User:Immanuelle/Takeiwatatsu-no-Mikoto
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| Takeiwatatsu-no-Mikoto | |
|---|---|
 Aso Shrine, his main cult center | |
| Born | unknown |
| Spouse(s) | Asotsuhime no Mikoto |
| Issue
Hayamikatama no Mikoto | |
| Father | Kamuyaimimi |
Takeiwatatsu-no-Mikoto is a Japanese kami worshipped at Aso Shrine. He is a grandson of Jimmu.[1]
He is the son of Kamuyaimimi[2], and grandson of Jimmu.[1]
He is the Oyagami of the Aso clan.[2]
He is an agricultural god, and it is traditionally believed the people of Aso, Kumamoto could not farm until he taught them how.[3]
Mythological background
changeHe is the son of Kamuyaimimi[2], and grandson of Jimmu.[1]
The shrine is dedicated to the veneration of Takeiwatatsu-no-Mikoto (健磐龍命), who was a grandson of Japan's first emperor and the nephew of Emperor Suizei, the second monarch on the traditional list of emperors.[4] In the same period that Emperor Jimmu was establishing his palace at Kashihara at the foot of Mount Unebi in Yamato Province,[5] Takeiwatasu was sent to Aso where he helped establish a number of agricultural communities; and later, he is said to have built a palace at Miyagi Prefecture.[6]
The creation of Aso
change
According to an interview with several priests at Aso shrine, the legend of Takeiwatatsu-no-Mikoto and the formation of Aso City, is as follows:
Thousands of years ago, the crater now known as Aso city was said to be filled with water and was thereby a huge lake surrounded by the outer rim of the caldera. Takeiwatatsu-no-Mikoto kicked in the western side of the caldera[2] at what is now known as Tateno, Minami-Aso. He fell from the effort and was unable to stand for a while hence the name "Tateno" meaning "unable to stand up."As the water drained away forming rivers on the outside of the valley, a huge catfish (Namazu) appeared. The catfish was settled at the bottom of the lake where some stories say it was asked to leave by Takeiwatatsu-no-Mikoto. The catfish went to Namazu, Kashima where Namazu-sha Shrine was established to pay homage to the soul of the catfish as the spirit of the lake. Now the shrine is in the precincts of the Kokuzo Shrine.[3]
The shrine's main kami is Ichinomiya Takeiwatatsu-no-mikoto (一の宮健磐龍命) the creator of Aso and the God credited with teaching the villagers about agriculture. He is said to be the descendant of Emperor Jinmu. Since Takeiwatatsu-no-mikoto was descended from Emperor Jinmu who is said to have been human, legends surrounding his divinity is unclear. Some state that through his lineage from the Goddess Amaterasu he was given divine powers for creating Aso. Another legend states that the deity of the volcano, entered the body of Takeiwatatsu-no-mikoto turning him from a human into a divine being. These are common folklore among the people with the only consensus being that over time, the deity of the land and the deity of the volcano was combined into one symbol by the name of Takeiwatatsu-no-mikoto.[3]
The legend of Kihachi
changeThe legend of Kihachi surrounds the Hitaki-Shinji festival commemorated in Aso annually. Legend states that Takeiwatatsu-no-mikoto liked practicing his archery. He would stand on Ojodake (a cone shaped formation on Mt. Aso) and practice shooting matoishi (target stone) in what is now Matoishi in Aso, located north of the caldera. Kihachi his servant, was in charge of bringing the arrows back from the matoishi to Takeiwatatsu-no-Mikoto. After the 100th arrow was shot, Kihachi got tired and kicked the arrow back breaking it in half. Takeiwatatsu-no-Mikoto was furious and drawing his sword slayed Kihachi cutting off his head. Kihachi's head ascended as a deity vowing to exact revenge on Takeiwatatsu-no-Mikoto's village of Aso. Later, during the winter months it frosted in Aso valley damaging all of the crops. Takeiwatatsu-no-Mikoto realised that this was the revenge that Kihachi had spoken of and so he enshrined his soul at Shimo Shrine (frost shrine) to abate his anger. A ritual called the Hitaki-Shinji was started where a fire is kept for 2 months to pray for a good harvest and prevent frost damage to the crops.[3] They say that this is why the winters in Aso are so cold.
Hereditary succession
changeThe position of Chief Priest of Aso Shrine is hereditary and is passed down from generation to generation with the oldest male in the family becoming the new head of the shrine. The Aso family has the second oldest recorded lineage in Japan after the Imperial family. The family themselves are said to be descendants of Takeiwatatsu-no-Mikoto. The Aso family were priests but also rose to power as a powerful samurai clan in the 11th century. They remained in prominence until the 16th century as their feudal lord continued to rule over half of what is now known as Kumamoto Prefecture. This contributed economically to the family and the shrine, allowing them to rebuild shrine buildings and hold festivals. It also made it possible for them to establish branches of the Aso shrine in other locations. Some of those shrines still remain in up to 500 locations to this day. Koreyuki Aso (Aso Koreyuki in Japanese name order) was the 91st Chief Priest of Aso Shrine with his son being the 92nd.[2]
| Emperor Jimmu | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Kanakori no Kami | Kamuyaimimi no Mikoto | Kunitatsu no Kami | Hime Miko no Kami | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Imperial Family Line | Takeiwatatsu-no-Mikoto | Asotsuhime no Mikoto | Shinhiko no Mikoto | Yahime no Kami | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Hayamikatama no Mikoto | Wakahiko no kami | Shinhime no Mikoto | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Wakahime no Kami | Hikomiko no Kami | Aso Shrine Extended Family | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Current Aso Shrine Priests | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Worship
changeU-no-matsuri
changeThe Aso shrine's U-no-matsuri (卯の祭) is a 13-day event that occurs in March to welcome spring and pray for the beginning of the rice planting season. The U-no-matsuri marks the anniversary of Aso shrine's chief deity Takeiwatatsu-no-Mikoto's arrival in Aso. This event occurred in the second month of the lunar calendar which is March in the current calendar. The shrine's Guuji San perform sacred Shinto music and dances every day of the festival while praying for a rich harvest.[2]
Occurring simultaneously to the U-no-matsuri, is a prominent festival called the Tazukuri Matsuri (田作り祭り) which is celebrated over 7 days, and the Daihimonjiyaki (大火文字焼き) which is the lighting of the Chinese characters for "fire" and "flame" on the mountains which is also done around the same time and sometimes the same day as the Tazukuri Matsuri.[7]
See also
changeNotes
change- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Ponsonby-Fane, Shrines, pp. 480-484.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 Takano, Tomoaki; Uchimura, Hiroaki (2006). History and Festivals of the Aso Shrine. Aso Shrine, Ichinomiya, Aso City.: Aso Shrine.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 "The Deity of the Volcano Geosite". Aso GeoPark Geosite Map (Guide Map). Aso Local Development Design Centre Foundation. 2014.
- ↑ Ponsonby-Fane, Richard. (1959). The Imperial House of Japan, p. 29.
- ↑ Ponsonby-Fane, Imperial House, p. 28; Unebiyama-no Ushitora-no-sumi-no misasagi (Unebi Goryō, tomb of Emperor Jimmu).
- ↑ Ponsonby-Fane, Shrines, pp. 480-484.
- ↑ 末吉, 駿一 (2018). 肥後一の宮阿蘇神社. (株）マインド. pp. 38, 39, 40 and 43.
References
change- Iwao, Seiichi, Teizō Iyanaga, Susumu Ishii and Shôichirô Yoshida. (2002). Dictionnaire historique du Japon. Paris: Maisonneuve & Larose. ISBN 978-2-7068-1575-1; OCLC 51096469
- Ponsonby-Fane, Richard. (1959). The Imperial House of Japan. Kyoto: Ponsonby Memorial Society. OCLC 194887
- Ponsonby-Fane, Richard. (1962). Studies in Shinto and Shrines. Kyoto: Ponsonby Memorial Society. OCLC 213796577
External links
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- (in Japanese) Aso shrine
- (in Japanese) Aso city home page
- (in Japanese) Aso shrine, images
- Kyushu Tourist: Aso Shinre, images
- Kumamoto University: University Library, Aso manuscript collection
- Hi-taki no shinji
- Hi-taki no shinji