Takakuraji

Japanese: 高倉下 - たかくらじ

A local lord of Kumano who saved Emperor Jimmu from the greatest crisis during his eastern expedition. He appears in the Kojiki and Nihon Shoki. According to these, Emperor Jimmu made a detour to Kii to head for Yamato, but on the way, he and his soldiers fainted from the poison of a large bear in a village in Kumano. At this time, Takakuraji presented the Emperor with a large sword, and when the Emperor woke up, he used the sword to drive away the evil spirits of the raging god. Takakuraji said, "In a dream, Takemikazuchi-no-kami received a command from Amaterasu Omikami to give him a large sword to help pacify the underworld, and the next morning, when he looked in his storehouse, the sword was there just as in his dream." The name Takakuraji comes from this, but it is also said that Kuraji means the owner of the storehouse. The sword was kept at Isonokami Shrine (Tenri City).

(Tsutomu Saijo)

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

Japanese:

神武天皇東征中の最大の危機を救った熊野の土豪。『古事記』『日本書紀』に登場する。それによれば,神武天皇は,紀伊に迂回して大和を目指すが,途中,熊野の村で大きな熊の毒気によって兵士たちともども気絶してしまう。このとき高倉下が天皇に大刀を献上し,目を覚ました天皇はその大刀で荒ぶる神の邪気を払った。高倉下がいうには,「夢に,武甕雷神が天照大神の命を受けて,下界の平定を手助けするために大刀を下すというお告げがあり,翌朝,倉を見ると夢の通りに大刀があった」という。高倉下というのはこれによるが,クラジは倉主の意ともいわれる。その大刀は石上神宮(天理市)に収められた。

(西條勉)

出典　朝日日本歴史人物事典：（株）朝日新聞出版朝日日本歴史人物事典について　情報

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