Three Sacred Treasures - Sanshu no Jingi

Japanese: 三種の神器 - さんしゅのじんぎ

A general term for the Yata no Kagami, Kusanagi no Tsurugi, and Yasakani no Magatama, symbols of the Imperial Throne. Since the Yayoi period, it has been customary to regard mirrors, swords, and jewels as symbols of authority, but in the Yamato Imperial Court, mirrors and swords were kept around the Emperor as talismans for self-protection, and a ceremony was established to present the handed-down mirror and sword to the new Emperor when he succeeded to the throne. There is a theory that these two were the Sacred Treasures until the early Heian period, but since there are also legends in the Kojiki and Nihon Shoki that add jewels to make them the "Three Sacred Treasures," the "Three Sacred Treasures" theory is thought to have taken hold around the 9th century. This was embellished in national textbooks since the Meiji period, and the story of the "Three Sacred Treasures" became widespread. According to the Nihon Shoki and other sources, the mirror is said to have lost its original shape due to fires in 960 (the 4th year of Tentoku), 1005 (the 2nd year of Kanko), and 1040 (the 1st year of Chokyu), and the sword is said to have sunk into the sea when Emperor Antoku drowned himself at Dannoura.
→ Related topics Amaterasu Omikami | Ame-no-Murakumo-no-Tsurugi | Imperial property | Descent of the Heavenly Grandson | Emperor Yozei

Source : Heibonsha Encyclopedia About MyPedia Information

Japanese:

皇位の象徴とされる八咫鏡(やたのかがみ)，草薙剣(くさなぎのつるぎ)，八尺瓊勾玉(やさかにのまがたま)の総称。弥生(やよい)時代から鏡・剣・玉を権威の象徴とする風習が一般にあったが，大和朝廷では鏡と剣を天皇の身辺に置いて護身の呪物(じゅぶつ)とし，皇位継承の際には伝世の鏡と剣を新天皇にささげる儀式が成立した。平安初期まで神器はこの両者であったとする説があるが，記紀神話には玉を加えて〈三種の神宝〉とする伝承もあったため，９世紀ごろに〈三種の神器〉説が定着したと考えられる。明治以来の国定教科書ではこれが潤色されて，〈三種の神器〉の物語が普及した。《日本紀略》などによれば，鏡は960年（天徳４年），1005年（寛弘２年），1040年（長久１年）の火災により原形を失ったといわれ，剣は安徳天皇の壇ノ浦入水(じゅすい)の際に海に沈んだといわれる。
→関連項目天照大神｜天叢雲剣｜皇室財産｜天孫降臨｜陽成天皇

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