What are those zigzagged folded paper things you see in supernatural anime?


In a lot of supernatural anime, like _Shin Sekai Yori_ , or _Tokyo Ravens_
there often appear these large ropes with folded paper things hanging from
them:

![sacred barrier](https://i.stack.imgur.com/JKfYhl.jpg)

As far as I can tell, they serve to seal or mark places that are sacred or in
some way supernatural, like _shinboku_ , or holy trees:

![shinboku](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a3/Shinboku_at_kasukabe_hachiman_jinja.jpg)

What are these folded paper things, and what purpose do they really serve?




The zigzagged paper streamer things you mention are called
"[shide](http://eos.kokugakuin.ac.jp/modules/xwords/entry.php?entryID=316)."
They are in essence wards for purification. They are often seen with the rice
straw rope they are attached to are called
"[shimenawa](http://www.swarthmore.edu/Humanities/pschmid1/array/convolute3/shimenawa.html)."
Together they marks the boundary to something sacred (or rather mark the
boundary between the sacred and that which is not) and can typically be found
can be found on torii gates, around sacred trees and stones, etc. They are
intended to keep impurities out and purify the space within.

As the same time, they can also be use to prevent, or rather seal the passage
of gods. According to the Kojiki (a oral collection of myths forming the basis
of the Shinto religion.), shimenawa was first used to prevent the sun goddess
Amaterasu from re-entering a cave to save the world from eternal night.

In the _Shin Sekai Yori_ anime, it's mentioned "evil spirits" and "monsters"
are roam outside the town and any child who ventures out alone would suffer
terribly. Hacchijoume is the shimenawa that encircles Kamisu's District 66,
erecting a sacred barrier that _protects_ the town from outside forces.




The zigzagged paper streamer things you mention are called
"[shide](http://eos.kokugakuin.ac.jp/modules/xwords/entry.php?entryID=316)."
They are in essence wards for purification. They are often seen with the rice
straw rope they are attached to are called
"[shimenawa](http://www.swarthmore.edu/Humanities/pschmid1/array/convolute3/shimenawa.html)."
Together they marks the boundary to something sacred (or rather mark the
boundary between the sacred and that which is not) and can typically be found
can be found on torii gates, around sacred trees and stones, etc. They are
intended to keep impurities out and purify the space within.

As the same time, they can also be use to prevent, or rather seal the passage
of gods. According to the Kojiki (a oral collection of myths forming the basis
of the Shinto religion.), shimenawa was first used to prevent the sun goddess
Amaterasu from re-entering a cave to save the world from eternal night.

In the _Shin Sekai Yori_ anime, it's mentioned "evil spirits" and "monsters"
are roam outside the town and any child who ventures out alone would suffer
terribly. Hacchijoume is the shimenawa that encircles Kamisu's District 66,
erecting a sacred barrier that _protects_ the town from outside forces.

