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【熊野から大和・吉野へ 皇統神話と熊野の旅-31】



さて神武帝の「大和入り」についての上陸地・熊野からの道探訪篇の最後のルート。神話としては八咫烏に先導させるという神意がもたらされて、三千六百峰といわれる紀伊山地を踏破することになっている。その道筋についてはあまり神話でも触れられていない。以下のような記述が橿原神宮由緒略記にある。
〜磐余彦尊（神武天皇）の兵たちは山をいくつも超えたところで道がわからなくなってしまいました。その時、アマテラス大神が磐余彦の夢にあらわれて申されました。「今、天から八咫烏を道案内として差し向けます。その八咫烏の飛んでいく方向に進みなさい」と教え諭されました。そして八咫烏の力をもって、土着のたくさんの勢力を征し、ようやく吉野川の川上に行き着くことができました。〜
いちばん上の写真は、新宮のガソリンスタンドで「熊野から奈良の方向に行くにはどういうルートなの？」と問うたところ言われたのが「あ、いつも京都にまっすぐ向かう道を地元民は使いますよ（笑）」と教えられて山並みを超えていった頂上付近にあった池原貯水池ダムの水源地地形。


列島地形の中で古来から人間は移動を繰り返していただろうから、八咫烏という道先案内者も、そういった道に沿って導いただろうことがふつうに想像できる。複雑な山岳地形のなかで比較的に安全で合理性の高い「道」が存在し、それが「人が歩けば道になる」道理で、開けていったのだろう。はるかな後世、北海道開拓の150年ほど前には本願寺道路のように人跡未踏の開拓があったけれど、古代から多くの人間が住み，暮らし続けた地域ではそういう「経験知」が伝承されていただろう。
現代にこの国道を走破して、まことに印象的な池原貯水池の様子が視界に飛び込んできたとき、その陶然とした神々しい景観に深く打たれてしまった。内心でこの道に違いないとひそかに確信させられた。橿原神宮由緒略記の地図表記にも、ほぼこの地形位置が表記されている。
現代では「吉野熊野源流文化圏」という名称で図のような三自治体、三重県と和歌山県にまたがる北山村・上北山村・下北山村が同一文化圏として認識されている。この水源地域から「吉野川」が大和平野に向かって流れていくけれど、皇統神話としての神武帝の一団も、この吉野川に沿って大和地方に下っていったと推定できる。やがて吉野に至り、そしてやや東進して宇陀に入っていくことになる。亡き兄、五瀬命の建てた「日を背にして戦う」という戦略方針に沿って大和平野に向かったのだろう。
そしてやがて大和平野の東端になる三輪山を背にして長髄彦の勢力と死闘を繰り広げて勝利し、そのまま平野をよぎって、宮を造作するための豊かな森林資源、橿が生い茂っていた橿原に宮を造営した。
橿原はわたしの古代史研究のもっともお世話になっている地域。あした、橿原神宮の様子を記述して、このツアー記録の最終章としたい。

English version⬇

From Kumano to Yamato and Yoshino: The Myth of the Imperial Lineage and the Kumano Journey-31
Although Kumano is a myth, it is quite plausible if you follow the path. You can also encounter some very divine landscapes. The Imperial lineage and Kumano are in harmony with each other. The Imperial Lineage and Kumano are inextricably linked.

Now, the last route of the Road Exploration Arc from Kumano, the landing place about Emperor Jinmu’s “entry into Yamato”. According to the myth, the emperor was supposed to have Yatagarasu lead him through the Kii mountain range, which is said to have 3,600 peaks. The route is not mentioned much in the myth. The following description is found in the Kashihara Jingu Shrine Historical Record.
〜The soldiers of the deity Iwayohiko (Emperor Jinmu) lost their way after crossing a number of mountains. At that time, Amaterasu appeared to him in a dream and said, “Now, Yatagataha (three-legged stature) is coming from the heavens. Now, I will send Yatagarasu from the heavens to guide you along the way. Go in the direction in which the yatagarasu flies. With the power of Yatagarasu, he was able to conquer the many native forces and finally reach the top of the Yoshino River. 〜The top photo shows Shingu’s first landing on the Yoshino River.
The top photo was taken at a gas station in Shingu, where I asked the driver, “What is the route to take from Kumano to Nara? The photo above is a natural dam-like water source terrain near the top of the mountain range we crossed.

Since humans have been repeatedly moving in the archipelago’s topography since ancient times, it is common to imagine that Yatagarasu, a guide, would have led people along such a path. In the complex mountainous terrain, there existed “paths” that were relatively safe and rational, and they must have been opened up based on the principle that “if a person walks, it becomes a path. In the far future, about 150 years before the development of Hokkaido, there were pioneer settlements like the Honganji Road that had never been explored by humans, but in areas where many people had lived and continued to live since ancient times, such “empirical knowledge” must have been handed down.
When I traveled this national road in modern times and saw a truly impressive natural dam, I was deeply impressed by the ebullient and divine scenery, and was secretly convinced that this must be the road. The map in the Kashihara Jingu Shuyo Kashihara Shikki also shows this topographical location.
Today, the Yoshino-Kumano Headwaters Cultural Circle is recognized as the same cultural area that includes the three municipalities shown in the figure, Kitayama, Kamikitayama, and Shimokitayama, which straddle Mie and Wakayama Prefectures. From this water source area, the “Yoshino River” flows toward the Yamato Plain, but it can be assumed that the group of the Emperor Jinmu in the imperial mythology also descended along this Yoshino River to the Yamato region. Eventually, they reached Yoshino and then moved slightly eastward into Uda. They probably headed for the Yamato Plain in accordance with the strategic policy of “fighting with the sun on their backs” established by their late elder brother, Gose-no-Mikoto.
He eventually won the battle to the death against the forces of Nagamayuhiko against the eastern edge of the Yamato Plain, Mount Miwa, and built a palace in Kashihara, a place with abundant forest resources for building palaces.
Kashihara is the area that I am most indebted to for my research on ancient history. Tomorrow, I would like to conclude this tour with a description of the Kashihara Shrine.

Posted on 2月 6th, 2024 by 三木 奎吾
Filed under: 日本社会・文化研究 | No Comments »

【１週間の出張から帰還、暖房ボイラーの不調？】


先週は月曜日から土曜日の日程で東北出張。久しぶりの遠征出張でしたのでカラダは疲れているハズだけれど、心理的には久しぶりの「準地元」行脚で爽快感がありました。
で、土曜日夕方５時過ぎには自宅に帰還。ふと気付いたら、お隣さんでは写真のような雪像を造作されていた（笑）。まことに見事な作品。なんでも最近流行の子ども向けキャラなんだそうで、道行く多くのみなさんがスマホを向けていたそうです。かくいうわたしも思わずシャッターを押してしまっていた。
といった真冬の北海道風景でありますが、わたしのデスク回りではやや低温気味。カミさんに聞いたら「不在だったから、暖房レベル下げていた」とのこと。わが家は今現在は石油ボイラーによる蓄熱型の床暖房であります。これまでの30年以上の間、何度か暖房システムは実験的に変更してきていたのですが、いまは元々のこのシステムに復帰している。面積が広く地下を入れれば４階建てなのでエアコンを補助暖房に使用。ベーシックな暖房方式は温水循環床暖房で、各所での体感にあわせての運転を行っている。事務所建築でもあるので大量の事務機器、とくに北海道でも数カ所というDTP用のプリンターなども設置されている関係から「冷房」も必須なのですね。集中と分散の暖冷房・組み合わせ対応。
なんですが、さすがに出張の疲労感があるので、簡単にデータ類を片付けたあとすぐにベッドに直行してひたすら体力の復元に努めていました。で、昨日日曜日に早朝目覚めてあらためて確認したら、けっこうな室温低下ぶりで16度前後。通常21度前後は確保しているのでこれでは、ちょっと仕事のデスク環境としてはキビシイ。そこでボイラーの床暖房の運転状況を確認したら、どうも１週間以上、運転されていないような管理状況。実際には他の室温レベルが高く推移していたので、体感的に暖房運転の必要性を感じなかったそうでした。

で、コントローラーを使って床暖房レベルを上げるべく燃焼運転させようとしたのですが、なぜか起動しない。燃焼サインを表すランプが赤く点滅を繰り返している。・・・まったくはじめて遭遇する反応。
あいにくの日曜日なのでどこも相談対応が難しく、やむなく自力対応。
そうしたらカミさんが「試しに・・・」ということでボイラーの電源コンセントを確認して、いったん抜いて、そのあと再度接続させてみたところ、運転再開して燃焼が始まった。
コントローラーの表示でも正常運転が示されはじめていた。
今回の障害としてコントローラーは操作すればふつうに反応はしている。ところがその運転指令がボイラーには伝達されない、ということは・・・という推理で一番初源的な電気信号の受発信がされていないことに着目した。ボイラー本体には電源スイッチは装置されていない。その機能は遠隔コントローラー（わが家の場合ボイラーは１階の機械室、コントローラーは２階の壁面設置）でだけ行える。この間の信号伝達に問題があるのではと冷静に考えてみたということ。まことに正解、頭が下がる。
まずはボイラーメーカーや建築施工者への連絡対応を優先したわたしですが、整理整頓して現状把握、問題点チェック対応を進めたカミさんに脱帽、感謝でありました。よきユーザーの鑑。
「老いては妻に従え」っていう人生訓は聞きませんが、言ってみれば「灯台もと暗し」「急がば回れ」という教訓でありました。ふ〜、よかった。ひと安心ですが、冬場の暖房問題は放置すればいのちや健康にかかわる。注意を怠ってはならないですね。
さて本日朝はそこそこの積雪。雪かき出動であります。

English version⬇

Returned from a week-long business trip, heating boiler malfunction?
The indoor climate in Hokkaido is generally above 20 degrees Celsius in almost all rooms. Problems occurred in the operation operation of the base heating oil boiler storage-type floor heating system. Lesson learned. …

Last week, I went on a business trip to Tohoku from Monday to Saturday. It had been a long time since I had been on a business trip, so my body was tired, but psychologically, I felt refreshed after a long absence from my “semi-local” area.
I returned home after 5:00 p.m. on Saturday evening. Suddenly I noticed that my neighbor had made a snow sculpture like the one in the photo (laugh). A truly magnificent work of art. I heard that it was a character for children, which is very popular these days, and many people on the street were pointing their smartphones at it. I couldn’t help but press the shutter button myself.
It was a midwinter scene in Hokkaido, but the temperature around my desk was a little low. When I asked my wife about it, she said, “I was away, so I turned down the heating level. Our house is currently heated by a storage-type floor heating system using an oil boiler. Over the past 30 years, the heating system has been changed several times on an experimental basis, but now we are back to this original system. Air conditioning is used for supplemental heating because of the large area and four floors if the basement is included. The basic heating system is hot water circulating floor heating, which is operated according to the experience in each area. Since this is also an office building, a large amount of office equipment, especially printers for DTP (desktop publishing), which are only a few places in Hokkaido, are installed, so “cooling” is also essential. The combination of centralized and dispersed heating and cooling.
I was feeling tired from the business trip, so I went straight to bed after cleaning up some data and worked hard to regain my strength. Yesterday, Sunday, I woke up early in the morning and found that the room temperature had dropped considerably to around 16 degrees Celsius. Since I usually keep the room temperature at around 21 degrees Celsius, this was not a good environment for my work desk. I then checked the operation status of the floor heating system in the boiler, and found that it had not been in operation for more than a week. In fact, the other room temperature levels had remained high, so he did not feel the need to operate the heating system.

So, I tried to use the controller to run the combustion to increase the floor heating level, but for some reason it would not start. The light indicating the combustion sign is repeatedly blinking red. … a reaction I am encountering for the first time at all.
Unfortunately, it was a Sunday, so it was difficult for us to consult with anyone, and we were forced to take care of the problem ourselves.
Then, my wife said, “Let’s give it a try…” I checked the boiler’s power outlet, unplugged it, and then reconnected it, and it resumed operation and started burning.
The controller display also began to show normal operation.
The controller responded normally when operated, but the boiler did not respond to the operation commands. However, the operation command is not transmitted to the boiler, which means that…we realized that the most fundamental electrical signal was not being received or transmitted. The boiler itself is not equipped with a power switch. That function can only be performed by a remote controller (in our case, the boiler is located in the machine room on the first floor, and the controller is installed on the wall on the second floor). I thought calmly that there might be a problem with the signal transmission between the two. You are absolutely right, and I bow down to you.
I gave priority to contacting the boiler manufacturer and the building contractor first, but I am grateful to Kami for her organized efforts to understand the current situation and to check the problem. She is a good user.
I never heard the life lesson, “Follow your wife when you are old,” but it was a lesson of “it’s dark under the lighthouse” and “if you hurry, it will turn out fine. I am glad to hear that. I am relieved, but the heating problem in winter can be life-threatening and health-threatening if left unchecked. We must not neglect caution.
Well, there was a good amount of snow this morning. I had to go out to shovel snow.

Posted on 2月 5th, 2024 by 三木 奎吾
Filed under: 住宅性能・設備 | No Comments »

【神武帝の二木島上陸と神剣 皇統神話と熊野の旅-30】




熊野地域という存在には北海道人であるわたしはほとんど知識がなかったのですが、実際に探訪してみてふとその「再生の地」という側面に触れて驚かされ続けておりました。実際に訪れたことで、その地域景観・民俗を知れば知るほどに奥行きが広がっていく思い。
しかし本来このブログシリーズはタイトル「皇統神話と熊野の旅」通り、いわば「通り道」探索という動機だったのです。たぶんふたたび熊野をめぐる旅に出るだろうと思っていますが、神話の霧に包まれた「神武東征」再起動の上陸地域としての熊野というスタートラインに一度、戻りたい。
資料としては熊野地域探訪後に訪れた橿原で触入手した、神武天皇を祀る橿原神宮が発行する「由緒略記」と、日本古代史と古典の第一人者とされる保田輿重郎氏による書籍「神武天皇」。神話と歴史の境界部分なのですが皇統神話の側に立った見方と承知した上で、参考にしたいと考えた次第です。
上の写真は、皇統が熊野地域に上陸地点の目印にした楯ヶ崎と、神武帝の兄２人が嵐に遭遇して海上で命を落として鎮魂された２つの神社の遠望位置と最有力とされる上陸地「二木島港」。
皇統の兄たち３人を失った神武帝一行は、この二木島に上陸して地元の勢力「丹敷戸畔〜にしきとべ」を討ち取って拠点を確保した。「丹敷」は二木島とも通じる地名。長躯の海上移動と大嵐遭遇で一行は疲労困憊していた。あたりで休んでいるとふいに大きな熊が現れ、その熊の毒気にみんなが気を失ってしまった。

そこに熊野地域の豪族・高倉下〜たかくらじ〜があらわれて「天神のお使いで高倉下が大刀を持って馳せ参じました」と大刀を献上したところ神武帝は「ああ、どうしたことだろう、ずいぶん長く寝ていたことだわい」と目覚めて、この大刀を受け取ったという。
大刀を受け取っただけなのに、熊野の山にいた悪い神たちはばたばたと倒れていった。そして東征軍全体は目覚め、立ち上がったのだという。神武帝は高倉下にこの神剣の由来を問うた。
「昨夜不思議な夢を見ました。夢の中でアマテラス大神が国譲りで功のあったタケミカヅチ（武御雷神〜鹿島神宮の祭神）を呼んで、そなたは一度平定したことがあるのだから天上から下って天孫を助けるようにと言った。それに対してタケミカヅチは自分がわざわざ行かなくともその時の大刀があるから地上に降ろしましょう、と言って高倉下の倉の屋根を貫いて落とした。そして、明日の朝目覚めたら、これを天孫の御子に奉れと言われ、目覚めたら本当に大刀があったので、そこで献上に参ったのです。」
この奇譚は神武帝の上陸に際しての消息を伝える伝説。高倉下という人物は尾張連の遠祖とされて朝廷に仕えることになる。祭神として祀る神社も熱田神宮境外摂社の高座結御子神社や、三重県伊賀市の高倉神社が知られている。熊野と伊勢国は海上交通で近接する地域であり、尾張もそのように考えられる。古代の海上交通勢力だったのではというのは自然な解釈だろう。
この奇譚には最初期の朝臣がどのようなものであったのか、が示唆されているのかも知れない。神話はこのあと大和進出の道先案内として「八咫烏」伝承に触れていく流れだが、こういう説話は神武東遷の協力者たちを直接に象徴化させていったのだろうか。

English version⬇

The Landing of Emperor Jinmu on Nigijima and the Divine Sword: Imperial Mythology and Kumano Journey-30
There is a probability that a landmark, Tategasaki, and shrines dedicated to his brothers who lost their lives in a sea accident exist at opposite angles to the point of the landing of Jinmu. What is the authenticity of the myths and legends after the landing? …

As a Hokkaido native, I had little knowledge of the Kumano area, but I was continually surprised when I actually visited the area and came into contact with its aspect as a “place of rebirth. The more I learned about the local landscape and folk customs, the more I was surprised by the depth of the area.
However, that was originally my motive to explore “the path” so to speak, as the title of this blog series, “A Journey to Kumano and the Myth of the Imperial Lineage,” suggests. I will probably go on a trip to Kumano again, but I would like to return to the starting point of Kumano as the landing area of the “Jinmu Tohei” (the eastern expedition to the east), which was shrouded in the mists of mythology.
As reference materials, I obtained by touch in Kashihara, which I visited after exploring the Kumano area, the “Brief History of the History” published by Kashihara Shrine, which enshrines Emperor Jinmu, and the book “Emperor Jinmu” by Koshijuro Yasuda, who is considered a leading expert on Japanese ancient history and classics. I would like to refer to these books, knowing that they are the boundary between myth and history, but taking the side of the myth of the imperial lineage.
The photo above shows Tategasaki, which was a landmark of the landing site of the Imperial lineage in the Kumano area, and the distant position of the two shrines where two of Emperor Jinmu’s elder brothers lost their lives at sea in a storm and were reposed, as well as the most likely landing site “Futakishima Port”.
After the loss of three of his imperial elder brothers, the Jinmu emperor and his party landed on this Nigijima and secured a base by defeating the local force “Tanshiki Toge – Nishikitobe. Tanshiki” is the name of a place also known as Niki Island. The group was exhausted from the long journey by sea and the encounter with the storm. While resting in the area, a large bear suddenly appeared, and the bear’s venom caused everyone to faint.

The Emperor Jinmu woke up and said, “Oh, what is the matter, I have been asleep for a long time.
The bad gods in the mountains of Kumano fell down in a flurry, even though he had only received the great sword. The entire eastern expeditionary force then awoke and rose up. Emperor Jinmu asked Takakurakashita about the origin of this divine sword.
I had a strange dream last night. In the dream, Amaterasu called Takemikazuchi (Takemikazuchi – the god of thunder – the deity of Kashima Shrine), who had done so much to conquer the land, and told him to come down from the heavens and help his grandchildren, since you had once conquered the land. Takemikazuchi, on the other hand, said that he did not have to go all the way, but that he had the great sword from that time and that he would bring it down to earth, and dropped it through the roof of the storehouse under the Takakura. Then he told me to dedicate it to the Son of Heaven when I awoke tomorrow morning, and when I awoke, I indeed found the great sword, so I went there to dedicate it.”
This strange tale is a legend that tells of the disappearance of Emperor Jinmu on the occasion of his landing. A man named Takagurashita was regarded as a distant ancestor of the Owari-ren and served the Imperial Court. Known shrines dedicated to him include Takazakayuko Shrine, a regency shrine outside the precincts of Atsuta Jingu Shrine, and Takakura Shrine in Iga City, Mie Prefecture. Kumano and Ise Province are in close proximity to each other in terms of maritime traffic, and Owari is also considered to be such a region. It would be a natural interpretation to suggest that they may have been an ancient maritime transportation power.
This tale may suggest the nature of the earliest imperial subjects. The myth then goes on to mention the legend of “Yatagarasu” as a guide to the advance to Yamato, and one wonders if this kind of tale directly symbolized the collaborators in the eastward migration of Jinmu.

Posted on 2月 4th, 2024 by 三木 奎吾
Filed under: 日本社会・文化研究 | No Comments »

【空と水平線・地平線をたゆとう旅路】



わたしは仕事人生で新規開拓型の「営業」を主たる行動スタイルにしてきました。
いまは、そういう仕事的スタンスから少し自由度が加わってきたのですが、しかし同様に「取材」というスタイルで各地で「ひとを訪ねる」ことも必要性が高まってきている。
旅をするというのはたぶん人間の本然のいちばん底辺にその動機部分が潜在しているように思う。考えて見れば当たり前で、人類は「グレートジャーナー」という地球上の全大陸に進出した唯一の動物種。それがどういった「動機」に由来しているのかはまだ、解明されていないけれど、人類、そしてそれ以前からの進化の過程そのものにDNA組み込みされているに違いない。まったく抵抗不能な能動性を人間は間違いなく持っているのだろう。
写真は最近あちこち行脚している途中でついシャッターを切っていた光景。
地球環境というのは、実にさまざまな表情で人間の感受性を刺激してくる。空の雲は常に千変万化して、太陽や星たちの運行に沿って多彩な画像を人間の感受性に「ふりそそいで」くる。こういう「目に見える地球」の映像は、はるかな広がりを焼き付けてくる。
あの空の先にはどんな光景が広がっているのか、見てみたい，感じてみたい。
たぶん始原的な感性の部分で、それを「神の手」と言っても問題ない部分で、人間は強く影響を受けて導かれているのだろう。

日本史で言うと、西行という人物に惹かれています。1118年生まれ1190年死亡。平均的にはより短命だった時代に70才を超えていた。現在のわたしの年齢ほどでなくなっている。若くして王城を守護する北面の武士になり、鳥羽院にその歌人としての才を認められたのだという。同時期の北面の武士に平清盛がいる。
「後鳥羽院御口伝」に「西行はおもしろくてしかも心ことに深く、ありがたく出できがたきかたもともにあひかねて見ゆ。生得の歌人と覚ゆ。おぼろげの人、まねびなどすべき歌にあらず。不可説の上手なり」とあるごとく、藤原俊成とともに新古今の新風形成に大きな影響を与えた歌人とされている。日本の皇統は文化面での主導者であり、そういう才を愛でられて生涯を過ごした人物なのだと思われる。
そういう才を活かすためにか、求められてか、たぶんその両方なのだろうけれど生涯を旅に過ごしている。実際にこの時代に四国讃岐とか、奥州藤原氏の平泉とか、鎌倉・源頼朝など全国各地を「歩いて」訪ね歩いている。歌人という文化サロンの人物であり、一種の「外交調整者」としてメッセンジャー機能を期待もされていたのだろう。
現代人は西行の時代の比ではないほどに遠行が可能であり、また旅の手段も進化している。そして社会の複雑化もはるかに進行し、文化も多様化してきている。
しかし人間の生きる「彩り」としての部分では共通するものはあるだろう。別に歌を書きたいワケではありませんが、はるかなる生き方を示してくれている先人という思いを持っています。

English version⬇

The sky, the horizon, and the horizon.
My mind is gradually moving toward simplicity (laughs). When Kukai attained liberation, there was only “the sky and the sea. Is this a Japanese mentality that is also connected to the poet Saigyo? I am not sure.

In my professional life, my main activity style has been “sales” in the form of new business development.
Now I have a little more freedom from such a work stance, but there is a growing need for me to “visit people” in various places in the form of “interviews” as well.
I think that the motivation to travel is probably latent at the very bottom of human nature. It is only natural to think about it. Humans are the only “great travelers,” the only animal species to have made it to every continent on the planet. What kind of “motive” this is derived from has yet to be elucidated, but it must be embedded in the DNA of the human species and in the evolutionary process itself from before. Humans definitely possess a completely irresistible active nature.
The photo is a scene I snapped a few times during my recent travels around the world.
The global environment stimulates human sensitivity in a variety of ways. The clouds in the sky are constantly changing and “sprinkling” various images onto our senses in accordance with the movements of the sun and stars. These images of the “visible earth” burn a far-reaching expanse into the mind.
We want to see and feel what kind of scene spreads out beyond that sky.
Perhaps it is the primitive sensitivity, which we can call “the hand of God,” that is strongly influenced and guided by human beings.

In Japanese history, I am drawn to a man named Saigyo, born in 1118 and died in 1190. He was over 70 years old at a time when life on average was shorter. He is no longer as old as I am today. At a young age, he became a warrior of the northern front guarding the royal castle, and his talent as a poet was recognized by the Toba Inin. He was recognized as a talented poet by Toba-in at the same time.
In the “Go-Toba-in Gokuden,” it is written, “Saigyo is interesting and has a deep heart. He is a poet by nature. He is not a poet to be imitated by those who are ignorant. He is a poet who, along with Fujiwara no Toshinari, had a great influence on the formation of the new style of the new Kon-Ten style. The Japanese imperial lineage was led by him in terms of culture, and it is thought that he was a man who spent his life being loved for such talents.
He spent his life traveling, perhaps to make use of his talents, perhaps in response to demand, perhaps both. In fact, during this period, he “walked” around the country visiting places such as Sanuki in Shikoku, Hiraizumi under the Oshu Fujiwara clan, and Minamoto no Yoritomo in Kamakura. He was a poet, a cultural salon figure, and was probably expected to function as a kind of “diplomatic coordinator” and messenger.
Today, people can travel much further than in Saigyo’s time, and the means of travel have also evolved. Society has become far more complex, and cultures have become more diverse.
However, there are some things in common in terms of the “color” of human life. I do not wish to write a song, but I have the feeling that our ancestors are showing us a far more advanced way of life.

Posted on 2月 3rd, 2024 by 三木 奎吾
Filed under: 日本社会・文化研究 | No Comments »

【海と川の要衝・速玉大社 皇統神話と熊野の旅-29】



日本史の中の経済的・軍事的勢力として「水軍」という存在は大きい。東アジアの漢字文化圏における伝統的な水上兵力の呼称。西洋・近代の軍事における海軍に相当するが東洋の水軍においては河川や湖沼における水上兵力の比重も大きい。水師、船師、舟師ともいう。海上・水上交通を支配してさまざまな経済利権について掌握する機能性を持った組織体といえるだろう。
紀州方面に於いては別当氏に代表される「熊野水軍」が代表格であり、治承・寿永の乱に於いては湛増などが壇ノ浦などで活躍している。湛増は平安時代末期から鎌倉時代初期にかけて活躍した熊野三山の社僧で21代熊野別当。別当とはそもそも律令制度で「官司」の職務全体を統括・監督する地位に就いた時に補任される地位とされる。その職制がやがて「苗字」として名乗られるようにもなる。宗教勢力による軍事力であり、陸戦での「僧兵」と対比される。これらは後には「九鬼水軍」へと引き継がれていく。
上の「熊野速玉大社参詣曼荼羅」は境内にあった板画ですが、活発な「海上・水上交易」の様子が描かれていて、それによって地域の独自勢力として日本史の中で存在感を示し続けていたことがわかる。
紀ノ川は現在の和歌山市周辺で大阪・堺との関係性、強く中央と結びついた存在だが、この熊野は紀伊半島の熊野灘地域全域を支配する非常に独立性の高い地域だったことが容易に想像できる。宗教的権威として朝廷の尊崇が篤く、そして社僧自身が海上軍事戦力の首領を担うという独立権力の姿が浮かび上がってくる。
戦国期、こういった熊野の独立性の高さに対して天下布武・中央集権体制を志向した信長も軍事侵攻し、秀吉の代では実弟・秀長の家臣筆頭、藤堂高虎が1589年（天正17年）頃、一揆鎮圧拠点として「赤木城」を築いている。これは紀州の豊富な森林資源を管理しつつ、熊野の宗教勢力を鎮圧しようとしたもの。
江戸期には紀州の豊富な木材資源での投機的交易で紀伊國屋が財を成すけれど、そもそも木材出荷こそが熊野地域の経済力の源泉なのだともいえる。その「水運」がいかに重要かは自明だろう。
一枚の絵から、さまざまな情報が喚起されてくる。



わたしの家系伝承のなかに「往昔紀州にて仕官したるところ」という記述をしてくれたご先祖様がいて、そのかすかな手掛かりから、なんとかこの地方のことを調べてみたくなったのだけれど、北海道とは2000kmを超える非常な遠隔地で困難に直面していたけれど、それが今回の熊野探索の強い動機になっている。
日本民俗としても非常に存在感が大きな地域であるということがわかって、日本史の理解に奥行きが広がってきたように思えて感謝している。明日からはふたたび神武東征の跡をたどってみたい。

English version⬇

Hayatama-taisha, the Keystone of the Sea and Rivers: A Journey to Kumano and the Myth of the Imperial Family – 29
The location of Kumano Hayatama-taisha, which suppresses the mouth of the Kumano River to the Pacific Ocean. A religious force with naval and military power in contrast to the land-based “priestly army”. …

The “navy” is a significant economic and military force in Japanese history. This is the traditional name for waterborne forces in the Kanji cultural sphere of East Asia. It corresponds to the navy in Western and modern military affairs, but in the Eastern navy, the waterborne forces on rivers and lakes also play a significant role. Also called water masters, ship masters, and boat masters. It can be said to be an organization with the function of controlling maritime and waterway traffic and seizing various economic interests.
In the Kishu area, the Kumano Suigun, represented by the Betsudo clan, is a representative example, and Tanmaso and others were active at Dannoura and other locations during the Jisho and Juei Disturbances. Tanmasu was the 21st Betsudo of Kumano, a priest of Kumano Sanzan who was active from the end of the Heian Period to the beginning of the Kamakura Period. Betsudo is a position that is considered to be a supplementary position when a “kanshi” (government official) assumes the position of overseeing and supervising the overall duties of a “kanshi” under the Ritsuryo (law) system. This position eventually became known as “surname. The “kuuki” were the military forces of the religious powers, and were contrasted with the “priests” of the land warfare. These were later succeeded by the “Kuki Suigun” (navy).
The “Kumano Hayatama-taisha Pilgrimage Mandala” above is a board painting that was found in the precincts of the shrine. It depicts active “maritime and waterborne trade,” which shows that they continued to show their presence in Japanese history as a unique regional power.
While the Kino River has a relationship with Osaka and Sakai in the area around present-day Wakayama City and is strongly connected to the center of the country, it is easy to imagine that this Kumano was a very independent region that controlled the entire Kumano-nada region of the Kii Peninsula. The Kumano shrine was revered by the imperial court as a religious authority, and the priests themselves were the heads of the maritime military force, which reveals an independent power.
In the Warring States period, Nobunaga, who was aiming for a centralized power system under the Emperor, made a military invasion against Kumano’s high level of independence, and around 1589, Hideyoshi’s brother, Takatora Todo, the first vassal of Hideyoshi, built Akagi Castle as a base for suppressing revolts. This was an attempt to suppress religious forces in Kumano while managing the abundant forest resources of Kishu.
During the Edo period, Kinokuniya made a fortune through speculative trading in Kishu’s abundant timber resources, but it can be said that timber shipments were the source of the economic power of the Kumano region in the first place. The importance of “water transportation” should be obvious.
A single picture evokes a variety of information.

I have an ancestor who wrote in my family tradition that he served in Kishu in ancient times, and from this faint clue, I wanted to do some research on this region, but I was facing difficulties because it is very remote, over 2000 km from Hokkaido, but this was a strong motivation for this Kumano This was a strong motivation for my exploration of Kumano.
I am grateful to have learned that Kumano is a region with a large presence in Japanese folklore, which has broadened the depth of my understanding of Japanese history. Starting tomorrow, I would like to trace the trail of the Jinmu expedition once again.

Posted on 2月 2nd, 2024 by 三木 奎吾
Filed under: 日本社会・文化研究 | No Comments »

【神倉に対する新宮「速玉大社」 皇統神話と熊野の旅-28】




わたし自身の環境変化があってはじめて徐々に惹かれてきた流れがあったのですが、北海道に住む人間からすると「熊野」というのは本当に縁遠い。昨日も住宅関係の専門研究者で北海道出身のご高齢の方とお目にかかっていたのですが、「熊野・・・はぁ？」という反応。まぁそれが一般的な反応だろうと思います。
しかし、こうして熊野という地域文化、京都文化圏のなかでの位置付けなどを知るほどに、その主要な信仰ポイント「蘇（よみがえ）りの地」ということが近しく感じられる。高齢化を迎える年代の人間として、あらたな生き様を自分に問うような心理に向かわせていただける。人生のよみがえりと考えると、まことにありがたい日本の故事・故地だと心理が重なってくる。

さて、きのうまで２日間、熊野速玉大社の祖神「ゴトビキ」岩を祀る神倉神社について触れてきました。大社の由緒でも「神代の頃に、神倉山の磐座であるゴトビキ岩に熊野速玉大神と熊野夫須美大神が降り立ち、そこで祀られることとなった。 」と記されている。
祭神の熊野速玉大神は伊邪那岐神（イザナギ）とされ、熊野本宮大社では同じ神名で日本書紀に登場する速玉之男（はやたまのを）とされる。熊野夫須美大神は伊邪那美神（イザナミ）とされる。イザナギ・イザナミとすれば、国生み由来の祭神となる。
速玉之男については『日本書紀』の神話に登場する「唾」の神ともいわれる。〜絶命して黄泉国へ去った伊奘冉(イザナミ)を連れ戻しにいった伊奘諾は「見ないでくれ」といわれた彼女を見てしまい喧嘩して妻と別れることになった。その別れ際に唾を吐いた。その唾を吐く神をハヤタマノオとある。これに通じる話には失った釣り針を求めて海宮へいった山幸が、口に含んだ首飾りの玉とともに唾を容器の中に吐き入れると玉は容器から離れなくなった『古事記』の海幸山幸の神話。〜
これらは,唾を吐くことが契約を強固にするという発想を反映するものと考えられている。誓約の際に唾、爪などを相手に渡す習俗が海外にあることが知られるが、唾がわざわざハヤタマノオという名を与えられているのは、日本でこの習俗が強固だったことを示すという説。
・・・やはり人間と社会の始原的な動作・心理がその底流に存在して、ある種哲学的な示唆がそこにはあるのだと思える。神話という霧の中に示されていることがらだけれど、幾世代にもわたって「口承」として遺されてきた先人達の「叡智」がそこには秘められているのだと思う。
日本列島社会では、そういった人類知のようなものが、この熊野のように現代にまで建築的空間としてまで「つたわって」いることがわかる。
もちろん科学的・理性的に日常を処することは基本だけれど、やさしさのような部分ではこうした寛容につながる精神性を重視したいと思っています。

English version⬇

Shingu “Hayatama-taisha” Shrine for Kamikura – A Journey to Kumano and the Myth of the Imperial Family – 28
The name “Shingu” is derived from the architecture of this grand shrine. The traditions of the deities of the shrine are imbued with human knowledge and wisdom that transcend history. …….

I have been gradually attracted to Kumano only after a change in my own environment, but for those of us who live in Hokkaido, “Kumano” is a very remote place. Yesterday, I met an elderly researcher specializing in housing who is from Hokkaido, and his response was, “Kumano…what? I was meeting with an elderly housing researcher from Hokkaido yesterday, and his response was, “Kumano…huh? Well, I guess that is a common reaction.
However, the more I learn about the local culture of Kumano and its position within the Kyoto cultural sphere, the closer I feel to its main point of belief, “the place of revival. As a person of advancing age, the more I learn about Kumano and its place within the Kyoto cultural sphere, the more I feel closer to Kumano as a place of “revival,” a major point of faith in Kyoto. When I think of it as the revival of my life, I feel a sense of gratitude for this place, which is a very important historical event and place in Japan.

Until yesterday, I have been talking about Kamikura Shrine, which enshrines “Gotobiki” Rock, the ancestral deity of Kumano Hayatama-taisha Shrine. The shrine’s history also states, “During the Kami period, Kumano Hayatama and Kumano Husumi descended to Gotobiki Rock, a rock formation on Mount Kamikura, and were enshrined there. The shrine is described as “a place of worship for the god Kumano Hayatama.
Kumano Hayatama-O-no-kami, the deity of Kumano, is said to be Izanagi (Izanagi), while at Kumano Hongu Taisha, the deity is Hayatama no Ou, who appears in the Nihon Shoki (Chronicles of Japan) under the same name. Kumano-Osami-no-Okami is considered to be Izanami. If Izanagi Izanami is the deity of Kumano-Osumi, it would be the deity of the national birth.
Hayatama no Otoko is also said to be the god of “spit” in the myths of “Nihon shoki” (Chronicles of Japan). 〜When he went to bring back Izanami, who had died and left for Hades, he saw her, who told him not to look at her, and they quarreled and ended up separating. When they parted, he spat at her. The spitting god is said to be Hayatamanoo. In a similar story, Yamasachi went to the sea palace in search of his lost hook, and spit the spit into a container along with the ball of a necklace he had in his mouth. ~.
These are thought to reflect the idea that spitting strengthens the covenant. The fact that spit is given the name Hayatamanoo (spit is a symbol of the strength of the Japanese custom of giving spit, nails, etc. to the other party when making a covenant) is known from other countries.
… It seems to me that the primitive behavior and psychology of human beings and society exist at the bottom of the myth, and that there are certain philosophical implications. These things are shown in the mist of myths, but I believe that they contain the “wisdom” of our ancestors, which has been handed down orally for generations.
In the Japanese archipelago, we can see that such human knowledge has been “transmitted” to the present day as architectural spaces like this Kumano.
Of course, it is fundamental to deal with everyday life scientifically and rationally, but I would like to emphasize the spirituality that leads to such tolerance in areas such as gentleness.

Posted on 2月 1st, 2024 by 三木 奎吾
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【火祭りで駆け下る「火の神」 皇統神話と熊野の旅-27】




日本の祭りでは、各地で「神奈備」のひとつとしてまことに勇壮な神事が執り行われる。そういったひとつとも思えるけれど、この新宮・神倉神社の奇祭の危険度は非常に高い。これら火祭りの画像は一般社団法人 共同通信社が配信しているKYODO NEWSの動画から静止画としたもの。
カミと一体化するために多くの人びとは身を清め、相当の覚悟を持って神事に参加する。毎年２月６日に行われるということで、花の窟神社の御綱祭事が２月２日であることと関係するように思える。実際にこの奇祭の趣旨として、旧暦での新しい年の新しい「火」を里人の家に送り届けるというような共同体社会としての意味があるのだという。
花の窟神社で祭神として祀られた軻遇突智（カグツチ）は「火の神」としてイザナミが産んだけれど、その時の火傷でイザナミが命を落とした。そのときにカグツチも花の窟神社に葬られたとされるけれど、しかし火は人間社会にとって絶対必要欠くべからざる存在。そこで花の窟神社の神体と類似したこのゴトビキ岩から火の神が駆け下りるという神意をまつりごととして実現させたように想像できる。
神事に当たって参加者たちは海辺で神体を清め、神主さんに御祓いをして貰い、白装束に身を固めて固く決意をもって急峻な参道を上ってゴトビキ岩に向かう。

北海道ではこういった伝統的神事はあまりない。明治以降、全国から分散的に移住してきた人びとが無縁性の高い社会を作り始めてからまだ150年ほどであり、こうした神奈備風習は多くない。対比的に熊野のような地域社会では習俗が連綿と繰り返され、それが地域のアイデンティティとして成立し続けている。
列島社会としてはこうしたものが継続され続ける社会の精神性基盤があるということ。地域の生き方に強く関わっていて、個人を超える「公共」という意識を強く涵養し続けたことだろう。
こういった神奈備へのリスペクトを基盤とした社会というものはどのような精神を育んでいくか。なりわいを中心にして形成される地域毎の「ムラ」社会が、こういった機縁を共同体のおおきな結束根拠として活用していくことは自然だったことだろう。
そういった強い共同体意識はムラ同士の間では、ある緊張関係をもたらして、非常に分権的な社会構造が出来上がっていくことが容易に想像できる。島嶼地域アジアで強い王権や政体が出現しにくかったことと、やや北方に位置するこの日本列島社会の底流とは、類縁性が高いと思われる。
そういったなかにも関わらず、いわばゆるやかな王権を確立させた日本の皇統は、各地に残るさまざまな地域的統合説話と丹念に向き合って、説話レベルでの「統合」を図っていったのではないだろうか。天武帝と舎人親王は地道な各地域の説話に整合性を与えていく困難な作業を厭わず、日本書紀・古事記を成立させて世界最長の皇統の歴史を築いていったように思われる。

English version⬇

The “God of Fire” who runs down in the Fire Festival: The Myth of the Imperial Lineage and the Kumano Journey-27
A decentralized society unified by the “matsuri goto” culture of the Mura unification. The cultural policy of the Japanese imperial lineage, which made efforts to be consistent with such a reality. …

In Japan, many festivals are held in various places to perform truly heroic rituals as one of the “kannabis”. Although it seems to be one of those, this strange festival at Kamikura Shrine in Shingu is very dangerous. These images of the fire festival are stills from the KYODO NEWS video distributed by Kyodo News.
In order to become one with Kami, many people purify themselves and participate in the ritual with considerable determination. The fact that the festival is held every year on February 6 seems to be related to the fact that the Gozuna ritual at Hana-no-Kutsu Shrine is held on February 2. In fact, the purpose of this strange festival is to send a new “fire” for the new year in the lunar calendar to the homes of the villagers as a communal society.
Kagutsuchi, the Kagutsuchi enshrined at the Hana no Kutsu shrine, was the “fire god” and was born to Izanami, but Izanami lost her life due to a burn at that time. Kagutsuchi is said to have been buried at the shrine of Hana-no-Kutsu Shrine, but fire is an absolute necessity for human society. It can be imagined that the divine intention of the god of fire running down from Gotobiki Rock, which is similar to the sacred body of the Hana-no-Kutsu Shrine, was realized in the form of a festival.
Participants in the ritual purify the body of the god on the beach, have it purified by the priest, and then, dressed in white, walk up the steep path to Gotobiki Rock with firm determination.

There are not many of these traditional Shinto rituals in Hokkaido. It has only been about 150 years since the Meiji period (1868-1912), when people dispersedly immigrated from all over Japan and began to create a highly unrelated society, and there are not many such kannabi-style customs in Hokkaido. In contrast, in local communities such as Kumano, customs have been continuously repeated and have continued to be established as a local identity.
This means that the archipelagic society has a social spiritual foundation that continues to sustain these customs. They are strongly related to the local way of life and continue to cultivate a strong sense of “publicness” that transcends the individual.
What kind of spirit will be fostered in a society based on this kind of respect for Kannabi? It would have been natural for the local “mura” society, which is formed around the community’s “nari-wari,” to utilize this kind of opportunity as a basis for community cohesion.
Such a strong sense of community would have brought about a certain tension between the mura, and it is easy to imagine that a very decentralized social structure would have been created. The fact that strong kingships and political systems were difficult to create in island Asia and the underlying currents of society in the Japanese archipelago, which is located slightly to the north, seem to have a strong similarity.
The Japanese imperial lineage, which established a loose royal authority in spite of such circumstances, may have worked to “unify” at the level of legend by carefully examining the various regional unification legends that remained in various regions. Emperor Temmu and Prince Shonin seem to have established the history of the world’s longest imperial lineage by establishing the Nihonshoki and Kojiki through their willingness to go through the difficult task of bringing consistency to the various regional legends.

Posted on 1月 31st, 2024 by 三木 奎吾
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【神倉神社とゴトビキ岩「火祭り」神事 皇統神話と熊野の旅-26】



さて熊野三山の最後は熊野速玉大社なのですが、実際に熊野川河口の社には特段の感慨を持つことはなかった。ごく一般的な境内風景であり、特異性は感じられない。
しかし、事前に調査していてこの速玉大社の「摂社」神倉神社の存在を知っていた。一番上の写真は同社のHPからのもの。２枚目はわたしが撮影した参道の様子。かなり急坂の538段の石段を登らなければ到達できないことで有名な神社。熊野三所の大神が最初に降臨した場所とされており、平安時代以降には多くの修験者が集う場所にもなっていたようです。神武東征譚でも、この霊地に来られたとされている。
こういう修験スポットは日本人の自然崇拝と重なる「特異な」パワースポット性がある。
この印象的な岩石露頭に神聖性が強い印象でこころにストレートに迫ってくる。・・・ということでなんとか参道を上がろうと100段くらいは上ったのですが、訪問当日朝には楯ヶ崎でシカと遭遇するような自然道探査もしていて体力の消耗を招き、途中で断念せざるを得ませんでした（泣）。金比羅さんの785段では体力を温存していてしっかり登り切ったのですが、安土城とここには心理的に降参させられました（笑）。
っていうか、階段途中で早々に断念していた台湾からの観光のみなさん一団と、言葉が通じないのに話が盛り上がって、「これムリだよね」と国際親善交流していたのです（笑）。話せばわかる。

同社では「御燈祭〜火祭り」という神事が知られている。安部龍太郎の「半島をゆく」著作シリーズ・熊野編でその奇祭の存在を知った、まことに野性的な神事。和歌山県指定無形民俗文化財に指定される、世界遺産「紀伊山地の霊場と参詣道」の一部である神倉神社で毎年2月6日に行われる勇壮な火祭り。
白装束に荒縄を締めた約2000人の「上り子(のぼりこ)」と呼ばれる男子が御神火を移した松明を持ち、神倉山の山頂から、わたしが上るのを断念させられた538段の急峻な石段を駆け下るのだ。上るのもやっとのこの階段をたいまつを持って足下も見ずに駆け下るのだ、怖ろしい・・・。
県外者や観光客でも参加できるのが特徴だが、女人禁制なので女性は上り子としては参加できない。熊野神の来臨を再現し、家々に神の火を戴くという神事で、古くは祭礼で分けられた火が届くまで、各家で灯明を挙げるのを禁じていたことから、新年における「火の更新」を意味する祭りとして旧暦の正月6日に行われていたという。
この神倉神社の祭神は天照大神と高倉下命。高倉下（たかくらじ）は神武帝が熊野に上陸したときに鹿島神宮の祭神・タケミカズチからの神命を受けて神武帝に神剣を捧げて臣下になったと言う人物。
しかしどうもわたしには、この奇祭は花の窟神社の祭神でイザナミの産んだ「火の神」カグツチのことが想起される。きわめて始原的な火山列島地形での「カミ」のありようが示されていると思えてならない。

English version⬇

Kamikura Shrine and Gotobikiwa “Fire Festival” Shinto Ceremony Imperial Mythology and Kumano Journey-26]
This fire festival has been held since ancient times, evoking Kagutsuchi, the “god of fire” born of Izanami. It may be an expression of the simple religious beliefs of the people living in the volcanic archipelago. …

Now, the last of the Kumano Sanzan is Kumano Hayatama-taisha, but I was not particularly moved by the actual shrine at the mouth of the Kumano River. It is a very common precinct scenery, and no peculiarity can be felt.
However, I knew of the existence of this “auxiliary” shrine of Hayatama-taisha, Kamikura Shrine, from my prior research. The top photo is from their website, and the second photo is a view I took of the approach to the shrine. The second photo shows the approach to the shrine, which is famous for its steep 538 stone steps that must be climbed to reach the shrine. It is said to be the place where the great deity of Kumano Sanjo first descended, and it was also a gathering place for many ascetic practitioners from the Heian period onward. It is said that even the tale of the Jimmu expedition to the east came to this sacred place.
These shugenja spots have a “peculiar” power spot nature that overlaps with the nature worship of the Japanese people.
This impressive rock outcropping gives a strong impression of the sacredness of the place, and it is straight to the heart. I tried to go up the approach to the temple and climbed about 100 steps, but on the morning of our visit, we had a nature trail exploration that led to an encounter with deer at Tategasaki, which exhausted my stamina and I had to give up halfway up the path (tears). I had saved my strength for the 785 steps of Kompira-san and made it to the top, but Azuchi Castle and this place made me give up psychologically (laugh).
I mean, I was having a friendly international exchange with a group of tourists from Taiwan who had given up on the stairway early, and even though we didn’t speak the same language, we got into a lively conversation and said, “This is impossible” (laugh). If you talk, you will understand.

The company is known for its ritual called “Goto Matsuri – Fire Festival. This is a truly wild ritual that I learned of its existence from the Kumano section of Ryutaro Abe’s “Peninsula on the Way” book series, and is a truly unique ritual. Designated as an Intangible Folk Cultural Asset by Wakayama Prefecture, this heroic fire festival is held every February 6 at Kamikura Shrine, which is part of the World Heritage Site “Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range.
About 2,000 men called noboriko, dressed in white and tied with a rope, carry torches carrying the sacred fire and run down the steep 538 stone steps from the top of the shrine to the top of Mt. It was scary to run down these steps, which I could barely climb, with the torch in my hand, without looking down at my feet.
The festival is open to visitors from outside of the prefecture and tourists, but women are not allowed to participate as climbers because women are prohibited. It is a Shinto ritual to reenact the coming of the Kumano God and to crown houses with divine fire. In the old days, it was forbidden to light a lamp in each house until the fire divided in the festival arrived, and the festival was held on the sixth day of the first lunar month as a festival signifying the “renewal of fire” in the New Year.
The deities of this shrine are Amaterasu and Takakura-shita no Mikoto. Takakuraji is said to have been a person who offered a sacred sword to Emperor Jinmu and became his vassal, receiving a divine command from Takemikazuchi, the deity of Kashima Shrine, when Emperor Jinmu landed in Kumano.
However, to me, this strange festival reminds me of Kagutsuchi, the “fire god” born of Izanami, who is the deity of the Hana-no-Kutsu Shrine. I can’t help but think that this festival shows how the “kami” are in the very primitive topography of the volcanic archipelago.

Posted on 1月 30th, 2024 by 三木 奎吾
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【神仏習合という宗教ジャパネスク 皇統神話と熊野の旅-25】




熊野那智大社の社域には隣接して「青岸渡寺」という天台の寺院がある。
それほど予備知識なく訪問したわたしは「え、なにこれ、神社なのに仏塔がある？」としばし唖然としておりました。調べてみると「那智山」は熊野三山の一つで熊野信仰の霊場として長い歴史がある。もともと那智の滝を中心にした神仏習合の一大修験道場だったが、明治初期に青岸渡寺と那智大社に分離した。今も寺と神社は隣接していて、双方を参拝する人が多い、のだという。
もともとが修験道の聖地という歴史があるとされている。この青岸渡寺の由緒書きを見ると以下。
〜開基は仁徳帝の頃(4世紀)、印度天竺の僧「裸形」上人が那智大滝において修行を積みその暁に瀧壷で八寸の観音菩薩を感得し、ここに草庵を営んで安置したのが最初。 その200年後、推古天皇の頃、大和の「生佛」上人が来山し、前述の話を聞き一丈(3ｍ)の如意輪観世音を彫み、裸形上人が感得した八寸の観音菩薩を胸佛に納め勅願所として正式に本堂が建立された〜
裸形とか、生佛（どう考えても「いきぼとけ」か）とかの露骨な人名表現。どうも仏教の本筋というよりもやや飛躍した、いかにも修験道的な風合いがそこに感じられるように思う。
そういう修験的な寺院として、日本的な鷹揚さをもった神社信仰が徐々に「習合」していったような経緯を感じさせてくれる。

修験道は断食、瞑想、経典の唱え、滝の下での祈りなどの禁欲的な修行などを指す。7世紀の伝説の神秘家であり術師でもある役行者または役小角（634–700年）が起源と言われるけれど、日本的な常識的ビジュアルとしてはやはり「瀧に打たれる」という様子がイメージされる。
三千六百峯とされる熊野の豊かな自然環境の代表スポットとしてこの那智の滝が表徴化されたのか。そういった修験道スポットに対して敬意を表して神社が勧請され、さらに日本独特な宗教の垣根取り払い運動があって、神仏習合という概念が進んで行ったのではないだろうか。
やはり多様な国土環境の中での精神風土として「純粋性」よりも「和を尊ぶ」傾向がより優勢になるのが日本の特徴であるように思う。一神教と多神教の社会の違いとも思える。世界の中でこういった日本人はやはり特異な精神性を持っていると言えるのだろうか。
その後、戦国期になってキリスト教・一神教が浸透してきたけれど、やはり多数派としては多神教的社会の保持に傾いていったのには、この熊野那智大社と青岸渡寺のような宗教ジャパネスク、習合思想が底流としてあるのだと思える。
やはり神社信仰は宗教というよりは習俗・慣習の面の方が大きい。列島人の基本心性がそのことを表現しているのだろう。それが熊野という特殊な日本的地域信仰形成につながった。

English version⬇

The Shinto/Buddhist syncretism of religious Japanesque Myths of the Imperial Family and the Kumano Journey – 25
Japanese society does not “fit in” with monotheistic exclusion of others. The “let bygones be bygones” sentiment prevails over the fundamentalism that leads to dictatorship. …

Adjacent to Kumano Nachi Taisha is a Tendai temple called Seigantoji.
I visited the temple without much prior knowledge and was stunned to see a pagoda in the midst of a shrine. I was stunned. Nachi is one of the three mountains of Kumano and has a long history as a sacred place of Kumano worship. Originally, it was a major training center for the practice of Shintoism and Buddhism, centering on Nachi Falls, but it was separated into Seigando-ji Temple and Nachi Taisha Shrine in the early Meiji period (1868-1912). The temple and shrine are still adjacent to each other, and many people visit both.
It is said that the temple has a history of originally being a sacred place for Shugendo. The history of Seigando-ji is as follows
〜The temple was founded in the 4th century during the reign of Emperor Nintoku (4th century) by a priest named Nigakata Shonin from India, who ascended to the Nachi Great Falls and, upon ascending, saw the eight-sided bodhisattva Kannon in the waterfall basin. Two hundred years later, during the reign of Emperor Suiko, a “Seibutsu” priest from Yamato came to the temple, heard the above-mentioned story, and carved a one-length (3 m) Nyoirin Kannon.
The use of explicit personal names such as “nakagata” and “ikibutsuke” (“living Buddha” or “ikibotoke”). I feel that the temple has an atmosphere of Shugendo, which is a leap forward rather than the main line of Buddhism.
It seems to me that the Japanese-style worship of shrines was gradually “merged” with this kind of Shugendo-like temple.

Shugendo refers to ascetic practices such as fasting, meditation, chanting sutras, and praying under waterfalls, and is said to have originated with the legendary 7th century mystic and practitioner En no Gyoja or En no Shokaku (634-700), but the common Japanese visual image is still “being hit by a waterfall. The image of a waterfall is also commonplace in Japan.
Nachi Falls may have been symbolized as a representative spot of the rich natural environment of Kumano, which is said to have 3,600 peaks. Shrines were built to pay homage to such spots of Shugendo, and the concept of Shintoism-Buddhism syncretism may have developed as a result of the movement to remove religious boundaries unique to Japan.
I believe that the tendency to “respect harmony” rather than “purity” is a characteristic of Japan’s spiritual climate in the midst of its diverse land environment. This can be seen as the difference between a monotheistic and a polytheistic society. Can it be said that the Japanese people have a unique spirituality in the world?
Later, during the Warring States period, Christianity and monotheism penetrated Japan, but the majority tended to maintain a polytheistic society, which I believe is based on the religious Japanesque and syncretistic philosophy of Kumano Nachi Taisha and Aogishitoji Temple.
After all, shrine worship is more of a custom and practice than a religion. The basic mentality of the people of the archipelago expresses this. This is what led to the formation of Kumano, a unique Japanese regional belief.

Posted on 1月 29th, 2024 by 三木 奎吾
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【聖なる瀧「熊野那智大社」 皇統神話と熊野の旅-24】



さて熊野三山のうちの熊野那智大社であります。現代とは違って、古代以来、人里のある熊野灘の海岸線道からながい山道をはるばると参詣するのは、けっこうな気合いが必要だったのではないか。
現代の整備された参詣道でも歩く場合は１時間42分という表示だけれど、上りの山道なので、かなりキツい行程だと思う。熊野詣を繰り返した中世の皇統、上皇の一行などはかなりの人数でもあり、相当の健脚だったことがわかる。
本当に古代以来の人びとの神聖なるものへの帰依の深さを思わされる。
深い山中で写真のような瀧を仰ぎ見た人びとの自然な感情に思いが至る。映画もテレビもない時代、こういったビジュアルが眼前に広がっている様子に驚き、自然が生み出す驚異に信仰心を持ち、そして深めて行っただろうことはたしかに理解できる。
主祭神は熊野夫須美大神（くまのふすみのおおかみ、イザナミノミコト）。きのうまで見ていた花の窟神社と同じ。国生みの母神がこうした自然崇拝と一体化しているのは同様。人類の抱く自然な感情として、水には女性的、母性的なるものが仮託されるものなのだろうか。夫須美（ふすみ）とは「むす」という生成発展を意味する言葉であり、同時に「結（むすび）」の意味という。
さらに祭神としては以下。
第一殿 瀧宮（大己貴神）大国主神。
第二殿 証誠殿（家都御子大神）ケツミコ〜スサノオ。
第三殿 中御前（御子速玉大神）熊野速玉神社の祭神。
第四殿 西御前（熊野夫須美大神）これがイザナミ尊。
第五殿 若宮（天照大神）アマテラス。
第六殿 八社殿（天神地祗）その他八百万ということか。

現代では鳥居のすぐ下に駐車場があって、そこにクルマを停めて急峻な階段を上って神前に出られる。国道からクルマでの「参道」行きという手軽な参詣が可能。古代の人びとの御利益とは大きくレベル低下しているだろうなと思わされる。
そういえば、境内で平清盛が上皇と同道して、熊野詣を繰り返した様子の絵伝を目撃した。

「平家の宰相・清盛公は熊野那智に対する信仰深く、とりわけ如意輪観世音の霊力を願い、1163年、後白河法皇を那智に迎え初度参詣の折、その行列の供として一族を引き連れてともに参詣し、如意輪の瀧と言われる二の瀧に於いて開運招福を願ったという。」という説明記述。
朝廷内で平家が権力を強化していくことの裏には、こういった皇統に対しての周到な接近・随伴的工作が行われたのだろうことがハッキリ見て取れる。熊野信仰というものがどのように利用されたのか、わかりやすい証拠とも言えるだろうか。
またこの絵伝からは、さすがに法皇は牛車に乗車し、清盛は馬に乗って参詣道を歩んでいることもわかる。神代と中世的権謀の世界とが、シンクロを見せ始めているのか（笑）。

English version⬇

Kumano Nachi-taisha Shrine, the Sacred Waterfall – A Journey to Kumano and the Myth of the Imperial Family – 24
The sacred body of Nachi-taisha Shrine is also a holy waterfall. It is a sacred waterfall, and the primordial form of Japanese faith is engraved in its roots. Even the shadow of Kiyomori is flickering in the distance. The waterfall is also a holy waterfall.

Now, let’s take a look at Kumano Nachi-taisha, one of the three Kumano-sanzan shrines. Unlike today, it must have taken a lot of energy to make the long pilgrimage from the coastline of the Kumano-nada Sea, where there is a human settlement, to the shrine on a long mountain road since ancient times.
Even on the modern well-maintained pilgrimage route, it takes 1 hour and 42 minutes to walk, but it is an uphill mountain path, so it must have been quite a strenuous journey. The number of people who repeatedly made the Kumano Pilgrimage, such as the members of the imperial lineage and emperors of the medieval period, must have been quite large, indicating that they were in good physical condition.
It is truly a reminder of the depth of devotion to sacred things that people have held since ancient times.
It makes me think of the natural feelings of the people who looked up at the waterfall like the one in the picture in the deep mountains. In an age without movies or television, we can understand how people would have been amazed at the sight of such visuals spread out before their eyes, and how they would have developed and deepened their faith in the wonders created by nature.
The main deity is Kumano Fusumi no Okami (Kumano Fusumi no Mikoto, Izanami no Mikoto). This is the same deity as at the Hana-no-Kutsu Shrine, which we had seen until yesterday. The same is true of the mother goddess of national birth, who is united with this kind of nature worship. I wonder if water is a natural emotional center for human beings, in which something feminine and motherly is entrusted. The word “fusumi” is said to mean “musu,” or generation and development, and at the same time, “musubi,” or union.
The deities of the shrine are as follows
First Hall: Takimiya (Okonoki-kami), the deity Okuninushi.
The second hall, Shoseiden (Ietomiko-no-okami): Ketsumiko – Susanoo.
Third Hall: Naka-gozen (Goko-Hayatama), the deity of Kumano Hayatama Shrine.
Fourth Hall: Nishigozen (Kumano-Osumi no Mikami) This is Izanami no Mikami.
Fifth: Wakamiya (Amaterasu), the deity Amaterasu.
The sixth hall, the eight main shrines (八社殿) (天神地祗), are the deities of the eight million other shrines.

In 1163, when the Heike clan welcomed Hōnō Go-Shirakawa to Nachi and made their first pilgrimage to the temple, he took his family along with him as an escort and prayed for good fortune at the two waterfalls known as Nyoirino-Taki. This is a description of the Heike family’s power within the Imperial Court.
It is clear that behind the strengthening of the power of the Heike clan within the Imperial Court, there must have been a careful approach to the imperial lineage and accompanying maneuverings such as this. This is a clear evidence of how the Kumano faith was utilized.
The pictorial record also shows that the emperor rode in an ox cart, while Kiyomori rode on horseback along the pilgrimage route. Are we beginning to see a synchronization between the world of the Jindai and the medieval world of power and intrigue (laugh)?

Posted on 1月 28th, 2024 by 三木 奎吾
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