Divine Order - Shinkai

Ranks given to gods. Also called shin'i. They are written in the same way as the ranks of royal officials, but ranks are rarely given. Shin'i are divided into hon'i, 'ikai', and kun'i. The hon'i ranks are divided into four ranks from shihon to ippon, the hierarchical ranks are divided into 15 ranks from sho-rokui to sho-ichii, and the hon'i ranks are divided into 12 ranks from kun'ju-twelve to kun'ichi. They were given for special prayers and effective results. In 746 (Tenpyo 18), Hachiman-no-Okami of Usa (Usa City, Oita Prefecture) was given the third rank, and in 749 (Tenpyo Shoho 1), the same god was given the first rank, and Hime-no-Okami was given the second rank. The earliest example of an order of rank was when the fifth class was bestowed on the sword god of Echizen Province (Fukui Prefecture) in 771 (Hōki 2). Divine ranks were frequently invested in the early Heian period, but by the early Kamakura period most gods had been promoted to Shoichii, and the system lost its effectiveness. From the end of the Middle Ages, it came under the control of the Yoshida family, who founded Yoshida Shinto, and private written certificates called Sogen Senji were issued.

[Soji Okada]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

神々に授けた位階。神位ともいう。王臣の位階と同じ表記をするが、位田(いでん)はほとんど付与されていない。神階は品位(ほんい)、位階、勲位(くんい)の別があり、品位は四品(しほん)から一品(いっぽん)に至る四階、位階は正六位上から正一位に至る15階、勲位は勲十二等から勲一等に至る12階に分けられ、特別の祈願・効験あるごとに授けられた。746年（天平18）宇佐(うさ)（大分県宇佐市）の八幡(はちまん)大神に三位(さんみ)を授け、749年（天平勝宝1）同神に一品、比売(ひめ)神に二品を授けた例を初見とする。勲位は771年（宝亀2）越前(えちぜん)国（福井県）の剣神(つるぎのかみ)に勲五等を授けたのが早い例である。平安初期には盛んに神階叙位が行われたが、鎌倉初期にほとんどの神々が正一位まで昇叙(しょうじょ)し、その制度の実効は失われていった。中世末期からは吉田神道(しんとう)を創唱した吉田家の扱うところとなり、宗源宣旨(そうげんせんじ)と称する私文書の証状が発行された。

［岡田荘司］

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