Izumo faith - Izumo faith

Faith in Izumo Taisha Shrine in Shimane Prefecture and the virtues of its main deity, Okuninushi no Mikoto. Okuninushi no Mikoto is described in the Izumo Fudoki as "the great god who created the heavens," and in the Jindai Ki, he is described as joining forces with Sukunahikona no Mikoto to run the world with one heart, and as the gods who established methods of treatment for illnesses for the common people and livestock, and of incantations to ward off evil from birds, animals, and insects, and who received the mercy of all the peasants. He has been revered as a god who guarantees the security of people's lives since ancient times. This faith has changed in various ways over the years and has permeated into folk beliefs, but especially since the Middle Ages, missionary activities by the shrine's priests have been active, and the faith has spread to a wide area. Okuninushi was syncretized with Daikokuten, the Buddhist guardian deity, and became one of the Seven Gods of Fortune, but this is because Daikokuten's name is pronounced "Daikoku", and so they were believed to be the same god. Daikokuten is depicted wearing a hood, carrying a large bag on his left shoulder, holding a mallet in his right hand, and stacking rice sacks, which represents the actions of the mythical Okuninushi. Furthermore, when his son Kotoshironushi was believed to be an Ebisu god, he came to be known together with Ebisu Daikoku, strengthening his character as a god of fortune and making him even more popular. Okuninushi is also worshipped as a god of matchmaking. The Kojiki states that Okuninushi-no-Mikoto and Suserihime-no-Mikoto "made a promise and put their hands around each other's necks, and have remained in tranquility ever since." In reality, the main shrine of Izumo Taisha is located to the left (right) of it, next to the auxiliary shrine Ookisaki-jinja (Mimukai-no-Yashiro), which enshrines Suserihime-no-Mikoto, and this coincides with the description in the Kojiki. This is why he is worshiped as a god of matchmaking. It has come to be said that in the tenth month of the lunar calendar, gods from all over the country gather in Izumo to discuss matchmaking between men and women who are parishioners of the country. Faith in Izumo Taisha Shrine was organized into groups called Izumo-ko, Koshi-ko, etc., and was active in various places.

[Toshihiko Uda]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

島根県の出雲大社およびその主祭神大国主命(おおくにぬしのみこと)の神徳に対する信仰。大国主命は『出雲国風土記(ふどき)』に「天の下造らせし大神」と記され、『神代紀』に少彦名命(すくなひこなのみこと)と力をあわせ心を一にして天下を経営し、蒼生(あおひとくさ)（庶民）と畜産のための療病や、鳥獣昆虫の災異を祓(はら)うために禁厭(まじない)の方法を定めて百姓みな恩頼(おんらい)を蒙(こうむ)っているとあり、古くから人々の生活の安泰を保障する神として崇敬されていた。その信仰は時代の推移とともにさまざまに変容して民間信仰に浸透していったが、とくに中世以降に大社の御師(おし)による布教活動が盛んに行われ、その信仰は広範な地域に伝播(でんぱ)した。大国主命は仏教の守護神である大黒天に習合されて七福神の一となったが、それは大国の音読「だいこく」と通じたため同じ神と信ぜられたものである。大黒天が頭巾(ずきん)をかぶり、左肩に大きな袋を背負い、右手には小槌(こづち)を持ち、米俵を踏まえている姿で表されるのは、神話上の大国主命の行状を表現している。さらに御子神(みこがみ)の事代主神(ことしろぬしのかみ)が夷(えびす)神と信じられると、えびす大黒と併称されるようになり、福神的性格を強めていっそう大衆化していった。また、大国主命は縁結びの神として崇(あが)められる。『古事記』には大国主命と須勢理毘売命(すせりひめのみこと)とが「宇伎由比(うきゆひ)して宇那賀気理(うながけり)て（契(ちぎ)りを結んで、互いに首に手をかけ合って）いまに至るまで鎮(しず)まり坐(ま)す」とある。現実に出雲大社の本殿は、その左側（向かって右）に須勢理毘売命を祀(まつ)る摂社大后(おおきさき)神社（御向社(みむかいのやしろ)）と並んで座しており、『古事記』の記述と一致している。それが男女縁結び信仰の神として崇められる由縁(ゆえん)である。旧暦10月に全国の神々が出雲に集まり、諸国の氏子(うじこ)男女の縁結びを相談すると伝承されるに至った。出雲大社に対する信仰は出雲講、甲子(こうし)講などとよばれる講が組織され、各地で活動していた。

［菟田俊彦］

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