Imamiya Shrine (Kyoto) - Imamiya Shrine

...The representative example is the Gion Goryoe festival at Yasaka Shrine in Kyoto, where disasters such as epidemics, floods, and droughts that occur in the summer are believed to be the curses of the dead souls of people who died violently while harboring resentment, and these souls are worshiped and appeased with a procession of gorgeous floats and intense music with gongs and drums (Goryoe). In late spring, the falling of cherry blossoms was seen as a sign of the scattering of plague gods, and children in gorgeous costumes made a procession to Imamiya Shrine in Murasakino (Kyoto City) playing drums and fifes (Imamiya Festival). Since the Heian period, customs of elegantly decorated processions playing music and performing gorgeous dances to appease the plague gods and the dead souls have been seen in various places. The Nembutsu dance was originally a form in which people seeking liberation would jump around the country chanting Buddhist prayers, but because it was believed that chanting Buddhist prayers was the best way to console the souls of the deceased, it came to be performed to ward off disasters and also as an offering for Bon festival memorial services.

*Some of the terminology that refers to "Imamiya Shrine (Kyoto)" is listed below.

Source | Heibonsha World Encyclopedia 2nd Edition | Information

…その代表は京都八坂神社の祇園御霊会（ぎおんごりようえ）で，夏季に発生する疫病や水害，干ばつなどの災害は，怨み（うらみ）をのんで横死した人々の亡魂のたたりだと考え，それを御霊とあがめて華麗な山車と鉦や太鼓などの強烈な囃子の行列で慰撫鎮送しようとした(御霊会)。晩春には，桜花の散るのを疫神飛散の兆しとみて，華美な扮装の子女が鼓笛を奏して紫野(京都市)の今宮神社へ道中したのも同じ民俗で(今宮祭)，平安朝以後，疫神，亡魂鎮送のために風流を飾り立てた一行が囃子を奏し，はなやかな踊りを見せたりする風俗が各地で見られるようになった。念仏踊も，もとは解脱（げだつ）を求める人々が国中に念仏を唱えつつ共に跳躍する形のものだったが，亡魂を慰撫するには念仏が何よりとの考えから，災害除けにこれを踊り，また盆供養にも念仏踊を手向けるようになった。…

※「今宮神社（京都）」について言及している用語解説の一部を掲載しています。

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