House god - Yashikigami

This refers to a god enshrined in a corner of a residential area or in a small adjacent plot of land. Yashikigami is an academic term, and in reality it is called by various names in different regions. Nationwide, Inari is the most prevalent deity worshipped, but there are also a variety of other deities, such as Shinmei, Gion, Kumano, Tenno, Hakusan, Hachiman, and mountain gods. This diversity of worshipped deities indicates the advancement of kanjo deities, and is thought to speak to the activities of those who transmit the faith, such as Shugendo, miko, and nembutsu.

Next, from the perspective of the range of worshippers, the following three types of yashikigami can be identified. (1) In a village, almost every household worships a yashikigami, which is called "individual household gods." (2) In a village, worship is limited to a specific old family or main family line, which is called "main family household gods." (3) In a village, the main family's yashikigami is worshiped by members of the same family, which is called "ichimon yashikigami." All three types are distributed nationwide. Regarding the relationship between these three, the ichimon yashikigami ritual organization is the oldest form, and it transitioned to the main family yashikigami as the family ties collapsed and the branch families dropped out. At the same time, as the power of the branch families rose, family consciousness increased, and the framework of family ties collapsed, it followed a trend of differentiation into each household yashikigami. Regarding the deity of the yashikigami, there are many lands that worship general gods or nature gods, but there is also a wide distribution of lands that worship ancestral gods. In particular, there are legends that say that the deceased members of a family become yashikigami, and there are many documents that show a close relationship between yashikigami and graves. This is where the ancestral character of the yashikigami becomes a major issue.

[Naoe Koji]

"A Study of House Spirits" by Hiroji Naoe (1966, Yoshikawa Kobunkan)

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

宅地内の一隅や宅地続きの小区画に祀(まつ)られている神をいう。屋敷神というのは学術語であって、実際には地方ごとにさまざまな呼称が行われている。祭神としては、全国的にみて稲荷(いなり)が優勢であるが、そのほか神明(しんめい)、祇園(ぎおん)、熊野(くまの)、天王、白山、八幡(はちまん)、山の神などさまざまである。このような祭神の雑多性は、勧請神進出の事実を示すとともに、修験(しゅげん)、巫女(みこ)、念仏など信仰伝達者の活躍を物語るものと考えられる。

　次に祭祀(さいし)者の範囲という観点からみると、屋敷神には次の三つの類型が指摘できる。（1）村落内のほとんど各戸で屋敷神を祀る型で、これを「各戸屋敷神」とよぶ。（2）村落でも特定の旧家・本家筋に限って祀る型で、これを「本家屋敷神」とよぶ。（3）本家の屋敷神を同族が参加して祀る型で、これを「一門屋敷神」とよぶ。この三つの類型は、いずれも全国的な規模で分布している。この三者の関係については、一門屋敷神の祭祀組織がもっとも古い形で、それが同族結合の崩壊、分家群の脱落によって、本家屋敷神へ移行するとともに、分家の実力が台頭し、家意識が高まり、同族結合の枠が崩れることによって、各戸屋敷神へ分化する傾向をたどったものと考えられる。屋敷神の神格については、一般神、自然神を祀るとする土地も多いが、また祖先神を祀るとする土地も広い分布を示している。ことに家代々の死者が屋敷神になるとの伝承があったり、屋敷神と墓との密接な関係を示す資料も少なくない。そこで屋敷神の祖霊的性格ということが、大きな問題になってくる。

［直江広治］

『直江広治著『屋敷神の研究』（1966・吉川弘文館）』

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