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Miko (巫女) are the Shinto shrine maidens of Japan beginning in the Feudal era of Japan.
Miko can be both singular or plural. In ancient times, women who went into trances and conveyed the words of a god were called miko, not unlike the Oracle at Delphi of ancient Greece.
Later, miko were young female attendants at Shinto shrines. Roles of the miko include performing in ceremonial dances (miko-mai) and assisting priests in wedding ceremonies. Today miko can be found at many Shinto shrines. Their duties include assisting with shrine events, performing dances and rituals, and fortune-telling.
It is somewhat difficult to assign a strict definition or English equivalent to the Japanse word "Miko", though the terms Prophet, Medium (as in Oracle), Shrine Maiden, Priestess, or Sorceress are often used.
Supposedly miko were virgins, though it is unlikely that this was true. It is probably true that when a woman who was serving as a miko married she abandoned her duties at the temple in order to be with her husband and new family.
The traditional costume or dress of a miko consists of a scarlet red hakama (divided skirt), a white shirt with swinging sleeves, and tabi.
Literature, manga, and anime often portray miko as a heroine who fights evil spirits, demons, and ghosts. This is similar to the "knights versus dragons" mythos of Europeans. While it is true that miko and knights both existed, it is questionable as to how much demon-slaying actually happened.
In such stories miko are generally described as being skilled in some variety of martial art or the use of a traditional Japanese weapon, such as yumi (longbow), tanto (knife), or any of the various Japanese swords: katana, wakizashi, etc. Miko were also attributed the ability to do magic, especially o-fuda
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