Chigi

These ornaments stand crosswise on both ends of the ridge of the main shrine building. At Ise Shrine, the tops of the gables pierce the roof and become chigi. In general, the chigi are simply placed crosswise on the ridge, and are called oki-chigi. Some haniwa clay figures from the Kofun period have several pairs of chigi not only on both ends of the ridge but also in the middle, which seems to be the result of the tops of the rafters piercing the roof. The chigi have rectangular holes, called kazakiria-ana. There are two types of chigi: uchi-sogi, where the top of the chigi is horizontal, and so-sogi, where the outside is vertical. The former are said to be chigi that decorate the main building of the goddess worshipped, and the latter are chigi that decorate the goddess worshipped, but there are exceptions. The kumiki on the ridge of thatched-roofed houses in Nara and Miyazaki prefectures are also called chigi. This type of kumiki can also be seen in private homes in other regions, where they are called 'uma', 'kura' or 'kurakake'.

[Kudou Yoshiaki]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

神社本殿の棟(むね)の両端に交差して立つ飾り。伊勢(いせ)神宮では破風(はふ)の上端が屋根を貫いて出て、千木となる。一般には棟上に互いに交差した千木をのせただけで、これを置(おき)千木という。古墳時代の埴輪(はにわ)には、棟の両端だけではなく中間にも数組の千木のあるものもあり、これは垂木(たるき)の上端が屋根を貫いたものらしい。千木には矩形(くけい)の穴があけられており、これを風切穴(かざきりあな)という。千木上部が水平になる内殺(うちそぎ)と、外側が垂直になる外殺(そとそぎ)があり、前者は女神、後者は男神が祭神の本殿を飾る千木というが、例外もある。また、奈良県や宮崎県の茅(かや)屋根の民家にみられる棟上の組木(くみき)も、千木とよばれている。ほかの地方の民家でもこの種の組木がみられるが、それらは「うま」「くら」「くらかけ」とよばれている。

［工藤圭章］

出典　小学館　日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)について　情報 | 凡例