User:Immanuelle/Kumano Hayatama Festival

The Kumano Hayatama Festival is the annual festival of Kumano Hayatama Taisha [en; fr; ja] ( Shingū [en; ja] Wakayama Prefecture). It is usually held from October 15th to 16th and is known for the Shinme Togyoshiki Ceremony on the 15th and the Ship Festival on the 16th.

The ship festival is sometimes called Ofune Matsuri [simple; en:draft; ja] or Mifune Matsuri

It has been designated as an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property [en; ja] of Japan (designated on Heisei period 2, 2016, together with the Oto Festival [en; ja] ) .

Kumano Gongen Arrival Festival

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Hayatama Taisha Shrine enshrines several deities collectively known as the "Kumano Jusansho Gongen," and this festival is dedicated to the main deities, Hayatama-no-Okami [fr; en; ja] and Fusumi-no-Okami. According to a religious folklore interpretation, the festival recreates the arrival of Kumano Gongen, a deity from the world of eternity that traveled up the Kumano River [en; ja], enshrined on Mifune Island [en; ja], and then passed through Otomoto-gawara and moved to Shingu [1] .

The sacred horse procession ceremony on October 15th ( see below )

  1. Welcoming the spirit of Asuka Shrine [en; ja] to the second hall of Hayatama Taisha Shrine
  2. The divine spirit travels to the shrine
  3. After the ritual at the shrine, the divine spirit returns to the second shrine.

The structure is as follows. However, this structure cannot be seen as simply a transfer of the shrine from Asuka Shrine to Hayatama Taisha Shrine. [2] According to the legends of Kumano Gongen found in "The Origin of the Kumano Gongen Descendants" (collected in the Chokan Kanbun [en; ja] ), etc., Kumano Gongen first descended to Kamikura Shrine [en; ja; fr] in the Kumano region, and was then enshrined [en; ja] in Iwabuchi Valley [3] to the north of Asuka Shrine, where he was first called Yuihayatama-Iezumimiko. It is said that the shrine was later moved from Ishibuchidani to Shingu [4], not from Asuka to Shingu. In other words, the structure of the Shinba-togoshiki ceremony represents the process by which Kumano Gongen was transferred from Ishibuchi-dani to Shingu. [5]

Furthermore, until the Meiji era, the festival was held on September 15th and 16th of the lunar calendar, which is the last day of autumn and, according to early modern records, dengaku [en; ja] was also held on the 14th. [6] For these reasons, the Hayatama Festival has the characteristics of an autumn harvest festival. [7]

Depends on the festival

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The festival begins on the previous day, October 14th. On this day, the sacred horse is taken to Ohama Beach, where it is purified in the sea. After that, two ceremonies are held: the "Mamekenjinogi" ceremony, in which beans are eaten at the former auxiliary shrine, Asuka Shrine, and the "Kakeuokayahokennogi" ceremony, in which offerings are received from the Oshima district of Kushimoto Town [en; ja] . [8] Of the offerings donated from the Oshima district, the hanging fish will be used at the Shinba-togoshiki ceremony on the 15th, and the Kayaho will be used at the Mifune Festival on the 16th. [9]

The sacred horse procession (October 15th)

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A festival for Hayatama-no-Okami (enshrined in the second shrine). Starting in the afternoon of October 15th, the chief priest and his entourage head to Asuka Shrine in a procession, place a saddle on the sacred horse inside the shrine hall, and then welcome the deity. When the sacred horse carrying the divine spirit returns to the shrine, the divine spirit is transferred to the second shrine building, where prayers and kagura dance are recited and a Shinko festival is held. The chief priest then welcomes the divine spirit back onto the sacred horse, and accompanied by a procession of up to 200 people, including guards, musicians, Kagura performers, priests, and attendants, he travels along the banks of the Kumano River to Suginokarimiya (Otabisho), located northwest of Mount Chihogamine  [lld; en; ja] . The chief priest then transfers the divine spirit to a temporary shrine, recites kagura and prayers in the light of torches, and makes offerings of fish, sacred sake, and food. After the ceremony is over, he returns to the main shrine in the darkness of night, carrying the divine spirit. [10]

Ship Festival (October 16)

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As the sun sets, a fast boat returns to the riverbank behind Hayatama Taisha Shrine (2014).
 
Even after the fast boat race is over, they continue to row their boat bravely (2014).

A festival held for Fusumi-no-Okami (enshrined in the first hall). Starting at 8:00 a.m. on October 16th, the day after the Shinba-togoshiki ceremony, festival workers begin preparing the portable shrine, sacred boat, and other ritual implements. [11] Kumano Hayatama Taisha Shrine has in its possession a portable shrine that was donated by Ashikaga Yoshimitsu [en; ja] and has been designated an Important Cultural Property, but the one used in the shrine's festivals is a replacement. [12] Once preparations are complete, the mikoshi is placed in front of the first shrine. The ship is entirely painted vermilion and has a black lacquered Chinese-style throne hall, and is a designated Important Cultural Property. [12] Hitotsumono is a doll placed on a sacred horse. It is dressed in a hunting costume of gold brocade, has 12 reeds and 12 Kumano Goōfu [en; ja] attached to its waist, and wears a straw hat. It is interpreted as a representation of the spirit of Kumano Gongen. [11] [13]

In the afternoon, a ceremony is held at the first shrine, and the chief priest transfers the divine spirit to a portable shrine. Following the Imperial flag, the Hitotsumono leads the festival procession to the banks of the Kumano River. [13] The masked chief priest transfers the divine spirit from the portable shrine to the sacred boat, and the chief priest, other priests, and musicians board the main boat. The sacred boat and the main boat are towed by Morotabune boats, which are in turn led by nine fast boats. The person steering the Morote-bune is a resident of Udono (Kiho Town, Mie Prefecture) at the mouth of the Kumano River. [14] This is based on a legend that when Kumano Gongen was being moved from Ishibuchi-dani to Shingu, the residents of Udono led the way in boats. [15] Additionally, on the Morote-bune boats, men dressed as women and clad in red robes, known as Hariwaise, stand on the side of the boats holding oars. [14] [16]

The fast boat race begins after passing the rapids called Ushinohana, one kilometer downstream from Mifune Island. The fast boats compete for victory by making three clockwise laps around Mifune Island and then dock at Otomo Riverbed. Afterwards, the Morote-bune and the other three boats slowly circle Mifune Island twice. At this time, the Hariwaise performs the "Harihari dance" in which he looks into the distance with one hand raised while chanting "Hariharise" several times. [14] [16] Next, an envoy from Mifunejima waves a fan three times, and the nine fast boats begin the race again. This time, we go around Mifunejima Island twice from the left and head towards the riverbank behind the shrine.

On the other hand, the sacred boat and the Saishu boat land at Otogigawara. The procession of priests then travels to the shrine together with the divine spirit that has been transferred to the mikoshi, and after carrying out the same ritual as the previous night, they return to the main shrine, again in the darkness of night, carrying the divine spirit, where it is placed in the second shrine [16] [17] and the festival ends.

Cultural Assets

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  • Hayatama Festival and Oto Festival in Shingu - Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property of Japan (designated on March 2, 2016, together with the Oto Festival [en; ja] ) [18]
  • Kyuushitsu lacquered and gilt bronze-decorated portable shrine ('kyu' is made up of 'kamigashira' and 'rest') - said to have been an offering made by Ashikaga Yoshimitsu. Muromachi Period. Owned by Kumano Hayatama Taisha Shrine. It is designated Important Cultural Properties of Japan of Japan (art and crafts, designated on December 28, 1897 ( Meiji period 30)) [21] .
  • Kyushitsu lacquered, gilt bronze-decorated ship for divine service (kyuu kondousou shinkouyoufune, the "kyu" is "kamigashira" with the "rest" part) - Edo period. Owned by Kumano Hayatama Taisha Shrine. It is designated as an Important Cultural Property of Japan (art and crafts, designated on December 28, 1897 ( Meiji period 30)) [22] .
  1. 桜井[1988: 172]
  2. 桜井[1988: 167]
  3. 今日の貴禰谷神社 [en]三重県 [en]紀宝町 [en])と考えられている[平凡社 1997: 221]。
  4. 桜井[1988: 166]
  5. 桜井[1988: 168]
  6. 桜井[1998: 173]
  7. 桜井[1998: 184]
  8. 上野[1998: 20]
  9. 上野[1998: 21-22]
  10. 以上、上野[1998: 21]
  11. 11.0 11.1 豊島[1992: 210]
  12. 12.0 12.1 桜井[1988: 169]
  13. 13.0 13.1 桜井[1988: 170]
  14. 14.0 14.1 14.2 豊島[1992: 212]
  15. 平凡社[1983]
  16. 16.0 16.1 16.2 上野[1998: 22]
  17. 豊島[1992:212-213]
  18. Template:国指定文化財等データベース2、平成28年3月2日文部科学省告示第40号
  19. "県指定文化財・民俗文化財". 和歌山県教育委員会. Retrieved 2009-09-23. {{cite web}}: Text "和書" ignored (help)
  20. 和歌山県指定文化財の新規指定等について
  21. "きゅう漆金銅 装神輿". 国指定文化財等 データベース. 文化庁. Retrieved 2010-06-12. {{cite web}}: Text "和書" ignored (help)
  22. "きゅう漆金銅装神幸用船". 国指定文化財等 データベース. 文化庁. Retrieved 2010-06-12. {{cite web}}: Text "和書" ignored (help)

Literature

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  • Gen Ueno, 1998, "Shinba-togoshiki and Obune-sai" in Takahisa Kato (ed.), Encyclopedia of the Faith in the Three Kumano Mountains, Ebisu Kosho Shuppan, ISBN 4900901075
  • Mitsuru Sakurai, 1988, "Festivals of the Three Mountains", edited by Susumu Wada, "Kumano Gongen", Chikuma Shobo ISBN 4480854215
  • All Japan Folk Performing Arts Association, 2006, Encyclopedia of Japanese Festival Culture, Tokyo Shoseki ISBN 4487733332
  • Toyoshima, Osamu, 1992, "Kumano, the Land of Death - Japanese Sacred Land Beliefs", Kodansha (Kodansha Gendai Shinsho) ISBN 4061491032
  • Heibonsha, 1983, "Place names of Mie Prefecture" (Japanese Historical Place Names Series 24), Heibonsha ISBN 9784582490244
  • —, 1997, Encyclopedia of Temples and Shrines in Yamato and Kii, Heibonsha, ISBN 4582134025
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