Animal Memorial Service

This is a ceremony to mourn and hold memorial services for animals that are closely related to human life. Throughout the country, it is common to set up a stupa (stone tablet) or an ihai (memorial tablet). Animals that are memorialized include dogs, cats, cows, horses, boars, deer, monkeys, whales, salmon, crows, and snakes. In the eastern Kanto region, when a dog has died, young married women gather together and erect a Y-shaped dog stupa at a three-way intersection to hold a memorial service for the dog. Some places hold memorial services for dogs on a regular basis on the 19th of February and September as a prayer for safe childbirth. The stone statues of Bato Kannon (Bato Kannon) and Dainichi Nyorai (Vairocana Buddha), which are widely distributed throughout the country, are also memorial services for horses and cattle. In Akita Prefecture, when salmon are caught, a Senbonsai (Senbon Festival) is held for every 1,000 salmon, and there is a custom of shouting "Ebisu" when they are killed. People believe that the homing nature of salmon is mysterious, and they hope that their spirits will not bring about curses, and by worshiping them, they will become the god of abundant fishing, known as Ebisu.

In western Japan, there are whale memorial tablets and grave markers called whale graves. From a formal standpoint, it is impossible to deny the involvement of Buddhism in animal memorial services.

[Kamata Hisako]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

人間生活と密接な関係をもつ動物の死を弔い、供養する儀礼。全国的に塔婆(とうば)や位牌(いはい)を設ける形式が多い。犬、猫、牛、馬、猪(いのしし)、鹿(しか)、猿、鯨(くじら)、鮭(さけ)、烏(からす)、蛇などが対象とされている。東関東一帯では、犬が死んだと聞くと、若い既婚の女性が集まり、Y字型の犬卒塔婆を三叉路(さんさろ)に立てて犬供養をする。定期的に2月と9月の19日に、安産祈願の対象として犬供養をする所もある。各地に広く分布する馬頭観音(ばとうかんのん)や、大日如来(だいにちにょらい)の石像も牛馬の供養である。秋田県では、鮭のとれるときは、千本ごとに千本祭を行い、殺すときは「エビス」と掛け声をかける習俗がある。鮭の帰巣性を神秘に感じ、その霊が祟(たた)らぬように、さらに祀(まつ)ることによってエビスという豊漁神になることを願ったものである。

　西日本では、鯨の位牌、鯨の墓とよぶ墓標がある。動物供養には形式的にみて、仏教の関与を否定できない。

［鎌田久子］

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