Akira wanted to get home quickly after visiting a friend, so she took a shortcut through the forest. When she did, she preferred to take off her shoes because Akira liked to feel the earth under her feet and the brush of the leaves of the trees when she walked. Afterward, she would close her eyes as she slowly moved forward to listen to the sounds of the forest. Suddenly she was startled by the echo of a strong roar similar to thunder, and that was when she saw how a majestic tree fell resoundingly. The sound she heard was the heartbreaking cry of the tree spirit that warned her of the danger and deadly tragedy that was coming. The woodcutters were cutting down the forest. She felt sadness as she knew that when someone heard the trees cry, it was because they were asking for help. Without thinking, she put her shoes back on and ran out of the forest to tell the townspeople that the trees were alive and they had a duty to ask for their forgiveness and blessing.
In Japanese folklore, a Kodama is a sacred spirit with supernatural powers that live in trees. Some say it inhabits the tallest trees in the forest and is over a hundred years old, while others believe it moves freely from tree to tree to keep them healthy and in balance with nature.
Many agree that this spirit connects and intertwines with the tree. When the tree dies, it passes its knowledge to the Kodama. Then, when this spirit inhabits another tree, it passes this information to the tree, and so on. Some Kodamas rarely have been seen but often have been heard as a long echo that echoes through forests, mountains, and valleys. On the other hand, when they do appear, they do so in the form of spheres of light, animals, and occasionally as small, glowing humanoid figures.
As they are protective spirits, when they are honored and respected, they bless the forest, make the land more fertile, and bring good luck and prosperity to the people and towns nearby. On the other hand, if mistreated, someone cuts them or tries to harm them, they will be cursed and ruin their lives for several years. For this reason, when people find a tree inhabited by Kodamas, they should honor it as pure and sacred and place a special rope known as Shimenawa around its trunk.
Therefore, if you plan to cut down a tree in the forest, you should check if it has a blessed ribbon around it. If it doesn’t, then it is suggested that you make a small cut in the trunk. If the tree bleeds, this means that Kodamas are living there. If even so, you do not give it the respect it deserves, and you decide to cut it, you will be making a terrible mistake since by doing so, you will face an enranged spirit, and as punishment, it will cast a terrible curse on you that will bring you bad luck for some time. , or maybe forever.
