plague god - ekibyogami

Japanese: 疫病神 - えきびょうがみ

Also called the god of misfortune. A god that causes epidemics. The god of misfortune is considered a kind of spirit, and was believed to invade the village from outside. Therefore, festivals to prevent it and ceremonies to drive it away were frequently held at village borders. The former include the Michiae Festival and the spring Yasurai Flower Festival, while the latter includes the Kashima Nagashi festival at the end of the year. There is also a custom of welcoming the god of misfortune, which is considered to be an evil god, into one's home, treating it to a feast, and then sending it off the next day, so that the god will protect one from the disease. One example is the legend of the "Yakujin no Yado" (Lodging for the God of Misfortune) found in a certain house near Yamadera in Yamagata City. The god of misfortune has been personified in various forms in tales since the Middle Ages, and the fact that this god is personified confirms its deep connection with the belief in spirits.

Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica Concise Encyclopedia About Encyclopaedia Britannica Concise Encyclopedia Information

Japanese:

厄病神ともいう。疫病を流行させる原因となる神。疫病神は御霊 (ごりょう) の一種と考えられ，村の外から侵入してくると思われていたところから，村境においてこれを防ぐための祭りと，追出す送りの行事が盛んに行われてきた。前者には道饗祭 (みちあえのまつり) ，春のヤスライ花の祭りなどがあり，後者には暮れの鹿島流しなどが属する。また悪神と考えられる疫病神を積極的に家に迎えてごちそうで歓待し，翌日送っていくことにより，逆にこの病気から守護してもらうという習俗もみられる。山形市山寺付近の特定の家でみられる「厄神の宿」の伝承などがその例である。疫病神は中世より，説話のなかでさまざまの姿に擬人化されてきたが，この神が擬人化されるということからも，御霊信仰との深い関係が確認できる。

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