A child of a god

A child believed to have been given to a god or Buddha through prayer or a divine revelation in a dream. Many biographies of heroes and high priests are tainted with such legends, and the protagonists of old tales are generally of this type. Other examples of "abnormal birth stories" such as "Issun-boshi," "Gobun-taro," "Monokusa-taro," and "Momo-taro" are also of this type, and all of them later become excellent people through the guidance of gods or Buddhas. However, apart from these "children of legend," there is a custom in the Tohoku region and elsewhere where people are concerned about the future of children who are sickly or born when the parents' living conditions are poor, and ask priests and mountain ascetics to make them the "children of a god or Buddha," to name them, and then offer a small prayer fee to request prayers and protection until a certain stage of development (around age 7). This is also called "God's child" or "God's captive," which is probably a remnant of the old "God's child" tradition.

[Toshimi Takeuchi]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

神仏への祈願、あるいは霊夢のお告げによってとくに「授かった」と信じられた子供。英雄・高僧の伝記には多くこうした伝承が付きまとい、さらに昔話の世界の主人公はおおむねこの類でもある。「一寸法師」「五分太郎」「物くさ太郎」さては「桃太郎」の類の「異常誕生譚(たん)」などもその類で、いずれものちのちは神仏の導きなどで優れた人格になりかわっている。しかしこうした「伝承の世界」の「申し子」とは別に、東北地方などには、生来病弱か、あるいは両親の生活条件の悪いときに生まれた子供の将来を案じて、とくに神官・修験(しゅげん)に頼んで、特定の神仏の「申し子」にしてもらって、「名付け」を頼み、その後も若干の祈祷(きとう)料を奉納して、生育のある段階（7歳程度）まで祈祷加護を依頼する風習がある。これを「神の申し子」「神のとりこ」ともいうのは、古い「申し子」の伝統をいまに残すところであろう。

［竹内利美］

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