” by Lafcadio Hearn is simple but moving. The story revolves round an ordinary peasant of a coastal village, who is subsequently elevated to the lofty height of a divine identity by dint of wisdom, prudence and sacrifice. Hamaguchi, the village -chief and an old man as well, felt the approach of a deadly tsunami when the sea receded from the beach.

He had no time either to send signals or messages to the merry-making villagers. His wisdom prompted him to set fire to his stacks of rice. Soon the fire became an inferno and the fire and the accompanying smoke attracted the attention of the Buddhist Temple at the hill-top who started ringing their huge bell and the Attention of the villagers was drawn. People rushed to him and then saw in awe how a monstrous tsunami ravaged the village. But their lives were spared.

Hamaguchi did not know what his family would eat the next day, but his sacrifice elevated him from the state of an ordinary peasant to a divine identity. He is transformed from manliness to Godliness. His apotheosis is complete.

A Living God Critical Appreciation

Lafcadio Hearn’s “A Living God” is a simple but moving story set in a Japanese coastal village. The description of the verdant village and its location is flawlessly narrated with special reference to Hamaguchi Gohei, the central character and village chief. Whereas the principal occupation of the villagers has been described to be crop cultivation, it is not quite clear as to why they did not take up fishing as an additional part of their livelihood since the village stood by the sea.

However, the story rolls on smoothly. The diction is well applied. Hamaguchi’s extra sensory perception about the impending tsunami, and his prudence, coupled with sacrifice of burning his rice-stacks so as to alert the villagers, makes him an outstanding personality among the peasantry. The portrayal of ferocity of the tsunami and the description of the landscape during and after the tsunami deserves applause for accuracy. Hamaguchi’s elevation to Godliness from manliness is well portrayed.

A Living God Characters

Hamaguchi Gohei:

Hamaguchi Gohei was the “Muraosa” or the headman of a coastal village. Like other villagers, his principal occupation was cultivation. He was liked as well as respected by the village peasantry. People also called him “Ojiisan”, or rather, grandfather of the village.

Being the richest among the village peasantry, he was sometimes officially referred to as the “ Choja”.He advised the small farmers about their interest, arbitrated when they disputed, advanced them money at need, and helped them sell their rice on the best possible terms. Gohei, the central character and village chief.

Whereas the principal occupation of the villagers has been described to be crop cultivation, it is not quite clear as to why they did not take up fishing as an additional part of their livelihood since the village stood by the sea.

A Living God Title of the Story

Lafcadio Hearn’s “A Living God” tell us the story of Hamaguchi Gohei, a simple natured village-chief in a Japanese coastal village, and his elevation to Godliness from the state of manliness. The principal occupation of the villagers was cultivation of crops and Hamaguchi was no exception save and except that he was a little more well- off than other villagers. Life was very peaceful in the village.

But things do not always roll on as smoothly as expected. When a monstrous tsunami hit the village, the villagers were busy celebrating a rich harvest. Old Hamaguchi, with his experience and extra sensory perception, realized the foreboding ; but finding no time and means to alert the merry-making villagers , set all his stacks of rice in fire.

The fire and the accompanying smoke attracted the attention of the Buddhist Temple on the hill¬top who started ringing their huge bell, and then, the villagers, now aware of an impending danger, rushed to Hamaguchi. Some of them tried to douse the fire of the rice- stack, but Hamaguchi stopped them as it was still sending the signal of a danger.

Old Hamaguchi didn’t know what his family would eat the next day. The tsunami raved the village and the crops. But Hamaguchi could save the lives of the villagers by dint of his prudence, wisdom and sacrifice. This action elevated him to a state of divinity from manliness.

People started worshipping him and thought that he would thus save them. In future distress. Their faith was so deep rooted that they built even a temple with one of his images inside. His apotheosis was complete. The title thus, is justified.

A Living God Setting

Setting in “A Living God” is important in the sense that the proximity of the village where the story is founded upon is close to the sea which finally played the Nemesis to destroy the villagers. The village is situated on a plateau, surrounded on three sides by wooded summits.

“From its outer verge, the land slopped down in a huge green concavity, as if scooped out to the edge of the water; and the whole of the slop, some three quarters of a mile long, was so terraced as to look, when viewed from the open sea, like an enormous flight of green steps, divided in the centre by a narrow white zigzag – a streak of mountain road.”

From the description, it is evidently clear that the Japanese coastal village seems to have risen almost from the sea. In such close proximity to the sea, it is easier for the sea to play the Nemesis in the lives of the villagers in cases of any sea related disaster, especially a tsunami, adding thus, is perfect.

A Living God Annotations and Vocabulary

Submarine volcanic action — volcanic explosion / reaction in under the sea
Tsunami — A series of large waves of extremely long wave length, and period, usually generated by a violent, impulsive undersea disturbance, or activity near the coast or in the ocean.
Era of Meiji — the Meiji era is an era in Japanese history which extended from 1868 until 1912
Muraosa — a village Chief in Japan
Choja — Richest member if a Japanese village community
Arbitrate — reach an authoritative judgment or settlement
Plateau — An area of fairly level high ground
Hemmed — Turn under and sew the edge of (usually a piece of cloth; but here it is conjoined)
Verge — An edge orborder
Concavity – Hollowed or rounded inward like inside of a bowl
Scooped — to pick up and move (something) with a scoop, a spoon etc
Shinto Temple — Buddhist Temple
Straggling — move along slowly so as to remain at some distance behind the person or people in front
Ujigami — It is a guardian god or spirit of a particular place in the Shinto religion of Japan
Seismic — Relating to earthquake or other vibrations of the earth and its crust
Offing — The most distant part of the sea in view
Ebb — Gradually decrease
Apparition — A ghost or ghost like person
Ribbed — Having a pattern of raised bands
Tinder – Substance that burns easily
Acolyte – A person assisting a priest in a religious service
Sallow — Unhealthy, yellow or pale brown colour
Speckled — Covered or marked with a large number of small spots or patches of colour
Succor — Assistance or support in times of hardship and distress
Mura — A Japanese word, meaning unevenness, irregularity, lack of uniformity etc.
Smote — Strike with a firm blow
Menace — A person or a thing that is likely to cause harm; a threat or danger
Wrack — To utterly ruin
Shingle — A mass of small rounded pebbles, especially on seashore
Stupefaction — The state of being stupefied