Changes

*''Okinawan/Yaeyama'': 御嶽 ''(utaki / on)''

*''Okinawan/Yaeyama'': 御嶽 ''(utaki / on)''

''Utaki'' are sacred spaces in the indigenous animistic [[Ryukyuan religion]], the sites of religious rituals performed by priestesses known as ''[[noro]]'' or ''tsukasa'', as well as more private, individual worship. Often consisting of groves of trees surrounded by stone walls, ''utaki'' were frequently maintained within the inner sections of Okinawan ''[[gusuku]]'' fortresses.

''Utaki'' are sacred spaces in the indigenous animistic [[Ryukyuan religion]], the sites of religious rituals performed by priestesses known as ''[[noro]]'' or ''tsukasa'', as well as more private, individual worship. Often consisting of groves of trees surrounded by stone walls, ''utaki'' were frequently maintained within the inner sections of Okinawan ''[[gusuku]]'' fortresses. They are one of several types of sites known as ''uganju'' 拝所 ("places of worship"), along with sacred springs (''kaa''), household altars, and small roadside altars.<ref>Aike Rots, "Strangers in the Sacred Grove: The Changing Meanings of Okinawan Utaki," ''Religions'' 10:298 (2019), 2.</ref>

These spaces are known as ''on'' in the [[Yaeyama language]].

''Utaki'' are known as ''on'' in the [[Yaeyama language]].

The most sacred ''utaki'' on the [[Okinawa Island|island of Okinawa]] is an ancient site known as [[Sefa-utaki]]. Other famous sites include [[Sonohyan utaki]] and [[Suimui utaki]] on the grounds of [[Shuri castle]].

The most sacred ''utaki'' on the [[Okinawa Island|island of Okinawa]] is an ancient site known as [[Sefa-utaki]]. Other famous sites include [[Sonohyan utaki]] and [[Suimui utaki]] on the grounds of [[Shuri castle]].