Blacksmith god

Japanese: 鍛冶神 - かじしん

…Apart from this, there is also a view that Hitotsume Kozo is related to blacksmithing. This is also linked to the legend that Amanomahitotsu no Mikoto, who appears in the Nihon Shoki, is the god of blacksmithing. It is said that blacksmiths who blinded themselves in order to see the melting of iron with the naked eye were worshiped as gods. …

From [Hyottoko]

...Similar masks are also used in Kyogen, where they are called "usobuki." Hyottoko is also the god of fire and wind, and is therefore also the god of blacksmithing. Among the souvenirs at Iwakisan Shrine in Aomori Prefecture are votive plaques with two masks, a hyottoko and an ogre, on them. Hyottoko is the principal image of the blacksmith god, and is said to represent the fire-breathing form.

From the "Bell Festival"

...There is a theory that it began with a festival for Kamo Myojin, the guardian deity of Chion-in Temple, but this is hard to believe. In mid-winter, the light of the sun is waning, and since ancient times people have lit fires and prayed to bring it back to life. This is called "Ohitaki" and is still popular at Fushimi Inari and other shrines in Kyoto. This belief, combined with the fact that Inari was also worshiped as a blacksmith, is thought to have been established among people who mainly used fire. [Ishizuka Takatoshi]...

*Some of the terminology that refers to the "Blacksmith God" is listed below.

Source | Heibonsha World Encyclopedia 2nd Edition | Information

Japanese:

…これとは別に，一つ目小僧を鍛冶職と関連するとみる考え方もある。《日本書紀》に出てくる天目一箇（あまのまひとつ）命が鍛冶神であるという伝承とも結びつく。鉄の溶解を肉眼で見るために目をつぶした鍛冶職人が，神としてまつられたとする。…

【ひょっとこ】より

…同様な面は狂言にも用いられ，〈うそぶき〉とよばれる。ひょっとこは火の神，風の神として鍛冶神にもなる。青森県の岩木山神社のみやげ物にひょっとこと鬼の二つの面を掛けた絵馬があり，ひょっとこは鍛冶神の本尊で火を吹く形を表したものと伝えられている。…

【鞴祭】より

…その起りについて，知恩院の鎮守賀茂明神の祭りに始まるとの説があるが信じ難い。仲冬のころは日の光が衰えるころであり，これを復活させるために火をたいて祈念するというふうが古くからあり，〈御火焼き（おひたき）〉といって今も伏見稲荷をはじめ京都の諸社では盛んであるが，そうした信仰と，稲荷神が鍛冶神として信仰されだしたこととが相まって，火をもっぱら用いる職業者のあいだで成立したものと考えられる。【石塚尊俊】。…

※「鍛冶神」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。

出典｜株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典第２版について | 情報

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