Omonoimi no Kami - Omonoimi no Kami

Japanese: 大物忌神 - おおものいみのかみ

The deity enshrined at Omonoimi Shrine in Dewa Province (on Mt. Chokai in Yuza Town, Yamagata Prefecture), which is registered in the Engishiki. This shrine has long been famous as the Ichinomiya of Dewa Province and as the shrine located on the summit of Mt. Chokai, the most famous mountain in the Tohoku region. Omonoimi is said to be the same as Ooiminokami, which is another name for Wakaukame, who is enshrined at Hirose Shrine (Kawai Town, Nara Prefecture). During the Ritsuryo period, Hirose Shrine held the Oimi Festival, one of the four seasonal festivals held at the Imperial Court. Uka is the spirit of grain, and it is said that it is called Ooiminokami because the spirit of grain is purified and abhorred before Amaterasu Omikami and serves her. The monoimi of Omonoimi also means purifying one's mind and body before the divine spirit and serving her, and at Ise Grand Shrine there was a priest called Omonoimi who made offerings to Amaterasu Omikami.

(Tsutomu Saijo)

Source: Asahi Japanese Historical Biography: Asahi Shimbun Publications Inc. About Asahi Japanese Historical Biography

Japanese:

『延喜式』に登録される出羽国大物忌神社(山形県遊佐町の鳥海山上)の祭神。この神社は古くから出羽国の一宮として,また東北随一の名山鳥海山の山頂にある神社として有名だった。大物忌神は大忌神(オオイミノカミ)に同じとされるが,そのオオイミノカミは,広瀬神社(奈良県河合町)に祭られている若宇迦売神の別名。広瀬神社では,律令時代に,宮廷の四時祭のひとつ大忌祭が行われた。ウカは穀物霊であるが,それをオオイミノカミというのは,穀物の霊が天照大神に忌み清まって奉仕するからとされる。大物忌神のモノイミも,神霊のまえに心身を清めて仕えることを意味しており,伊勢神宮には,天照大神に神饌を捧げる大物忌という神官がいた。

(西條勉)

出典　朝日日本歴史人物事典：（株）朝日新聞出版朝日日本歴史人物事典について　情報

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