Saburo Koga

Japanese: 甲賀三郎 - こうが・さぶろう

A legendary figure worshipped as Shinshu Suwa Myojin. He is described in the "Suwa Engi" chapter of the "Shintoshu," a typical example of medieval chanting. He was born in Koga County, Omi Province (Shiga Prefecture). He was the local lord and a visitor to the area, Koga Saburo. When his wife, Princess Kasuga, was kidnapped by a Tengu, he chased after her, but was pushed into a hole in Mt. Tateshina by a scheme conspired by his two older brothers, and traveled through the countries of the underworld. There are many agricultural villages in the countries of the underworld, and Koga Saburo is treated well in each village. He finally arrives in the country of Vizi. There, in a village of hunters who go deer hunting every day, he spends his days being treated well by Princess Vima, but his desire to return to Princess Kasuga grows, and he tries to escape to the surface again. During that time, he encounters many trials, but he finally makes it to Mt. Asama. When he arrived at Shakado in Koga County, Omi Province, his home country, he realized that he had taken on the form of a snake and hid in shame, but he later discovered that a way to escape the snake body was to enter a pond where irises were planted, and when he tried this he was restored to his original form and was able to reunite with Princess Kasuga. Koga Saburo was a man who visited the otherworldly underworld from above, and is seen by the people of the underworld as a stranger who came from above. When he returned to the earthly world he had taken on the form of a snake, but the underworld had not changed much from the earthly world. Agriculture and hunting were his main occupations, and it can be said that Koga Saburo later reflected the character of Suwa Myojin, who was both a god of hunting and agriculture.

(Miyata Noboru)

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

Japanese:

信州諏訪明神として祭られた伝説上の人物。中世唱導物の典型である『神道集』の「諏訪縁起」で説かれている。近江国(滋賀県)甲賀郡の出身。その地の地頭で甲賀三郎訪方のこと。妻春日姫を天狗にさらわれたため,そのあとを追いかけるが,2人の兄のはかりごとにより蓼科山の人穴に突き落とされ,地底の国々を遍歴する。地底の国々には,農業を営む村々が多くあり,甲賀三郎は各村でもてなされる。最後に維縵国にたどりついた。そこは毎日,鹿狩りを日課とする狩猟民の村で,維摩姫から手厚く遇されて月日を過ごすが,春日姫のもとに戻る気持ちが高じて,ふたたび地上へ脱出をはかる。その間さまざまの試練に遭遇したが,やっと浅間岳に出ることができた。そして本国の近江国甲賀郡の釈迦堂にきて,自分の姿が蛇身になっていることに気づいて,わが身を恥じ隠れたが,蛇身を逃れる方法として,石菖の植えられている池に入るとよいことを知り,それを試みて元の姿に戻り,春日姫と再会することができた。甲賀三郎は,地上から異界である地底国を訪れた人物であり,地底の人々からみると,地上からやってきた異人とみなされている。ふたたび現世に戻ったときは異界の姿すなわち蛇身となっていたが,その地底国は,あまり地上界とは変わっていない。農業と狩猟が主たる生業となっており,のちに甲賀三郎が,狩猟神と農耕神をかねる諏訪明神の性格を反映しているといえる。

(宮田登)

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