Mountain people - Yamabito

Usually, it refers to lumberjacks and charcoal burners who make a living in the mountains. In the past, mountain residents were called mountain people or mountain men, and were thought to be the descendants of the indigenous people. Until the Meiji period, stories of encounters with these people were often passed down in villages. They were said to have appeared in town markets, or to have been a large man sleeping in the mountains with his large removed shoes. This reflects the awe felt by farmers towards people who lived in the mountains. In the Edo period, the following article appeared in "Tankai" (1795) written by Tsumura Soan. In Hakone, Sagami Province (Kanagawa Prefecture), there was a man called a mountain man. He lived naked, wearing only the bark of leaves and trees as clothing, deep in the mountains, and made a living by catching red-bellied fish. He knew there was a market, so he brought the fish and traded it for rice. He said nothing but trade, and when the trade was over, he flew back like a bird through the pathless places. The lord of Odawara Castle was aware of this and had forbidden anyone from firing guns or other weapons.

The word yamajin appears in ancient documents, but it is unclear whether it meant indigenous people at the time. According to ancient documents, there are articles about yamajin going to the capital to serve at the imperial court, and the Gokeshidai (1111) states that they served as niwabi (garrison officers).

[Oto Tokihiko]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

普通、山稼ぎをする木こりや炭焼きのことをいう。かつては村人に対して、山中にいた住民を山人または山男とよんで、先住民の子孫と考えられていた。明治時代まで村ではこの人々に出会ったという話がよく伝えられた。町の市(いち)などに現れたとか、山中に大男が寝ていて、脱いだ大きな履き物があったとかいう。農民にとって、山間に住む人への畏怖(いふ)感の反映がみられる。江戸時代、津村淙庵(そうあん)の著した『譚海(たんかい)』（1795）に次のような記事がある。相模(さがみ)国（神奈川県）箱根に山男というものがいた。裸体で木葉樹皮を衣とし深山中に住んで赤腹魚をとるのを業としていた。市があるのを知っていてこの魚をもってきて米と交換した。交易のほか多言せず、交易が終わると道のない所を鳥の飛ぶように帰っていった。小田原の城主もこのことを知っていて、けっして鉄砲などで打ってはならぬと制していた、という。

　山人という語は、古代の文献にもみえているが、それが当時においても先住民を意味していたかどうかはよくわからない。古文献によると、山人が都に出て宮廷に仕えた記事もあり、『江家次第(ごうけしだい)』（1111）によると庭燎(にわび)の役を勤めたとある。

［大藤時彦］

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