Tenno faith - Tenno Shinko

Japanese: 天王信仰 - てんのうしんこう

Belief in Gozu Tenno (Gozu Tenno) centered on protection from epidemics. Gozu Tenno is a Buddhist guardian deity, but in the Bingo no Kuni Fudoki, he is likened to Muto Tenjin or Susanoo no Mikoto. He was enshrined near the Gion Shrine in Yasaka, Heian-kyo, and became known for protecting against epidemics through syncretization with the Goryo faith (Gion faith). At that time, epidemics were rampant in Heian-kyo, and Goryo-e (Goryo-e) was held. The Bingo no Kuni Fudoki contains the legend of Somin Shorai, in which Gozu Tenno is said to have the power to drive away epidemics, and so it was believed that he had the miraculous power to drive away evil spirits that bring epidemics. The Tenno Festival is held every year in June (now July 17) during epidemic and pest outbreaks, due to his miraculous power. In particular, he is recognized as a water god because he banishes epidemics to waterside areas. The Tenno Festival in the Kanto and Tokai regions is considered a water god festival, and is located in the faith area of Tsushima Tenno in the Owari region of Aichi Prefecture (→ Tsushima Shrine). Unlike the Tenno faith in Gion, Kyoto, these developed in coastal areas, indicating that Tenno and the water god have been syncretized.

Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica Concise Encyclopedia About Encyclopaedia Britannica Concise Encyclopedia Information

Japanese:

疫病よけを中心とした牛頭天王 (ごずてんのう) に対する信仰。牛頭天王は仏教の守護神であるが，『備後国風土記』では武塔天神またはスサノオノミコトに擬している。平安京八坂の祇園社の近くに祀られていたのが，御霊信仰 (ごりょうしんこう) と習合して疫病よけで知られるようになった (→祇園信仰 ) 。当時平安京には疫病が流行し，御霊会 (ごりょうえ) が行われた。『備後国風土記』には蘇民将来 (そみんしょうらい) 伝説が載せられており，そこで牛頭天王が疫病を駆逐できる力をもつと語られていることから，疫病をもたらす悪霊を追放する霊験があると信じられた。毎年6月 (現在は7月 17日) の疫病流行期，害虫発生期に天王祭が行われるのもその霊験による。特に疫病を水辺に追放することから水神の性格も認められている。関東・東海地方の天王祭は水神祭とみなされており，愛知県尾張地方の津島天王の信仰圏にある (→津島神社 ) 。これらは京都祇園の天王信仰と違って沿岸部に発達しており，天王と水神が習合したことを示している。

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