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.

[6] After the 1609 invasion by Satsuma, Confucian thought entered the Ryukyuan government and began eroding the authority of the priestesses.

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.

She conducted national ceremonies, oversaw all other noro priestesses, and maintained the royal hearth and the most sacred utaki.