Atago faith

The belief in fire prevention and fire prevention is related to the deity enshrined at Atago Shrine. The main shrine is located on Atagoyama in Saga Atago-cho, Ukyo-ku, Kyoto City, and enshrines several deities, including Izanami-no-Mikoto, Kagutsuchi-no-Kami, and Ikazuchi-no-Kami. The origin of the word "Atago" is said to be from "ate," which means "back" or "hidden" (Kunio Yanagita, "Place Name Studies"), or because Kagutsuchi-no-Kami, the fire deity who burned the mother deity Izanami-no-Mikoto to death, was an atago (enemy) (Motoori Norinaga, "Kojiki-den"). As the shrine flourished as a sacred place for ascetic monks with the syncretism of Shinto and Buddhism, the deity enshrined there was called Atago Gongen Tarobo, and was believed to look like a Tengu (long-nosed goblin), and was revered. The local Buddha enshrined there was Shogun Jizo, and it was believed by military commanders that if one prayed to the deity, they would be sure to win battles. It is well known that Tokugawa Ieyasu enshrined it at Shibazakura Tayama in Edo (Atagoyama, Minato Ward, Tokyo). As Atago faith spread throughout the country, religious organizations were formed, and the number of pilgrims increased from the end of the Middle Ages to the early modern period, thanks in part to the efforts of the Atago Hijiri and Kiyotakigawa Hijiri, and later to the efforts of lower-ranking priests who distributed fire prevention talismans. Known as a Sennichimairi (a thousand-day pilgrimage), it is said that if you visit the shrine on June 24th of the lunar calendar (now July 31st), it will equate to a thousand days of visiting, and the shrine is bustling with many pilgrims on that day.

[Takahiro Nogami]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

愛宕神社の祭神にかかわる火伏せ、防火の信仰。根本社は京都市右京区嵯峨(さが)愛宕町の愛宕山に鎮座し、伊弉冉尊(いざなみのみこと)、迦倶槌神(かぐつちのかみ)、雷神(いかずちのかみ)ほか数神を祀(まつ)る。「あたご」の語源は、「背面」「日隠」の意味をもつ「あて」による（柳田国男著『地名の研究』）とも、母神の伊弉冉尊を焼死させた火神の迦倶槌神が仇子(あたご)であるから（本居宣長(もとおりのりなが)著『古事記伝』）ともいう。神仏習合に伴って修験(しゅげん)者の霊場として栄えてから、祭神は愛宕権現(ごんげん)太郎坊とよばれ、姿は天狗(てんぐ)と信じられて畏怖(いふ)された。本地仏として勝軍地蔵(しょうぐんじぞう)を祀り、祈ればかならず戦(いくさ)に勝つとして武将の間に信仰された。徳川家康が江戸・芝桜田山（東京都港区、愛宕山）に勧請(かんじょう)したのは有名。愛宕信仰が全国に流布し講組織が結成されて中世末から近世初期にかけて参詣(さんけい)者が多くなるのは、古くは愛宕聖(ひじり)や清滝川聖により、またのちには火伏せの護符を配る下級神職の活躍による。千日詣(もう)でと称して、旧暦6月24日（現7月31日）に参詣すれば1000日分にあたるといわれ、当日は多くの参詣者でにぎわう。

［野上尊博］

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