But seriously though, what is this impurity those moon folks are constantly on about?
Kegare, which is the Shinto 'equivalent' of sin* in Christianity. It is usually translated as impurity or taint, since the word can also mean 'dirtied', 'soiled', or 'unclean' in other mundane contexts.
(*Well, not quite sin, as there's less of a moral judgment involved, but that's the closest equivalent I can find in English. Unless you're familiar with 'taint' systems in certain tabletop games, that is.)
Sources of impurities or taint include death, disease, birth, menstruation, and other bodily fluids.
So, basically, everything that has to do with living, I guess.
Shinto practitioners are supposed to purify themselves of impurities from time to time by undergoing certain rituals.
It also provides the same basis for historical discrimination (which is still ongoing to some extent) against the Burakumin (sorta like Dalits in India, because they used to work as butchers, tanners, animal slaughterers, undertakers, night soil (read: shit) collectors, etc., so they were considered more 'tainted' than the average person.
Come t' think of it, what is this "impurity" you guys go on about?Chestnut + squirrel = kuri to risu = ...—!? S-such impurity...!
These are confiscated immediately! Send her to the Repentance Chamber!!Good question. What Lady Yorihime often talked about was...PR0NYeah, I don't think that's quite it.BwaaaaaaahAnd this...and this...!All of you—to the Repentance Chamber!!
