Chiyou

A god who appears in ancient Chinese mythology. According to the Shanhaijing, Chiyou fought against the Yellow Emperor on the plains of Jizhou accompanied by the gods of wind and rain, but was defeated by the god of drought that the Yellow Emperor sent down. On the other hand, in the Records of the Grand Historian, Chiyou is described as one of the tyrannical feudal lords who rebelled against the virtuous Yellow Emperor and were defeated. Chiyou, who has such a deep connection with war, is also credited with being the first to manufacture weapons, and has long been worshiped as a war god in the state of Qi (Shandong Peninsula). Every October, when people worshiped what is said to be Chiyou's tomb, a red cloud appeared and fluttered across the sky. People called it the "Chiyou flag," and it is also valuable as a record of the aurora in ancient China. The belief in Chiyou as a war god was also transmitted to ancient Japan, where he was worshipped as the god of war.

[Tota Kirimoto]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

中国の古代神話に登場する神。『山海経(せんがいきょう)』によると、蚩尤は風の神や雨の神を従えて冀州(きしゅう)の野で黄帝(こうてい)と戦ったが、黄帝が下した日照りの神によって撃ち破られたという。一方『史記』では、徳の高い黄帝に刃向かって敗れた暴虐な諸侯の一人とされている。このように戦争と深いかかわりをもつ蚩尤は、初めて武器を製造した功績者ともされ、斉(せい)の国（山東半島）では古くから軍神として祭祀(さいし)の対象とされていた。毎年10月に人々が蚩尤の墓とよばれるものを祀(まつ)ると、赤い雲気(うんき)が現れて空にたなびいたという。人々はそれを「蚩尤旗」とよんだが、これは古代中国におけるオーロラの記録としても貴重な意味をもつ。なお軍神としての蚩尤の信仰は、兵主神として古代の日本にも伝えられ、崇拝された。

［桐本東太］

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