Earth Spirit - Chirei

The term refers to spirits or gods of the earth. The most representative deity is the Earth Mother. In general, the Earth Goddess is considered to be a female deity, and origin myths have been passed down in various places such as Africa, America, and Polynesia, in which the Earth (goddess) combined with the sky (god) to give birth to all things in nature. The Earth Mother's figure often emphasizes femininity, such as the chest and reproductive organs, and is associated with the functions of fertility and fertility. This tendency is particularly strong in agricultural cultures, where rites such as sacrifices (kugi) and orgii (religious frenzy such as wild drinking and dancing) are performed to pray for a good harvest, with various offerings from food to people. For example, among the Kondo people of India, a sacrifice representing the Earth Mother is cut into pieces and the flesh is buried in the ground. In ancient Mexico, the Earth Mother was the goddess of corn, and was also depicted as a frog with many mouths and breasts, and it is said that in her rituals, women who were likened to the goddess were killed. In addition, when starting cultivation or building a building, elaborate sacrifices are made, such as burying offerings in the ground, to avoid incurring the wrath of the earth spirits. There is also a widespread belief that earthquakes are caused by the movements of animals, spirits of the dead, or the earth goddess underground.

[Takuma Shirakawa]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

土地の精霊や神をいう。その代表的神格が地母神である。一般に、大地の神は女性神と考えられており、アフリカやアメリカ、ポリネシアなど各地に、大地（女神）が天（男神）と結合して自然界の万物を産み出したとする起源神話が伝わっている。地母神の姿は、胸部や生殖器など女性性が強調されることが多く、多産や豊穣(ほうじょう)の機能と結び付いている。とくに農耕民文化にはその傾向が強く、作物の豊穣を祈って、食物から人までさまざまな供物による供犠(くぎ)やオルギー（乱飲乱舞などの宗教的狂乱）的な儀礼が行われる。たとえば、インドのコンド人では、地母神を表すいけにえが切り刻まれて、その肉は地中に埋められる。また、古代メキシコでは、地母神はトウモロコシの女神であり、多くの口や胸を有したカエルの姿でも表されたが、その祭儀では、女神に見立てられた女性が殺されたといわれる。そのほか、耕作の開始や建物の建築の際には、地霊の怒りを招かないために、供物を地中に埋めるなど入念な供犠が行われる。また、地震は、地中の動物や死霊、そして地母神などの動きによって生じるとの信仰も広く認められる。

［白川琢磨］

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