Yugisho - Yugisho

A type of divine trial carried out during the Muromachi period. It is a revival of the ancient Kukatachi. A stone is placed in a kettle of boiling water in front of the altar, and the parties to the lawsuit or the suspect are made to search for and remove it (Kutatsu). Two days after the Kukatachi, an official checks whether the hand is damaged or not, and assumes that the god has testified that the claim of the person with sores on his or her hand is false. In civil cases, the person loses the case, and in criminal cases, the suspect is found guilty. In civil cases, if both parties had sores on their hands, the disputed matter was confiscated by the shogunate, but if neither party had sores on their hands, the disputed matter was divided equally between the parties.

[Ryosuke Ishii]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

室町時代に行われた神判の一種。上代の盟神探湯(くかたち)が復活したもの。神前で湯を沸騰させた釜(かま)の中に石を置き、訴訟の当事者または被疑者をしてこれを探り取り出させる（探湯）。探湯の翌々日に手が損傷しているか否かを役人が検知し、手のただれた者の主張を偽りと神が証言したとみなし、民事ならばその者の敗訴とし、刑事ならば被疑者を有罪とする。民事の場合、両当事者の手がただれていれば、論所論物は幕府に没収され、両当事者の手がともにただれていない場合には、論所論物は当事者の間で中分された。

［石井良助］

出典　小学館　日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)について　情報 | 凡例