Wen Chang Shen (English spelling)

Japanese: 文昌神 - ぶんしょうしん（英語表記）Wén chāng shén

In old China, Wenchang was the god of learning and the imperial examinations worshipped by intellectuals. He was also called Emperor Wenchang. Wenchang is the name of the fourth star of the Big Dipper, and is also called Wenqu. The Big Dipper has long been worshipped as the god of warding off disasters and preserving life, but in the Southern Song dynasty, Wenchang in particular came to be worshipped in schools as the god of learning and the imperial examinations. Separately, from the Six Dynasties, there was a belief in Zitong, who is said to have been worshipped after Zhang Auzi of the Jin dynasty died in battle, and in the Song dynasty, he was worshipped by those taking the imperial examinations as the god of fortune and status.

Source: Heibonsha World Encyclopedia, 2nd Edition Information

Japanese:

旧中国において，知識人のあいだで信仰された学問や科挙の神。文昌帝君とも呼ばれた。文昌は北斗七星の第4星の名で，文曲ともいう。北斗星は消災解厄，保命延生をつかさどるとして古くから信仰されてきたが，南宋時代になるととくに文昌は学問･科挙の神として学校にまつられるようになった。これとは別に，六朝のころから，晋の張悪子が戦死してまつられたといわれる梓潼神（しどうしん）信仰が行われ，宋代には福禄と名籍をつかさどる神として，科挙の受験者に信仰された。

出典　株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典第２版について　情報

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