The Seven Fortunes

Fortunes Worshipping

efore the Fall of the Kami, the tribes of humanity worshipped the Fortunes in a very primitive fashion. The Celestial beings did not really grasp the perceptions of mortals and did little to actually inform humans of what must be done, so religion was essentially a matter of trial and error. It would not be until the Kami appeared that the mortals would be instructed on proper worship. Prior to the Kami, the Isawa tribe were the foremost experts on worship of Fortunes and Ancestor-spirits, and they are still one of the more knowledgeable groups in the land.

The Seven Fortunes

The Seven Fortunes existed before the Kami fell to Rokugan. The Tribe of Isawa worshipped them, as did other smaller groups, and they in return protected the Tribe and kept the practice of blood magic safe. The Kami Togashi knew that these various gods that the humans worshipped were not wicked gods or spirits, and encouraged his siblings to accept the Fortunes as well - for the Fortunes, under the guidance of their mother Amaterasu, would find their place in Tengoku and bestow their blessings upon the new Empire. In spreading themselves over so wide a populace, the Fortunes are protecting Rokugan's use of blood magic from the influence of Jigoku. 

The legends said the Seven Fortunes of Good Luck rode through the sky on a golden chariot that bestowed good luck on whoever saw it. Other said they were inside a boat. The Fortunes had both a peaceful and a wrath­ful aspect. The peaceful aspect was that of a large, pleasantly smiling figure sitting on a pillow. The wrathful aspect was pictured with black skin, flam­ing eyes and fangs, often swinging a sword.

The Seven Fortunes of Rokugan were:

• Benten - Fortune of Romantic Love
• Bishamon - Fortune of Strength
• Daikoku - Fortune of Wealth
• Ebisu - Fortune of Honest Work
• Fukurokujin - Fortune of Wisdom and Mercy
• Hotei - Fortune of Contentment
• Jurojin - Fortune of Longevity