Woodworking Beginnings

…In the construction of ancient temples, prayers were made for safety by burying altar implements in the ground during the foundation work, and a construction memorial service was held when the work was completed. In construction works from the Heian period onwards, the main ceremonies were the foundation stone (laying the foundation stone), the hand axe start (also called the beginning of the work or the beginning of woodworking), the erection of pillars (setting up pillars), the ridgepole raising (laying the ridgepole), and the date and time were divined in advance by an onmyoji (a fortune teller), and on the day, the construction craftsmen and construction workers gathered at the construction site to perform the ceremony. During the hand axe start, the craftsman would mark the timber with ink thread and then carve it with a hand axe. During the ridgepole raising, five-coloured silk and sacred wands were decorated on the ridgepole, and sake was offered. …

*Some of the terminology that refers to "Kisaku Hajime" is listed below.

Source | Heibonsha World Encyclopedia 2nd Edition | Information

…古代寺院の造営でも，基礎工事では鎮壇具を地中に埋めて安全を祈り，完成のときには造立供養（ぞうりゆうくよう）が行われた。平安時代以降の建築工事では，礎（いしずえ）(礎石を据えるとき)，手斧始（ちようなはじめ）(事始（ことはじめ），木作始（きづくりはじめ）とも呼び，材木加工の開始)，立柱（りつちゆう）･柱立（はしらだて）(柱を立てるとき)，上棟（じようとう）･棟上（むねあげ）(棟木をのせるとき)が主要な儀式で，日時をあらかじめ陰陽師が卜占し，当日は建築工匠と工事関係者が工事場に集まって儀式を行った。手斧始では工匠が材木に墨糸で墨を打って手斧で削る所作を行い，上棟では棟木上に五色の絹や御幣を飾り，酒を供えた。…

※「木作始」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